Why Make Pineapple Sauce For Ham?

As I explain in my ham with pineapple and cherries recipe, ham and pineapple is a classic combination. Not only is a baked ham decorated with golden yellow pineapple beautiful, but the sweetness and tartness of the fruit also helps to balance out the strong flavors of the cured ham.

Although baking your ham with pineapple rings definitely helps to balance out the flavor, making a separate pineapple sauce for ham allows you to add even more fruity flavor. If you’ve made oven baked ham before and wished you had added more pineapple, then you definitely need to try this sauce recipe.

Pineapple Sauce For Ham with Fresh vs. Canned Pineapple

If you do an Internet search, you’ll find that recipes for pineapple sauce with crushed pineapple are far more common than recipes with canned. Although crushed pineapple or canned rings is convenient, it’s not as flavorful as fresh or frozen. With that in mind, I wanted to invent a recipe for pineapple sauce with fresh pineapple so that the sauce would be as flavorful as possible.

Will Pineapple Sauce with Fresh Pineapple Make Ham Mushy?

No! Cooking pineapple destroys the enzyme that can make pineapple mushy.

Baked ham with pineapple is a classic, but almost all recipes call for using canned pineapple since fresh pineapple contains the enzyme bromelain that can make ham mushy. If you’re worried that his fresh pineapple sauce will make the ham mushy, don’t worry: a Dole.com canned pineapple FAQ page explains that the heating process used in canning pineapple destroys the bromelain.

Since heating destroys bromelain, you don’t have to worry about the pineapple sauce making your ham mushy. Besides, this sauce is meant to be served on the side, so it won’t be in contact with the meat for very long, anyway.

Can I Use Frozen Pineapple to Make The Sauce?

Yes! If a recipe calls for cooking or baking with fresh fruit, you can almost always use frozen. Since this sauce is cooked, you can use frozen pineapple instead of fresh pineapple: that’s what I did in the video.

Why Make Pineapple Sauce for Ham Without Mustard?

Many recipes for pineapple sauce, such as the one by Rodney of HotRodsRecipes.com, call for adding mustard. The tanginess in the vinegar, like lemon juice in a fruit cobbler, helps bring out the fruit flavor.

However, since I really like using lemon in fruit pies and cobblers, I wanted to make pineapple sauce for ham without mustard. Instead, I used lemon juice and lemon zest, and I really enjoyed the results. If adding mustard to pineapple sauce sounds odd to you but you still want the benefits, add some lemon.

Pineapple Sauce for Ham with Fresh Pineapple Ingredients

My pineapple sauce for ham with fresh pineapple but without mustard recipe has just a few ingredients:

Fresh Pineapple (or Frozen) – 1 lb (454g), about 2.5 cups.

Sugar – 2/3 cup white sugar (140g). Although you could use light brown sugar, white sugar will help preserve the golden yellow color that you’d expect a pineapple sauce to be.

Water – 1/2 cup (120g). In the video I started out with 1/4 cup (60g), but after adding the cornstarch slurry, I felt like the sauce still had a slight cornstarch taste. I then added another 1/4 cup of water and cooked the sauce another 5 minutes, and that helped a lot–so start with 1/2 cup of water.

Lemon Juice – 1 Tablespoon

Lemon Zest – 1 teaspoon–honestly, in the video I may have used about 1.5 teaspoons, but 1 teaspoon of zest should be enough. If you don’t have zest, substitute 1/2 teaspoon extract.

1/8 teaspoon salt – Salt helps to balance out the flavors.

For the Cornstarch Slurry:

Cornstarch – 2.5 Tablespoons (25g)

Water – 2.5 Tablespoons (25g). Usually, when I make cornstarch slurries I use equal parts cornstarch and water.

