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This baked pineapple stuffing is the side dish that makes a holiday ham dinner. Soft bread, sweet crushed pineapple, butter, and eggs bake up pillowy in the middle with golden, buttery edges. It's on our table for Easter, Christmas, and any time there's a ham in the oven!

Pineapple stuffing on a small white plate with a silver fork and a yellow printed napkin.

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We always have ham for our holiday dinners, and pineapple stuffing has been part of the spread for as long as I can remember. The inside is soft and moist, almost like bread pudding, and the edges get brown, crisp, and a little chewy. It's buttery and sweet, and it goes with salty, smoky ham in the most incredible way.

Once you try it, there's no going back. It just isn't a holiday ham dinner unless this baked pineapple casserole is on the menu!

Why You'll Love This Pineapple Stuffing

It's the perfect side for ham. The sweet pineapple and rich butter balance the saltiness of the ham.
It only takes 6 ingredients, and you probably have most of them already.
It's easy to make ahead, which makes holiday cooking so much less stressful.
Everyone loves it. Even people who are skeptical about "pineapple stuffing" go back for seconds!

Pineapple stuffing in a white casserole dish with a serving scooped out.

What Is Pineapple Stuffing?

Pineapple stuffing is like a cross between a bread dressing (like you'd have with your Thanksgiving turkey) and a bread pudding. It's made from cubes of soft bread, but it's also sweet, rich, and buttery. Some people call it pineapple casserole or pineapple bread pudding.

It's most often served as a side dish with baked ham, but it's also delicious with pork, turkey, and even lamb.

Ingredients You'll Need

The recipe card at the bottom of the post has the full list with all of the amounts. Refer to that when you're baking.

Overhead view of ingredients for making pineapple stuffing.

Unsalted butter: Let it soften so it creams up light and fluffy. I prefer unsalted butter for consistency, since different brands of salted butter contain different amounts of salt. If you only have salted butter, leave out the added salt.
Granulated sugar: Sweetens the stuffing and helps it brown.
Kosher salt: Balances the sweetness.
Eggs: They hold everything together and give the stuffing its soft, custardy center.
Crushed pineapple: Use canned crushed pineapple packed in its own juice, and add the juice too! It makes the stuffing extra sweet and extra moist.
Soft bread: My favorite is plain, soft white bread, like my homemade soft white bread. Potato bread, brioche, and Hawaiian rolls work well too. Anything soft and just a little sweet is perfect.

How To Make Pineapple Stuffing

Step 1: Cream the Butter, Sugar, and Salt

Making pineapple casserole with butter, sugar, and salt.

Place the butter, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl and cream them together with an electric mixer until they're very pale and fluffy. This takes about 5 minutes on high speed.

Step 2: Add the Eggs

Whip in the eggs one at a time, letting each one mix in fully before adding the next. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula after each addition.

Close up of butter, sugar, eggs base for pineapple stuffing.

The mixture should look really soft and fluffy, like this.

Step 3: Fold in the Pineapple and Juice

Adding crushed pineapple to pineapple stuffing.

Add the whole can of crushed pineapple, juice and all.

Base for pineapple casserole with butter, sugar, eggs, and crushed pineapple.

As you fold the pineapple in, the mixture will probably start to look a little curdled. This is totally ok! There's a lot of liquid compared to the butter, and water and fat don't like to mix. It all comes together as the casserole bakes.

Step 4: Add the Bread

Cube the bread or tear it into 1-inch pieces with your hands, then fold it into the butter and pineapple mixture.

Step 5: Bake

Unbaked pineapple stuffing in a casserole dish.

Transfer the mixture to a lightly greased 1.5-quart baking dish and bake until it's bubbly and golden. Get ready, because your whole house is going to smell incredible!

Helpful Tips

Cream the butter and sugar really well. Five full minutes gives the stuffing its light, fluffy texture.
Don't drain the pineapple. The juice is what keeps the stuffing so moist.
Don't worry if it looks curdled before baking. It will bake up beautifully.
It will sink a little as it cools. It puffs up with steam in the oven and settles as the steam escapes. If you'd like it to hold its shape more, bake it a little longer, but keep an eye on it so it doesn't dry out.
For a bigger crowd, bake a doubled or tripled batch in separate 1.5-quart dishes, and keep the bake time the same.

Make Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

Overhead view of pineapple stuffing casserole with a small serving on a white plate.

To make ahead: Assemble the stuffing, cover it, and refrigerate it unbaked for up to 2 days. Bake it right before serving. Or bake it fully and reheat it.
To store: Wrap baked stuffing tightly and keep it in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
To freeze: Cover it tightly with foil and freeze for at least a month.
To reheat: Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake at 350°F until hot in the center, about 20 to 30 minutes for a full dish straight from the fridge. An instant-read thermometer should read 165°F. Single servings can be microwaved for 1 to 2 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I drain the pineapple?

No! Add the whole can, juice and all. Crushed pineapple packed in pineapple juice is exactly what you want. The juice keeps the stuffing moist and sweet.

Can I use fresh pineapple?

It's worth a try! Fresh pineapple won't have the juice from the can, so if the mixture seems drier than you'd like, add a little pineapple juice.

Can I use salted butter?

Yes. Just leave out the added salt.

Can I leave out the sugar?

You can, but it won't taste the same, and it may not brown in the same way.

What size baking dish should I use?

I use a 1.5-quart baking dish. To double or triple the recipe, use separate 1.5-quart dishes and keep the bake time the same. If you bake it all in one large dish, it will take longer, so keep an eye on it until it's hot all the way through.

Can I make it gluten-free?

I haven't tested it, but readers have had success with gluten-free bread. Choose one with a soft texture and a flavor you like.

Can I bake it as muffins?

Yes! Divide the mixture evenly among the cups of a greased muffin pan. They'll bake faster than a full casserole, so start checking early.

What else can I serve it with?

Ham is the classic pairing, but it's also wonderful with roast pork, turkey, or lamb.

Pineapple stuffing in a casserole dish with a silver serving spoon.

Serve It With

And for dessert, try my pineapple upside down cake, coconut macaroons, or carrot cake cupcakes.

4.91 stars (20 ratings)