20 September 2026 Vol. I, No. 01

The Herb Thymes

Name: Vegan Pineapple Cream Squares
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 195 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Desert
Ingredients: 565 g canned pineapple in juice, include all the juice; approximately one 565 g can; 180 g caster sugar; 240 g plain flour; 10 g baking powder; 14 g ground flaxseed; 90 ml water, for the flax mixture; 60 ml neutral vegetable oil; 5 ml vanilla extract; 1 g fine salt; 300 g firm vegan cream cheese, choose a neutral, unsweetened product; 150 g thick unsweetened soy yogurt, Greek-style works best; 50 g icing sugar; 5 ml vanilla extract; 5 ml lemon juice; 80 g vegan dark chocolate, check the label for milk ingredients; 5 ml coconut oil, optional, for a smoother drizzle; 60 g walnuts, lightly toasted and finely chopped

A vegetarian kitchen paper by Dan & Roy

Recipes, growing notes and honest stories from a small garden near Prague.

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The Everyday Recipe

Vegan Pineapple Cream Squares

A soft pineapple sponge topped with gently tangy vegan cream, dark chocolate and toasted walnuts. The fruit melts into the crumb, keeping every square tender without making it heavy.

Prep25 min Cook20 min Servings12 Easy FREE

A soft pineapple sponge forms the base of these generous traybake squares, topped with a cool, gently tangy vegan cream and finished with dark chocolate and toasted walnuts. The pineapple melts into the crumb, keeping every slice tender without making it heavy. It is an unfussy, make-ahead cake that looks modest on the tray, then disappears rather quickly once the coffee is poured.

The original Czech cake is known by a famously cheeky name, which suits its rich, soft and nostalgic character. This version keeps that playful spirit while making the whole traybake plant-based. Tangy vegan cream and dark chocolate balance the sweetness of the pineapple.

Servings12

Ingredients

Method

1Prepare the tray
Heat the oven to 180°C, or 160°C with a fan. Line a 30 × 40 cm baking tray with baking paper.
2Make the flax mixture
Stir the ground flaxseed and water together. Leave for 10 minutes, until thickened.
3Blend the pineapple
Blend the pineapple with all of its juice until mostly smooth. A little texture is fine.
4Mix the batter
Whisk the pineapple, flax mixture, sugar, oil and vanilla together. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, then fold only until no dry flour remains.
5Bake
Spread the batter evenly in the tray. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the top springs back lightly and a skewer comes out without wet batter.
6Cool completely
Leave the cake in the tray for about 30 minutes, or until completely cool. Do not add the cream while the cake is warm.
7Make the cream
Beat the vegan cream cheese, soy yogurt, icing sugar, vanilla and lemon juice until smooth. Chill for 15 to 20 minutes if the mixture feels soft.
8Spread the topping
Spread the cream evenly over the cold cake, taking it right to the edges.
9Add chocolate and walnuts
Melt the chocolate with the coconut oil, if using. Drizzle it loosely over the cream and scatter over the toasted walnuts.
10Chill and slice
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting into 12 squares. The total time includes cooling and chilling.

Notes and substitutions

Cream

Keep the topping firm

Plant-based cream cheese and yogurt vary considerably. Choose firm, unsweetened products. If the mixture is loose, chill it before spreading or drain the yogurt briefly in a fine sieve.

Nut-free option

Swap the walnuts carefully

For a nut-free finish, use toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds only when every packaged ingredient is also suitable for the relevant allergy. Check the chocolate and dairy alternatives for trace warnings.

Pineapple

Use fruit packed in juice

Pineapple in syrup makes the cake noticeably sweeter and can change the batter. Fruit packed in juice is the better match for these quantities.

Nutrition

Estimated per serving, based on 1 of 12 squares

372kcal4.6g protein47.7g carbohydrates28.5g sugars18.2g fat7.1g saturated fat2.5g fibre0.44g salt

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Sources and inspiration

THT-ORIGINAL-102 · Original recipe developed by The Herb ThymesORIGINAL_RECIPE · VERIFIED · Original recipe developed by The Herb Thymes through our own ideation, cooking and refinement. No external recipe source was used.

Dan & Roy

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The Herb Thymes

Vegan Pineapple Cream Squares

Ingredients

Pineapple sponge

Cream topping

To finish

Method