How to Make Pineapple Sauce for Ham with Fresh Pineapple

Learning how to make pineapple sauce for ham with fresh pineapple but without mustard is easy:

Cut Up The Pineapple

The first step in the recipe is cutting up and measuring the pineapple. I used 1 pound of pineapple, which is about 2.5 cups, maybe a little less. Although it’s best to cut the pineapple into chunks of about equal sizes, you don’t have to be exact since you can break up the chunks with a spoon as the sauce cooks.

When I made the recipe for the video, I cut up a pineapple ahead of time and froze it. Whether you cut up a fresh pineapple right before making the sauce or use frozen, it doesn’t matter.

Place the Pineapple In a Pot with the Other Ingredients

Place the cut up pineapple into a pot and add the sugar, lemon juice and zest, salt, and water (I recommend a total of 1/2 cup). Don’t add the cornstarch slurry at this point.

When I made the recipe for the video, I cut up a pineapple ahead of time and froze it. Whether you cut up a fresh pineapple right before making the sauce or use frozen, cut up a pineapple and then freeze it, or use storebought frozen pineapple, you can still make this recipe.

Bring to a Boil

Once everything–except the ingredients for the slurry–are in the pot, bring the pot to a boil. In the video I say to use medium heat, but I’ve used high heat to bring the pot to a boil before, and it was perfectly fine.

As previously stated, you can definitely use frozen pineapple to make this sauce. The only difference is that it’ll take longer to come to a boil.

As the pineapple, sugar, and other ingredients start to come to a boil, use a wooden spoon to break up the large chunks into smaller pieces to give the sauce a smoother texture. If the pineapple chunks are frozen together, use the spoon to break them apart as the fruit thaws out.

Continue Cooking on Medium Heat

Once the pineapple sauce comes to a boil, cook on medium heat for another 10 minutes, stirring constantly as you use your spoon to crush the chunks. For a chunkier sauce, don’t break up the chunks as well–honestly, you have a lot of control over the texture of the final sauce.

Add a Cornstarch Slurry to Thicken the Pineapple Sauce

After 10 minutes of continued cooking, make the cornstarch slurry off to the side. Add the slurry to the pineapple sauce, making sure to stir it in very well.

Cook for an Additional 5 Minutes

Although adding the cornstarch slurry will thicken the sauce within 60 seconds, I recommend that you continue cooking the pineapple sauce for another 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring constantly. The extra time over heat helps to cook out the slight cornstarch flavor that the sauce would have otherwise.

Serve the Pineapple Sauce

Now that the pineapple sauce is ready, it’s time to serve. I recommend letting it cool down for a few minutes before serving.

How to Serve Pineapple Sauce For Ham

This is how I recommend using this pineapple sauce:

Baked Ham – As stated above, I served this with slices of baked ham, and it was phenomonal.

Ham Steak – If you feel like your ham steak needs a little something, this sauce would be perfect.

Chunky Pineapple Sauce for Ham

Although the pineapple in the finished sauce has the texture of crushed pineapple, you can easily use this recipe to make chunky pineapple sauce for ham. Simply refrain from breaking up the pineapple so much while it’s cooking, making sure to leave a few large chunks.

If I’m Going to Serve the Sauce with Baked Ham, When Should I Make the Sauce?

If you want your sauce to be lukewarm when served, I recommend that you start making the sauce about 15 minutes before taking the ham out of the oven. With about 30 minutes to get the ingredients together, cook the sauce, and then give it time to cool off, that’s just enough time to let the ham finish baking in the oven and then letting it rest for 15 minutes.

Why Do I Have to Keep Cooking the Sauce After Adding the Slurry?

I recommend continuing to cook the sauce for an extra 5 minutes to cook the cornstarch flavor out of the sauce. While you could add slightly less cornstarch (and thus use slightly less water to make the slurry), my guess is that the sauce needs a bit more time if you don’t want the cornstarch to be perceptible.

Even though I don’t continue cooking my cobbler fillings after adding the cornstarch, I not only use more fruit but also bake the filling inside the cobbler. Baking the cobbler in essence continues cooking the filling, so my guess is that simply using less cornstarch might not solve the problem.

