How to make Disneyland Pineapple Dole Whip Recipe at home with just one ingredient. This sweet and refreshing pineapple soft serve is wonderfully flavorful with none of the chemicals and artificial sweeteners of the original!
Once you’ve tried this copycat Disney dole whip recipe, check out mango coconut ice cream, healthy chocolate ice cream, and healthy vanilla ice cream too!
Table of contents
Refreshing Homemade All-Natural Pineapple Soft Serve
First of all, if you love pineapple like we do, check out this pineapple salsa recipe and Hawaiian BBQ sauce.
So, before the world turned a little topsy-turvy (okay, a couple of years before – but as Disney only released their Dole whip recipe then, it seems relevant) and we all spent a year indoors, my family and I went on a road trip, and I was finally able to try the famous Disneyland Dole whip. The pineapple soft serve is so popular it has its own cult following and is known to gather long queues at Disneyland, no matter the weather!
Well, I have to say – I was a bit confused. Yes, the pineapple soft serve was very satisfying in the 115F weather. Still, I wasn’t blown away, and something just seemed a little ‘off’ – so I decided to look up the ingredients.
That led me down the rabbit hole of experimenting with making my own dole whip recipe. After several experiments, here you have a ONE ingredient ‘copycat’ healthy dole whip ice cream!
What Is Dole Whip?
Before I get into the ingredients, for those of you who aren’t familiar, Disneyland Dole Whip is a pineapple-flavored soft serve ice cream created by the company Dole. It only garnered a cult following when it started being sold at Disneyland’s Tiki bar though, in 1986! While it’s now available in several locations – it’s still become an ‘iconic Disney’ food item and one that I had to try on our latest family visit to the park. To say I was surprised with the ingredients list of this beloved pineapple frozen dessert recipe would be an understatement.
In fact, recently (in mid-2020 and two years after I initially developed my Dole whip recipe), Disney actually released an ‘at-home recipe for this pineapple frozen dessert for everyone ‘locked in’ and craving a tropical treat. What did their recipe suggest?
- Pineapple juice, a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, and frozen pineapple – blended to consistency.
Dole, the fruit company and original creator of Dole whip, also shared an at-home version:
- Pineapple juice (frozen), a banana, powdered sugar, and coconut milk – blended to consistency.
Having said that, you’d assume that the Disney version would be somewhat similar, right?! Warning: Dole Pineapple whip contains NO PINEAPPLE! Okay, that’s not entirely true – it has a little natural ‘pineapple juice powder’ … but that goes along with artificial flavorings and a whole heap of other additives, gums, and other ‘nasties.’
The Disneyland Dole Whip Recipe
What is Dole whip made of? Disneyland pineapple dole whip recipe ingredients are:
Sugar, Dextrose, Stabilizers (Cellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum, Locust Bean Gum, Guar Gum, Karaya Gum, Pectin), Coconut Oil, Contains 2% Or Less Of Each Of The Following: Maltodextrin, Citric Acid, Natural & Artificial Flavor (contains Pineapple Juice Powder), Modified Food Starch, Malic Acid, Beta Carotene (Color), Mono & Diglycerides, Silicon Dioxide (Anticaking).
In fact, Disney uses A Dole ‘pineapple soft serve mix’ powder that is combined with water and chucked in a soft-serve machine to get to the right consistency (The above ingredients were taken directly from a website selling the Pineapple soft-serve mix to vendors). Yup, you read that right – it’s a powder!! No fresh pineapple in sight!
Instead, what you get is a mouthful of chemicals, stabilizers, and additives – and at Disney prices $$$ (Sorry, I love you, Disney parks but we’re not going to pretend the food prices are low, right?!).
With that in mind, I was determined to go home and come up with my own copycat Disneyland pineapple dole whip recipe that tastes better with NO artificial ingredients (or powdered sugar) at all and at a fraction of the cost. And, I did!
My Homemade Pineapple Dole Whip Recipe
The name of this soft serve “whipped pineapple,” makes it only logical to assume its ingredients – pineapple. When I first experimented with the recipe, I tried various combinations, including ones that were fairly similar to the recipes released by Dole and Disney recently (with banana, a little coconut oil, ice cream, etc.)
No matter what we added, it all seemed to detract from the star of the show – pineapple. Ice cream is creamy, and I made it healthier by using homemade vegan healthy vanilla ice cream. And sure, some may love it this way but even the Disney park version contains no dairy or ‘creamy’ element, so it didn’t taste quite right to me.
I also tried a version with frozen banana – which we know can create a wonderful soft-serve style ‘nice cream’ consistency. However, unsurprisingly, the banana flavor completely dominated the pineapple and wasn’t worth the thicker, creamier texture.
