Pineapple Crumble Bars Recipe (Easy Bar Cookie)
This pineapple crumble bars recipe uses a simple flour-butter-sugar crumb base and topping, with a lemony pineapple filling cooked until thick. The ingredients are straightforward and the how-to steps are quick—bake, cool, then slice into neat squares for sharing.
Ingredients
1. For the crumb crust and topping
2. For the pineapple filling
Step-by-Step Method
Preheat and prep the pan
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13-inch pan or line it with parchment so lifting the bars out is easy.
Make the crumb mixture
Stir the flour and 1/2 cup sugar together. Add the cold butter and rub it in with your fingertips (or use a pastry cutter) until you get coarse, pebbly crumbs.
Press in the base
Tip about half of the crumbs into the pan and press firmly into an even layer to form the bottom crust.
Cook the pineapple filling
In a small saucepan, whisk 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch. Add the water, lemon juice, and drained crushed pineapple. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened; once it bubbles, keep stirring for 1–2 minutes, then take it off the heat.
Assemble the layers
Spread the warm pineapple filling evenly over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining crumbs over the top—no need to press, just cover it well.
Bake
Bake for about 34 minutes, until the top is lightly golden. Keep an eye on the last few minutes so the crumbs don’t brown too fast.
Cool and slice
Cool completely on a rack. Let the filling set for at least 1 hour, then cut into 24 squares.