These Pineapple Drop Cookies are bursting with bright pineapple flavor. Topped with a simple pineapple glaze that takes them to the next level, these soft & sweet cookies are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth craving!
Adding crushed pineapple to cookie dough may have you scratching your head, but let me reassure you, these cookies are amazing! The pineapple keeps the cookies soft & moist and the flavor is so bright & delicious.
I've tweaked this recipe from an original one I found in my recipe box from my grandma, and I've added the pineapple glaze to really drive the flavor home. These old-fashioned cookies require simple ingredients to create a fun new cookie to fill up your cookie jar!
What You'll Need for Pineapple Drop Cookies
The ingredients for these Pineapple Drop Cookies are likely to be staples in your pantry. Pretty basic, nothing fancy, but extremely delicious!
Creamed ingredients
- Shortening - this is a shortening-based recipe. Cookies often use either shortening, butter or a mix of both. Using shortening makes these cookies soft & tender as well as keeps them taller instead of spreading out. I've found a great article that goes into more detail on shortening vs. butter in baking. Check it out here.
- Brown & white sugar - the brown sugar adds a slight molasses flavor to the cookies while also keeping them moist, while the white adds the standard sweetness
- Egg
Dry Ingredients
- Flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda - your standard baking ingredients
The Flavor!
- Canned crushed pineapple - drain the pineapple really well! I like to place the pineapple in a strainer and use my hands to squeeze out the juice. Be sure to save 3 tablespoons of juice for the glaze!
- Lemon juice - bottled or fresh is fine
- Vanilla extract - vanilla makes everything better
How to Make Pineapple Drop Cookies
Step 1: Cream the butter & sugars together until light & fluffy. Add the egg and beat well. Mix in lemon juice & vanilla.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (I'm not a sifter).
Step 3: Combine the two and add drained pineapple. Mix until just combined.
Step 4: Roll dough into 1-½ inch balls and place on a cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes until the edges just start to brown. Cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet before moving the cookies to a wire rack. Cool completely before glazing!
Simple Pineapple Glaze
To send these Pineapple Drop Cookies over the top, top them with this simple but irresistable pineapple glaze. It could not be any easier to make. In a small bowl whisk powdered sugar and some of the reserved pineapple juice until a thick, but pourable glaze forms.
To glaze the cookies, place a dollop of the glaze on top of each cookie. Help the glaze along by using the back of the spoon to spread it out slightly. With some help the glaze will flow over the top of the cookie. It's okay if some runs off the edge, those are my favorite little treats when I'm cleaning up!
How Long Will They Stay Fresh?
Stored in an airtight container these Pineapple Drop Cookies will keep for 3-4 days, although I doubt they'll last that long! Due to the moisture in the crushed pineapple and the glaze, I wouldn't recommend freezing these cookies as the texture may be negatively affected.
The Original Recipe
Along with a few other minor tweaks, the other change I made to my grandma's recipe for Pineapple Drop Cookies was to omit the chopped nuts. Her recipe called for ½ cup chopped walnuts, which you can definitely go ahead and add! They are a great option to add to the cookie, but my personal preference is the soft cookie texture without the crunch of nuts.
So the choice is yours! Add the nuts, don't add the nuts. Either way, these cookies are a great recipe to add to your cookie rotation!
Other cookie recipes:
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Pineapple Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup shortening
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 egg beaten
- 2 cups flour
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ cup canned crushed pineapple drained well, reserve 3 tbsp. juice
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
Pineapple Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tbsp. reserved pineapple juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together shortening and both sugars using a hand mixer. Add egg and mix. Add lemon juice & vanilla extract and mix well.½ cup shortening, ½ cup packed brown sugar, ½ cup white sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp. lemon juice, ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add to wet ingredients and mix until just combined.2 cups flour, ¼ tsp. baking soda, 2 tsp. baking powder, ½ tsp. salt
- Add drained pineapple and mix until just combined.½ cup canned crushed pineapple
- Shape cookie dough into 1-½ inch balls (#30 scoop) and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart. Bake cookies 10-12 minutes until the edges just begin to brown.
- Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to finish cooling before glazing.
Pineapple Glaze
- In a small bowl whisk together powdered sugar & reserved pineapple juice. Start with 2 tablespoons of juice and add a little more until a thick, but pourable glaze is reached.2 cups powdered sugar, 2-3 tbsp. reserved pineapple juice
- Place a spoonful of glaze on top of each cooled cookie. Using the back of the spoon spread the glaze on top of the cookie. Allow the cookies to dry completely before storing in an airtight container.
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