Pineapple Candy
This easy-to-follow recipe shows you how to transform fresh pineapple into deliciously chewy and sweet pineapple candy. By blending juicy pineapple chunks, simmering the freshly blended pineapple juice with sugar, light corn syrup, and lemon juice, and then stirring in a touch of butter and cornstarch water, you’ll create a thickened slime-like paste. Once cooled and cut into desired shapes, these pineapple candies are ready to be enjoyed.
Equipment
- Kitchen scale (Or measuring cups)
- blender (Optional if you use store-bought pineapple juice)
- Nonstick pan
- Silicone spatula
- Baking Pan
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 420 g pineapple juice (1¾ cups; I blended fresh pineapple chunks into juice. You can also use store-bought pineapple juice, make sure it says "no sugar added".)
- 120 g granulated sugar (½ cup)
- 300 g light corn syrup (¾ cups + 2 tbsps + 2 tsps)
- 15 g lemon juice (1 tbsp)
- 50 g unsalted butter (3½ tbsps)
- 80 g cornstarch (½ cup)
- 80 g cold water (⅓ cup)
- 150 g macadamia nuts (1 cup; Can substitute it with other nuts of your choice, such as walnuts, almonds, pistachios, or pecans.)
Instructions
- Gather ingredients. Peel and cut a pineapple into chunks. Dissolve cornstarch in cold water, stir until smooth to get the cornstarch water. Line a small baking pan with parchment paper.
- Use a blender to blend the pineapple chunks (approximately half of a regular-sized pineapple) into juice. Skip this step if you're using store-bought pineapple juice for this recipe.
- Add 420g pineapple juice, 120g granulated sugar, 300g light corn syrup (karo), and 15g lemon juice to a nonstick pan. Heat the mixture over medium heat while stirring with a spatula until it reaches a simmer.
- Add 50g unsalted butter to the pan, stir over medium heat until the butter is melted.
- Lower the heat to medium-low, and slowly pour the cornstarch water into the mixture while continuously stirring with a spatula to avoid any lumps from forming.
- Once the cornstarch water is added, raise the heat to medium and stir the mixture consistently for approximately 20 minutes or until it thickens to a slime-like consistency.
- Add 1 cup of macadamia nuts or other nuts of your choice, such as walnuts, almonds, pistachios, or pecans to the pineapple paste. Stir with a spatula until the nuts are evenly distributed.
- Pour the mixture into a parchment paper-lined baking pan, place another sheet of parchment paper on top, and use a scraper to flatten it. Allow the candy sheet to cool completely in the refrigerator until it becomes firm.
- Once cooled, remove the parchment paper, and cut the pineapple candy into cuboids or desired shapes.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.