So, which version of the homemade pineapple dole whip recipe was husband-approved and kid-approved (unanimously!) as the favorite option?! One-ingredient frozen pineapple soft serve! Yup. I suppose it really makes sense that the most tropical pineapple flavor would come from simply blending up frozen pineapple, but I wasn’t sure that would be enough to satisfy my kid’s sweet cravings; it totally did, though, and it’s got a wonderful melt-in-the-mouth consistency too!
And I have included a few recipe ‘variations’ for those with a super sweet tooth or wanting something a little ‘creamier’ too, yet still far healthier than the parks’ official recipe and even their recently shared DIY version!
How to Make Dole Whip at Home
- Thaw the frozen pineapple: This will take around 15 minutes in summer (in a house without AC) or 20 minutes during the colder months. You’re looking for a consistency where the pineapple is slightly defrosted on the outer layer but still frozen in the middle.
- Process the pineapple: In a food processor, add the pineapple and process on high. Pause and scrape the walls with a spatula occasionally and add 2 tbsp of cold water at a time to help the pineapple pieces move around, as needed. As long as the fruit is blending, do not rush to add more water.
Eventually, the frozen pineapple pieces will turn into a pineapple whip. Serve immediately or freeze the leftovers for a few hours before serving.
Recipe Variations
- Sweetness: Now I find pineapple more than sweet enough on its own. But if you have a super sweet tooth, then feel free to add a small squeeze of your favorite liquid sweetener; maple, agave, etc., will work.
- Creaminess: There are several ways to increase the creaminess of this pineapple whip. The first is to replace the water I used in the recipe with your milk of choice (I use coconut milk). Alternatively, just a few tablespoons of coconut cream or cream will make healthy dole whip a creamier soft-serve without too much additional fat. You could also lean towards adding a scoop of ice cream. Still, I suggest using a small scoop of homemade healthier ice cream for the healthiest results- it definitely won’t taste as tropical and rich in pineapple flavor, though.
- Citrus juice: The original Disney world dole whip has a slightly lemony tang which you can recreate at home with a hint of lemon/lime juice. I prefer lime juice, but you won’t need much – especially as there is no added sugar in this recipe. In fact, I only really suggest this being necessary if you’ve added either (or both) of the above suggestions.
FAQs
Unfortunately, I haven’t had much luck using even a high-speed blender unless you add way more liquid to the recipe. Meanwhile, even fairly standard food processors will get the job done!
If you have a high-end, high-speed blender, feel free to give it a try, but I can’t guarantee results!
Disney now serves several flavor varieties of Dole whip, which, I’m guessing, are potentially also mostly artificial flavorings. Luckily, flavoring this homemade dole whip recipe is as simple as adding different frozen fruit to your machine. Reduce the amount of pineapple for whatever new fruit you use and experiment with your perfect ratios. Strawberries, raspberries, and mango would all taste wonderful!
Different fruits may require a little extra sweetener.
Simply fill up half a glass with pineapple juice, then top it off with the pineapple whip and optionally a maraschino cherry (or real cherry for a healthier garnish!)
Since this pineapple soft serve recipe is whipped into the correct consistency, it’s best when eaten immediately or stored in the freezer for just a few hours before eating. However, if you do find yourself with a ton of leftover:
Transfer the mixture to a large freezer-safe Ziploc bag, spread out into a thin layer within the bag, and then freeze flat for up to a week.
Then, when you want to use it, it should be in a thin enough layer to break into several pieces (after a few minutes of thawing on the countertop), which will make it easier to transfer to your food processor and blend back into the correct consistency. Add a little water or milk as needed to get it back to the right consistency.
Recipe Tips
- If you accidentally add too much water: If the pineapple mixture is too soft after processing it, throw it in the freezer for a short while until it’s thickened up. The time needed will depend on how soft it is, but usually, between 30-60 minutes is more than enough!
- To pipe the dole whip: Scoop the blended whip into a piping bag with a 1-inch star nozzle and pipe it into your cup/bowl. If dole whip recipe is fresh and too soft to pipe, follow the above tip.
More Healthy Frozen Dessert Recipes
You might also enjoy some of my no-bake treats like this no bake strawberry cheesecake or peanut butter pie. Alternatively, have a scroll through my full list of healthy desserts!
Dole Whip Recipe {Disney Pineapple Soft Serve}
Instructions
- Thaw frozen pineapple on a counter for 15 minutes in summer (if your house doesn’t have AC) or 20 minutes in colder months. You are looking for defrosted semi-soft outer layer but still frozen inside fruit.
- In a food processor, add pineapple and process on High, pausing and scraping the walls with spatula and adding 2 tbsp of cold water at a time to help pineapple pieces move around. As long as fruit is blending do not rush to add more water.
- Serve immediately or freeze leftovers for a few hours but not longer.
Store: Since this pineapple soft serve recipe is whipped into the correct consistency, it's best when eaten immediately or stored in the freezer for just a few hours before eating.