How to Store Pineapple Sauce For Ham

To store your pineapple sauce for ham, place it in a sealed container and keep it in the refrigerator.

How Long Does Pineapple Sauce Keep?

If kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator, the pineapple sauce should keep for up to 1 week.

Can I Make Pineapple Sauce For Ham In Advance?

Yes! You can make this pineapple sauce for ham up to 2-3 days in advance. In fact, making it the day before Christmas or Easter is one less thing to do on the holiday. Although I think it’ll keep for a week, it might start to lose flavor after 3 or 4 days, so you don’t want to make it too far in advance.

Can You Freeze Pineapple Sauce For Ham?

Potentially, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Freezing and then thawing the sauce might make it watery, so I wouldn’t risk it. If you try this, let me know!

Can I Thicken the Pineapple Sauce with Flour Instead of Cornstarch?

Yes! But I don’t recommend it. If you’re going to thicken the sauce with flour, I would use twice the amount–5 Tablespoons. When making the slurry, increase the water to 5 Tablespoons, too. The rest of the recipe should be the same.

Even if thickening the pineapple sauce with flour instead of cornstarch is possible, I don’t recommend it. Flour-thickened pies, cobblers, and sauces look cloudy, and it’s hard to cook out the flour flavor totally. Flour will work in a pinch, but I think that the recipe will turn out better with cornstarch.

A Chef’s Review

My pineapple sauce for ham with fresh pineapple but without mustard recipe was a bit success. The sauce had the sweet and tart that you’d expect, and it complemented the baked ham very well. The lemon really helped bring out the fruit flavor, so I highly recommend adding it.

After cooking the sauce an extra 5 minutes, there wasn’t any trace of cornstarch, so that isn’t a concern. I also really liked the texture. The pineapple bits were small enough for a piece to be in every bite, and the thickened juice spread out nicely on slices of ham. If you’re looking for a sauce to complement your Christmas or Easter ham, or to top a ham steak, this recipe is for you.

Possible Changes to the Recipe

I was very satisfied with how this recipe turned out, but one day I’d like to try:

Crushed Pineapple – Although not as flavorful, crushed pineapple would make this recipe super easy.

Brown Sugar – Even though the sauce wouldn’t be yellow, I think it would be very delicious.

With Mustard – Even though I purposefully created a pineapple sauce recipe without mustard, I’m curious how it would turn out with some mustard.

Pineapple Sauce for Ham Recipe Variations

Raisin Pineapple Sauce – Raisins and Dijon mustard put a twist on this recipe.

Spicy Pineapple Sauce – Jalapenos or red pepper flakes would give this sauce some heat.

Sweet and Sour Sauce – If you’re a fan of sweet and sour sauce from Chinese restaurants, then adding brown sugar, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, and soy sauce will give this sauce a similar taste.

More Pineapple Recipes

Pineapple Pie – If you like old-fashioned peach pie but want something different, try this recipe.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Crushed Pineapple – Brown sugar caramel makes this cake fantastic.

Old Fashioned Pineapple Coconut Cake – If you like southern coconut cake, you’ll love this.

Other Sauce Recipes

If you like to add sauces to your food, then be sure to take a look at these recipes:

Chimichurri Sauce Recipe – A spicy garlic parsley sauce from Argentina and Uruguay that’s amazing.

Microwave Applesauce For One (No Sugar) – This unsweetened applesauce is a good healthy dessert.

Pineapple Sauce for Ham with Fresh Pineapple Recipe Directions

YouTube Video:

Be sure to watch my YouTube video tutorial:

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Dump Cake: Easy Pumpkin Recipe with Few Ingredients

What Is a Dump Cake?

Originally created in the mid 20th century, dump cakes are a retro recipe that’s making a comeback. The first recipes called for pouring, or literally “dumping” canned cherry pie filling or crushed pineapple into a baking dish, sprinkling raw cake mix on top, laying pads of butter on top, and then baking. As the cobbler baked in the oven, the butter would melt into the cake mix, turning it into a sweet, crunchy crumble.

