I make - Taiwanese Pineapple Pastry

This is a famous pastry from Taiwan. Traditionally in a square shape, like majong piece, it is a popular gift to offer in Taiwan and well received in the west.  The only way to have gluten free version is to make my own. So in 2026, I've made my first batch of pineapple pastry. To my surprise, this is one of the few gluten free baking goods which doesn't require reheat and tastes great even after a week if stored in a covered box at room temperature. The coconut oil brings the pastry to another level. I encourage you to try at least once.

Taiwanese Pineapple Pastry

Filling ingredients

1000 g pineapple chunks, core removed

270-300g granulated sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

60g unsalted butter

30g glutinous rice flour, dry roasted on a skillet or toasted 10 mins in the oven

Puree pineapple chunks in a blender. Cook pineapple and sugar in a large wide bottom pot. Start with medium heat to bring the mixture to boil and lower the heat and stir regularly. The mixture will spit during the first 30 minutes and gradually quieten down.

When the mixture is reduced by half and longer spits violently, taste the mixture (attention: hot!) and adjust with lemon juice. If your pineapple is on the sour side, you may want to add more sugar. I like to have a whiff of vanilla so I also add vanilla here. Continue to stir until the mixture starts to slowly merge back after scraping the pan bottom with a rubber spoon.

Mix in butter and continue to dry fry the mixture for 10-15 minutes or so. Scatter in cooked rice flour in two batches, each time stirring well until you see no white specks. Keep stirring and folding the mixture from bottom to the top. When the mixture has become a paste, the filling is ready.

Yes, this is the most labor intensive part and can take up to an hour or more. Patience is required here. The result is worth it.

Pastry ingredients

200 g gluten free flour

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

12 g grated parmesan (can skip if using coconut oil)

20 g milk powder (or ground almond, ~3 tbsps)

50 g powered sugar

100 g butter

20 g coconut oil (can skip or use butter instead)

1 egg, beaten

dash of vodka if the dough is on the dry side

Beaten egg to brush the top if not using the mold

The traditional method is to beat the softened butter (and coconut oil) with powdered sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Mix in beaten egg, parmesan and milk powder. Switch to a rubber spatula and blend in gluten free flour. Mix to combine. The dough may be a bit sticky. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. The dough can be used straight away. 

I prefer rubbing the butter/coconut oil into all dried ingredients with gloved hands. Stir in beaten egg when a dough starts to form. The dough should feel more like playdoh than wet sand.

A good ratio of dough to filling is 30 g to 20 g, for each pineapple pastry.

I roll the filled pastry on the surface on all edges and directions to even out the pastry distribution. Traditionally each filled pastry is fit into a metal square mold and bake in the mold. If you are not using the mold, you can brush the top with additional beaten egg to give it a color.

Bake at 160C for 15 mins. Remove the tray and flip the pastries over. Continue baking for another 10-15 mins.