Freeze leftovers: Transfer the mixture to a large freezer-safe Ziploc bag, spread out into a thin layer within the bag, and then freeze flat for up to a week. Then, when you want to use it, it should be in a thin enough layer to break into several pieces (after a few minutes of thawing on the countertop), which will make it easier to transfer to your food processor and blend back into the correct consistency. Add a little water or milk as needed to get it back to the right consistency.
Notes
- Can I use a blender instead of a food processor? Unfortunately, I haven’t had much luck using even a high-speed blender unless you add way more liquid to the recipe. Meanwhile, even fairly standard food processors will get the job done!
- How do you make a dole whip float? Simply fill up half a glass with pineapple juice, then top it off with the pineapple whip and optionally a maraschino cherry (or real cherry for a healthier garnish!)
Nutrition
Recipes and images are a copyright of ifoodreal.com. It is against the law to republish recipes anywhere including social media, print and all world wide web. Nutritional info is provided for informational purposes only and to the best knowledge.
This looks really good and I can’t wait to be able to try it right now I’m on a keto diet and I can’t have any ice cream at this time or pineapples at this time but when I can I am definitely going to try this because I love pineapples
Awesome!
While I appreciate your clean version of the Dole Whip, I have to clear up one thing. I’ve had both the Disney and the Hawaii Dole Plantation version and your statement is not accurate. While vacationing in Hawaii with four ladies, we visited the plantation and each tried a different dessert as they have nearly 10 to chose from and everyone had chunks or pieces of pineapple in their dessert including the soft serve ice cream.
Hi Kimberly. Thanks for sharing your experience about Dole Whip in Hawaii.
I can’t find any Frozen pineapple would canned pineapple or peaches work?
Unfortunately not.
Buy a fresh pineapple, cut into chunks and freeze what you need.
Sure, works too.
Try trader JOE’S OR COstco also.😉
This is my absolute favorite “dessert” recipe! I use the frozen pineapple chunks from Costco, and sometimes add in a little of their frozen mango as well. I have found that microwaving the frozen fruit for 30-45 seconds works about the same as thawing it on the counter. I love how fresh it tastes and how easy it is to make! Thank you for this recipe!
Great tips, Veronica! We buy same frozen fruit.
Works in a vitamix.
Good to know. Never tried a Vitamix.
Thank you Olena for this awesome recipe. I’ve made ice cream the same exact way using bananas and a little water. I had no idea pineapple could do the same thing. Do you think using pineapple and banana at the same time would work?
Yes, totally would.
Looks great, I’ll try with pineapple juice instead of water! Thanks!
Great idea!
Tried this recipe, loved it! But my Dole Whip came out VERY cold, with chunks of pineapple still in it. Should I have let it thaw more? I gave it 20 minutes and didn’t want to over-pulse it and end up with liquid.
Depending on the temperature in your kitchen, you might have to thaw pineapple a bit more. It was super hot July day in my kitchen then. You can always add tablespoon of water at a time when processing to bring to desired consistency. Bit by bit. Or pulse a bit longer…It’s ok as long as you do not walk away. Glad you enjoyed.:)
The Disney recipe has pineapple juice in it.
Brilliant! Just perfect. My pineapple wasn’t as sweet as usual so I added a few drops of stevia but it was so easy and healthy. I’m going to experiment w/combining with some strawberry puree, probably a 3 pineapple to 1 strawberry ratio to see how that works.
Of course. Do what suits your personal taste. 🙂
This is SO delcious! I’m going to make it all the time.
Btw I added a small splash of coconut cream to my second batch and yep, pina colada. AHHMAZZZINNGGG.
Thank you!
You are welcome, Georgina! It’s too cold to think about it for me right now, so I will enjoy it through you.:)
I am so happy you posted this!
Like you, I didn’t understand all the hype about Dole Whip. I hadn’t even heard of it until Stella Parks posted a recipe for Pineapple Ice Cream at Serious Eats and mentioned it’s a Dole Whip clone – but better.
That’s what prompted me to find out what the ingredients are in Dole Whip, and like you, I was shocked.
What really irks me is most people know Dole is a grower of pineapples, and so one would assume the Dole Whip product is made from the pineapples they grow. Ha! It is, as you said, mostly just a bunch of artificial stuff.
If you have an ice cream maker and are willing to make the time commitment, Stella Parks Pineapple Ice Cream is divine – but a bit more work than your version. I’m able to make about 3 batches of Stella’s recipe from one pineapple; after cutting up and pureeing the pineapple, I freeze the excess puree to be used whenever the mood to make another batch strikes.
Yes, sadly Dole Whip represents what our food is in North America right now. Everyone assumes and no one questions. If it’s on a shelf, I am going to buy it. BUT things are changing. More and more people are eating healthy and it is slowly becoming a new movement. Thanks goodness!
Your dole whip is so-so good and simple. I would never think to make it this way!
Love your investigative streak! Thank you and once again you’ve proven that homemade with real food ingredients is best.
Hate BS so had to expose this non-sense.