Description
Super creamy pineapple bars made with protein-packed Greek yogurt & sweet pineapple juice. Don’t skip the chilling step—these bars need to properly set in the refrigerator like traditional cheesecake.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup (120g) graham cracker crumbs (about 8 full-sheet graham crackers)
- 1 Tablespoon (12g) granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, melted (or melted coconut oil)
Filling
- 6 ounces (168g) brick-style light cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (181g) plain nonfat or low fat Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (80ml) pineapple juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract*
- optional: top with cherries and pineapple slices when serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F (149°C). Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on 2 sides to easily lift the bars out of the pan before cutting. Set aside.
- Make the crust: In a medium bowl, whisk the graham cracker crumbs and sugar together. Add the melted butter and stir until combined. Press evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
- Make the filling: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on high speed until completely smooth, about 1 minute. On medium-high speed, beat in yogurt until completely combined. Then beat in the eggs and egg yolk until combined. Finally, beat in the sugar, pineapple juice, and vanilla extract until everything is combined and no lumps remain. Filling is thin. Pour filling into the crust—it’s ok if the crust is still slightly warm.
- Bake for 34–36 minutes or until the middle is no longer wobbly. A little jiggle is ok—the bars will continue to set up as they chill in the refrigerator, so you don’t need to bake them until the center is perfectly solidified. Don’t over-bake these bars, or the surface may crack.
- Set the pan on a cooling rack and cool for 1 hour, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 3–4 hours or even overnight.
- Once chilled, lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment overhang on the sides and cut into bars. For neat bars, I use a very sharp knife and wipe it clean with a paper towel after each cut.
- Cover and store leftover bars in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare the bars 1-3 days in advance and store covered tightly in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Bars can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-inch Square Baking Pan | Glass Mixing Bowl | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack
- Eggs: You need 2 large eggs plus an additional egg yolk making a total of 3 egg yolks and 2 egg whites.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Room temperature dairy and eggs mix easily and more evenly into one another. I always recommend room temperature, especially cream cheese, when making these types of bars.
- Pineapple Coconut Squares: Replace the vanilla extract with 1/2 teaspoon of coconut extract.