Can You Make a Pumpkin Dump Cake?

Although the original dump cake recipe had canned cherry and pineapple, since then professional chefs and home cooks have experimented with other types of canned pie filling, creating new versions. Given the availability of canned pumpkin, I was curious if a pumpkin dump cake would be possible.

Easy Pumpkin Dessert with Few Ingredients

I’m really glad I decided to be a bit adventurous because this pumpkin dump cake was a big success because it was delicious to eat and easy to make. Instead of rolling our pie crust or making pumpkin filling, all I had to do was open a few cans and boxes, pour them into a 9×13 dish, top with butter, and bake. If you’re looking for an easy fall dessert with just a few ingredients, this is it.

Pumpkin Dump Cake Ingredients

Like I said, this recipe is really easy because there are so few ingredients:

Spice Cake Mix – In my opinion, spice cake mix is what really makes this dump cake delicious. The flavors are very similar to the spices in a traditional pumpkin pie, so it works perfectly with the pie filling.

Pumpkin Pie Filling – Just like other kinds of canned pie filling, pumpkin pie filling already has spices and sugar, so you don’t have to add anything else.

Butter – Butter makes everything better, lol

Can You Use Canned Pumpkin?

Yes! Although I used pumpkin pie filling in this recipe, I think you could use 100% pure canned pumpkin as well, provided that you make some changes to the recipe. First, empty the pure pumpkin cans into a bowl, and then add:

1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice – Or, 1 Tablespoon of a combination of spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg.

1 cup light brown sugar – I think 1 cup of sugar would be enough for a 9×13 pan, especially since the spice cake mix already has sugar.

Can You Use A Different Type of Cake Mix?

Yes! As previously stated, I think that using spice cake mix is best since it’s so flavorful. However, if all you have is white or yellow cake mix, you can still make this recipe. Just add:

1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice – You could also had 1 Tablespoon of a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, and other pumpkin pie spices.

How to Make Pumpkin Dump Cake with 3 Ingredients

Although learning how to make pumpkin dump cake with 3 ingredients is easy, it’s still good to go through the steps in detail. This recipe is for a 9×13 dish:

Dump in the Pumpkin Pie Filling

After greasing the 9×13 pan with butter, the first step in the recipe is very straightforward. Hence the name, all you have to do is “dump” the 2 cans of pumpkin pie filling into the baking dish. If using 100% pure pumpkin, pour the contents into a bowl and add the spices and sugar before pouring the soon-to-be cobbler filling into a bowl.

Once the filling is in the baking dish, use a spatula or spoon to smooth it out. You don’t have to be perfect: this is supposed to be an easy, homemade dessert.

Add Extra Cinnamon?

Although both the cake mix and pie filling already have spices, I thought back to similar recipes I had done in the past such as apple dump cake. In those recipes an extra ingredient or two helped make them good, so I decided to add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon by simply sprinkling it on top of the filling.

Looking back, I don’t think the extra cinnamon made a huge difference, but if you want to add some more spice(s), go ahead. I just wouldn’t add more than an extra teaspoon.

Sprinkle on the Spice Cake Mix

After pouring in the filling, smoothing it out, and adding any extra spices, it’s time for the cake mix. Once again, this recipe lives up to its name: all you have to do is “dump” the cake mix into the baking dish by sprinkling it on top of the filling. You do not have to mix: just make sure the raw cake mix is sitting on top of the filling.

Smooth Out the Cake Mix

Without mixing it in or packing it down, take a fork or spoon and smooth out the cake mix, breaking up any lumps as you go. Just like with the pumpkin pie filling underneath, try to spread out the cake mix as evenly as possible–but don’t worry about being perfect.

Add the Butter

The hardest, most time-consuming step in making a dump cake cobbler is the last one: adding the butter. Although this steps takes a bit of time, it’s worth it. To make this as easy as possible:

Make sure your butter is cold – Be sure to keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready for the last step; in fact, you might want to put it in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to make sure it’s cold.

