Desserts

Serving

Pina Colada Tart

Name: Pina Colada Tart
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Desserts
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup packed brown sugar; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed; 1/4 cup half-and-half; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 Tbsp golden rum; 6 oz cream cheese (softened); 1 cup powdered sugar; 1/2 cup plain yogurt; 2 Tbsp golden rum (for filling); 1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained; 1/2 cup shredded coconut, toasted

A buttery tart shell filled with rum-spiked cream cheese and topped with pineapple and toasted coconut.

120 minutes

Serves 8

Dessert

42 min prep

66 min cook

Contains common allergens

Dairy Wheat

In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.

Instructions

7 steps

1
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
2
With a fork, stir in the half-and-half, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon rum just until the mixture begins to hold together. Gently squeeze into loose clumps, then press into a ball on a sheet of plastic wrap.
3
Using the plastic wrap, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. Lift it into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, folding the edges over to make the sides double-thick and pressing firmly into the corners.
4
Line the pastry with foil and fill with dry beans or pie weights. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake 35 minutes.
5
Turn off the oven; carefully remove the foil and beans. Pierce the pastry in 2 or 3 places with a fork and return to the turned-off oven for 5 minutes. Let cool completely.
6
In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in the yogurt, remaining vanilla, and 2 tablespoons rum.
7
Fill the cooled pastry shell with the cream cheese mixture and chill until set. Just before serving, garnish with the drained pineapple and toasted coconut.

Pina Colada Tart — plated and served — Serving moment. How Pina Colada Tart looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

63/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 80

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 51

Budget-friendly 66

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 30

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

425

Calories

5 g

Protein

52 g

Carbs

21 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

The pina colada cocktail was created in Puerto Rico in the 1950s-60s and became an international emblem of tropical leisure, inspiring a broad category of pineapple-coconut-rum desserts across American home baking from the 1970s onward. Tarts translating cocktail flavors into pastry form became a popular party dessert genre in American cooking magazines of the 1980s and 1990s, with cream cheese stabilized fillings replacing custard because they held better at room temperature for buffet-style serving. This tart captures the core flavor triangle of rum, pineapple, and coconut in a buttery short pastry shell.

Listahan note

This version uses a brown-sugar shortbread-style crust baked blind, filled with a rum-spiked cream cheese mixture stabilized with yogurt for tang, and topped with drained pineapple tidbits and toasted coconut for maximum flavor with a no-fuss assembly.

Technique cues

The half-and-half in the crust is the key to a tender, flaky short pastry rather than a tough one; it adds just enough liquid to bring the dough together without overdeveloping the gluten that makes tart shells cracker-hard. Add it one tablespoon at a time and stop as soon as the dough holds when pressed.
Toasting the shredded coconut before it goes on top is mandatory, not optional; raw coconut has a waxy, muted flavor and a chewy-limp texture. Dry toasting in a skillet over medium heat takes 3-4 minutes and transforms it into a nutty, aromatic, crispy garnish.
Draining the pineapple tidbits thoroughly is critical; pineapple is high in moisture and any excess juice sitting on top of the cream cheese filling will make it weep and loosen the tart filling during serving. Pat dry with paper towels after draining.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Blind-bake the crust and let it cool while mixing the cream cheese filling. Toast the coconut in a dry skillet during the last 5 minutes of crust baking.
Make-ahead: The filled tart without the pineapple and coconut topping can be refrigerated overnight. Add the pineapple and coconut within 2 hours of serving to prevent sogginess.
Leftover move: Slice leftover tart into small pieces and serve as a dessert canapé on a charcuterie-style board with fresh mango and papaya.
Cleanup rhythm: Work with cold dough and cold tools; the crust produces very little mess when properly chilled. Wipe the tart pan with a dry paper towel while still warm to remove any butter residue easily.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

cold butter

fat for flaky short pastry

Purpose: Cold butter creates steam pockets during baking that produce a flaky, layered texture; warm butter coats the flour completely and produces a crumbling, sandy tart shell.

