Pina Colada Baklava

Pina Colada Baklava is a tropical twist on a popular Greek dessert. These crispy, sticky, and sweet bars are made of layers of pineapple, coconut, chopped almonds, and buttered phyllo dough. They are finished off with a generous glazing of coconut rum syrup.

For more sinful baklava desserts, try my Brownie and Things Baklava. It’s as delicious and interesting as it sounds!

By no means is this a healthy dish. It is best to share it with lots of people. So, if you want something new to bring to the holiday parties this year, look no further! You certainly will not have to worry about having duplicates of this Pina Colada Baklava at the dessert table.

If you have never made baklava before, now is the time to try. I promise, these babies are going to fly off the plate and you will be happy that you made them. My husband brought some to work and got rave reviews and requests for the recipe. This was supposed to be next week’s post, but I decided to publish this one earlier than usual in the event that any of my husband’s coworkers wanted to make some for Thanksgiving. 

These bars are made with layers upon layers of buttered phyllo dough interspersed with several layers of pineapples, coconut flakes, and chopped almonds. After baking, the flaky, crispy bars are drenched in coconut rum syrup, making them sweet and sticky yet retaining their crispness. Finally, coconut flakes top off this sweet sensation. OH MY GOODNESS!!!

This recipe is not complicated, although it is a little tedious. There are 40 layers of phyllo dough to be buttered. Additionally, separating and layering the mass of pureed, dried pineapple is a labor of love, but it is so worth your while.

How to make this non-alcoholic?

Of course! Omit the rum and add a punch of coconut flavor. To do this, make the glaze as instructed, then take off the heat and add coconut extract. Start with 1/2 teaspoon. Add more to taste, if desired.

Can this be made a little lighter?

Yes, it can. Some decadence will be lost, but it will still be amazing. Some options are:

• Swap out half of the butter with vegetable oil or extra light tasting olive oil (Affiliate link. I use this one all the time in my cooking). You will lose some of the buttery flavor, but it will be tasty.
• Use half unsweetened dried pineapple and half sweetened to reduce the sweetness and some calories. The same can be done with the coconut flakes.

Recommended supplies:

(Affiliate links. The products I recommend are either what I use, are on my wish list, or come highly rated.)

• I use this boar bristle pastry brush for applying the melted butter to the phyllo sheets.
• This 9 x13-inch baking pan comes with a lid for easy storage.
• You can hand chop the dried pineapples, but this Ninja food processor makes an easy job of it. It’s very highly rated.

Bring the uniqueness and the fun to your next social event with this Pina Colada Baklava. It’s going to be a crowd-pleaser.

Wishing you all a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!  

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE THESE RECIPES:

Banana Berry Coffee Cake	Brownie and Things Baklava
Grandma Yearwood’s Coconut Cake	Honey Glazed Fried Wonton Chips

Pina Colada Baklava

Author: Thao | In Good Flavor Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:American Courses:Dessert Recipe Keys: B Baking

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 50 minutesCook time:1 hour Rest time:4 hours Total time:5 hours 50 minutesServings:30 Servings

Description

Pina Colada Baklava is a tropical twist on a popular Greek dessert. These crispy, sticky, and sweet bars are made of layers of pineapple, coconut, chopped almonds, and buttered phyllo dough. They are finished off with a generous glazing of coconut rum syrup.

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounces) package phyllo dough, about 40 9″x14″ sheets
• 20 ounces sweetened dried pineapple (affiliate link)
• 12 ounces sweetened coconut flakes
• 3 sticks butter, melted
• 1 cup shelled almonds, finely chopped

For the Glaze:

• 1 cup agave nectar (affiliate link)
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 ounces coconut rum

Instructions

1. Thaw phyllo dough according to package directions.
2. Rough chop pineapple and place in a food processor. Pulse to break up chunks, then puree. Pineapple will become a sticky mass. It is fine if there are small chunks, but hand-cut any large ones that might have remained.
3. Set aside a heaping 1/3 cup of the coconut for topping the baklava after baking. 
4. Divide the remaining coconut into four equal parts. Divide the pineapple and almonds into four equal parts. Set aside. There will be four layers of the filling. Each layer will contain 1/4 of the coconut, pineapple, and almonds.

Layer 1:

5. Butter the inside of a 9″x13″ baking pan. Remove phyllo dough from the packaging. There should be forty 9″x14″ sheets. Trim off excess phyllo to fit the baking pan using kitchen shears or a knife (optional). You can bunch up the edges if you choose not to trim.
6. Lay phyllo flat and cover with plastic wrap and a damp towel. Working one sheet at a time, butter the top of a phyllo sheet and place butter-side-up in the baking pan. Repeat for 10 more sheets (there should be a total of 11 buttered sheets in the pan). Keep the unused phyllo sheets covered to prevent drying out.
7. Using one of 1/4 portions of the pineapple, pull apart and layer over the top phyllo sheet (the pineapple will be clumpy and sticky to work with). Sprinkle 1/4 of the coconut and 1/4 of the almonds over the pineapple.

Layer 2:

8. Butter and layer 6 phyllo sheets over the pineapple/coconut mixture. Top with the second 1/4 layer of pineapple, coconut, and almonds. 

Layer 3:

9. Repeat buttering and layering  6 more phyllo sheets. Add the third 1/4 of the filling.

Layer 4:

10. Repeat buttering and layering 6 phyllo more sheets. Add the last 1/4 of the filling.

Top phyllo layer:

11. There should be 11 phyllo sheets remaining. Butter and place each sheet over the last layer of pineapple/coconut mixture. Use a sharp knife and cut through baklava on a diagonal to create diamond-shaped bars that are roughly 1 1/2-inch thick

Finish:

12. Bake in a preheated 350° F for 60 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
13. Spoon about 1/3 of the glaze evenly over the baklava once it comes out of the oven. Let the glaze soak for a minute. Spoon another 1/3. Sprinkle on the reserved coconut flakes. Add the last third of the glaze. Allow to set for at least 4 hours before serving.

To make the glaze:

14. Make the glaze about 15 minutes before the baklava is ready to take out of the oven. Place butter and agave nectar in a small saucepan on medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
15. Add rum and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Notes

• For a non-alcoholic version, omit the rum. Cook the glaze as instructed. Take the pan off the heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract, adding more to taste, if desired.
• Swap out half of the butter with vegetable oil or extra light tasting olive oil (Affiliate link. I use this one all the time in my cooking). You will lose some of the butterines and decadence, but it will still be amazing.
• Use half unsweetened dried pineapple and half sweetened to reduce the sweetness and some calories. The same can be done with the coconut flakes.

Keywords:Baklava, Pina Colada, Phyllo Dough, Pineapple, Coconut

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