Slice the butter into thin pads – Use a sharp knife to cut the butter into thin slices. In each tablespoon of butter, you should be able to make 4-6 pads of butter.

Lay the pads of butter on top of the cake mix – Place them at most 1/4 inch apart, if not closer. That way, there won’t be any dry spots in the cake mix.

By placing pads of butter on top of the cake mix, the butter will melt down into the raw cake mix as the dump cake bakes, creating a crunchy crumble. Like I said–this step is time-consuming, but worth it.

Can You Pour Melted Butter on Top Instead?

I have seen some dump cake recipes online in which people pour melted butter on top of the cobbler and then bake. Although this is easier and faster, I think it would be hard to make sure some of the melted butter touched all of the cake mix: you would be guaranteed to have many dry spots.

However, a YouTube subscriber suggested freezing the butter, grating it on a cheese grater or in a food processor, and then sprinkling the grated butter on top of the cake mix. I haven’t tried that, but I think it would work, so if you give that a try, let me know!

Time to Bake!

After adding the butter, it’s time to bake. Get ready for something good!

What Can You Serve with 3 Ingredient Pumpkin Dump Cake?

Honestly, I think this pumpkin dump cake is flavorful enough to eat plain. However, whipped cream or Cool Whip and pumpkin pie is a classic combination, and I think either would be good with this cobbler, too–especially with a sprinkle of cinnamon as in my YouTube thumbnail. I’m sure some vanilla ice cream would be good, too.

Should Dump Cake Be Refrigerated?

Yes, it is recommended to store your dump cake cobblers in the refrigerator. I don’t cover them because the trapped moisture might make the crumble soggy.

How Long Does Pumpkin Dump Cake Last?

Your 3 ingredient pumpkin dump cake, like most other cake mix cobblers, should last 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Beyond 3 days, the moisture in the refrigerator will likely start making the crumble topping less crunchy, taking away from one of the things that makes this dessert so good.

Can You Freeze Dump Cake?

Yes, you can freeze dump cake. Simply place individual portions on disposable plates, wrap them tightly, and place them in the freezer. They should maintain their quality for a few months.

A Chef’s Review

Although I wasn’t sure how this was going to turn out, I really liked this easy pumpkin dump cake with 3 ingredients. Honestly, I don’t really care for pumpkin pie (I think my butternut squash pie recipe is a much better “pumpkin” pie), but I liked this a lot more than I thought I would because the spice cake mix crumble was so flavorful.

If you really like pumpkin pie, I think you’ll love this. For something with so ingredients, this is very full of flavor. It was definitely one of the best dump cakes I’ve ever made. If you’re looking for a fall dessert, this would be perfect for Thanksgiving.

Possible Changes to the Recipe

Although I think this recipe turned out perfectly, some ways in which you could switch up the recipe include:

A Different Cake Mix – I have heard of people adding pumpkin puree to chocolate cake, so I wonder how this would be with chocolate cake mix.

Chocolate Chips – Along those same lines, sprinkling chocolate chips on top of the pumpkin pie filling before adding the cake mix might be good, too.

Other Dump Cake Recipes

If this 3 ingredient pumpkin dump cake sounds like something you would like, be sure to check out my some of my other cake mix cobbler recipes.

Cherry Dump Cake

Blueberry Dump Cake

Strawberry Dump Cake

These dump cakes are not only easy to make but also good for crowds, so be sure to give them a try.

Other Pumpkin Recipes

If you can’t get enough of this classic Thanksgiving ingredients, be sure to take a look at:

Crustless Pumpkin Pie – This light, airy soufflé-like dessert has all the great flavor of the traditional recipe but with a lot fewer calories.

Pumpkin Dump Cake with 3 Ingredients Recipe

YouTube Video:

Be sure to watch my YouTube video tutorial:

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