Handling: Cut into small cubes and return to the freezer for 10 minutes before working into the flour; keep everything cold.

Adaptation: Cold vegan butter (Miyoko's European-style) substitutes 1:1 for a dairy-free crust that bakes nearly identically.

cream cheese

filling base and binder

Purpose: Cream cheese provides structure, tang, and richness to the filling, holding it at a spreadable-but-firm consistency at serving temperature.

Handling: Soften fully at room temperature before beating to avoid lumps; a lumpy cream cheese filling does not smooth out after assembly.

Adaptation: Mascarpone can replace cream cheese for a richer, milder filling with less tang; reduce the powdered sugar slightly as mascarpone is less tart.

golden rum

flavor and aromatics

Purpose: Rum appears in both the crust liquid and the filling, providing the characteristic pina colada warmth that ties pineapple and coconut together as a unified flavor.

Handling: Measure at room temperature; no special preparation needed.

Adaptation: Rum extract (1/2 tsp) plus an equal volume of water or juice replaces the rum if alcohol is not desired.

pineapple tidbits

tropical fruit topping

Purpose: The acidity and natural sweetness of pineapple cuts through the richness of the cream cheese filling and reinforces the cocktail flavor profile.

Handling: Drain in a fine-mesh sieve for at least 10 minutes and then pat dry with paper towels; excess moisture will make the filling weep.

Adaptation: Fresh pineapple cut to similar size provides a brighter, more acidic flavor and a firmer texture; drain any juice that accumulates.

shredded coconut, toasted

aromatic, textural garnish

Purpose: Toasted coconut adds crunch, visual contrast, and the concentrated coconut aroma that completes the pina colada flavor combination.

Handling: Toast in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until golden; it burns quickly so do not step away.

Adaptation: Large unsweetened coconut flakes toasted the same way provide a more dramatic, rustic garnish.

Technique notes

Dock the tart shell (prick all over with a fork) and weigh it down with parchment and pie weights or dried beans during blind baking; without weights, the shell puffs and loses its shape, making an uneven vessel for the filling.
Let the baked crust cool completely before adding the cream cheese filling; a warm shell will melt the filling and cause it to pool and not set properly.
If the cream cheese filling seems too thick to spread, beat in 1 additional Tbsp of yogurt at a time until it reaches a smooth, spreadable consistency, but do not thin it too much or the filling will not hold its shape when sliced.

Ingredient swaps

Alcohol-free version: Replace both measures of golden rum with 1 Tbsp pineapple juice concentrate plus 1/2 tsp rum extract for the full flavor without alcohol.
Dairy-free option: Use cold vegan butter in the crust, dairy-free cream cheese (Violife or Kite Hill), and a plain unsweetened coconut yogurt in place of the regular yogurt.
Gluten-free direction: Replace the all-purpose flour in the crust with a GF 1:1 baking flour blend; add 1/2 tsp xanthan gum if the blend does not already include it to help the crust hold together.

Serve alongside

fresh mango sorbet
rum-soaked pineapple spears with a pinch of chili
sliced starfruit and kiwi fruit plate
actual pina colada (alcoholic or virgin)
sparkling water with fresh pineapple and coconut water
cold brew iced coffee with coconut milk

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days; the coconut topping softens after day 1 but the flavor remains excellent.
Add fresh toasted coconut on top of leftover slices just before serving to restore crunch.
Do not freeze; cream cheese fillings with yogurt become watery and grainy after thawing.

Equipment

9-inch tart pan with removable bottom
pie weights or dried beans for blind baking
food processor for the crust (optional but efficient)
dry skillet for toasting coconut

Make this household-aware

Listahan Pro checks this recipe against your household's allergens, finds pantry-aware swaps, builds the shopping list, and helps you plan the week around it.

Get the app