Maple Glazed Pineapple (Caramelized in the Skillet)

Maple syrup makes pineapple even more irresistible, especially when it’s caramelized into its surface. Maple glazed pineapple, a nearly-instant skillet dessert or side dish, brightens any cool-weather meal.

For this easy preparation, you can use either fresh or canned pineapple. Fresh pineapples might look intimidating, but they’re not difficult to cut up with a decent knife and a little know-how. 

Here’s a great step-by-step guide showing how to cut a pineapple.

What you need: This recipe has only 4 essential ingredients: Fresh or canned pineapple chunks, maple syrup, vegan butter, and cinnamon.

Optional: If you’d like, you can dress the pineapple up with dried fruit — the recipe suggests dried cranberries, raisins, cherries, or blueberries.

How to serve: 

• As a dessert on its own or with vegan cookies
• With vegan vanilla ice cream (it goes particularly well with coconut-based ice cream)
• As a side dish, especially with spicy meals
• As part of a beautiful Buddha bowl
• To use in place of plain pineapple in salads like Thai Pineapple Salad

Recipe adapted from 5-Ingredient Vegan by Nava Atlas.

Explore more vegan gluten-free dairy-free desserts and sweets.

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Yield: 4 to 6

Maple Glazed Pineapple

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Maple syrup makes pineapple even more irresistible, especially when it’s caramelized right into its surface.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegan butter
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
• 4 cups fresh pineapple chunks or two 15-ounce cans, drained (save the juice for another use)
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries, raisins, cherries, or blueberries, optional

Instructions

1. Heat the vegan butter in a medium skillet until melted, then stir in the maple syrup and cinnamon.
2. Add the pineapple to the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the pineapple is nicely glazed and beginning to get touched with golden spots, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. If using dried fruit, stir it in with the pineapple and remove from the heat. Transfer the mixture to a serving container, let cool for several minutes, then serve warm or use in other preparations.

If you’re a pineapple fan, you might also like …

Piña Colada Mocktails

See lots more easy vegan desserts & sweets.