This pineapple cheese ball is the perfect cheese ball recipe! It is slightly sweet with an amazing flavor that will be a favorite with kids and grown ups alike. This is my favorite appetizer recipes.
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Pineapple Cheese Ball
I love appetizers! No big meals to make, just lots of little tasty dishes to sample – it totally appeals the foodie in me! Our family serves appetizers for dinner on some weeknights, along with game night, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, before Thanksgiving dinner, and lots of time when we have groups of friends over to gab or play games.
When serving appetizers the trick is to offer a variety so you don’t end up with too many starch, meat, or sweet appetizers. Our “go to” appetizers are easy crockpot meatballs, potato skins, bacon wrapped chestnuts, muddy buddies, and this delicious pineapple cheese ball recipe. We like trying new recipes like this yummy spinach artichoke dip, quiches, and anything chocolate is always great. But this easy cheese ball recipe has earned it’s place as tradition and “the cheeseball we always make” in our home. I know you will love it too!
Unlike many other cheese ball recipes that are hard to spread or filled with really strong cheeses (like blue cheese that most kids… and even some adults don’t like) – this cheese ball is a little sweet. The gentle sweetness of the pine apple contrasted with the tart / sour onion taste gives a lot of depth to flavor that your guests won’t even realize what is in it – just that they like your appetizer dish! You will love the slight Hawaiian flavor of this easy cheese ball. Plus it is so quick to whip up and looks really pretty with it’s pop of red and yellow too!
Sweet Pineapple Cheese Ball
Nothing goes better at a party than a cheese ball with crackers. It is delicious, elegant, and easy to prepare. This pineapple cheese ball recipe is the perfect cheese ball because it is slightly sweet with a little “hm” what is that mixed in that makes it sooooo yummy! It is a favorite with kids, parents, and picky eaters too. Plus, this cheese ball recipe only takes 5 ingredients and 5 minutes to whip together!
I like to use two 16 oz blocks of full fat Philadelphia cream cheese and let it sit on the counter about an hour to soften up a little big. Then put it in a large bowl and use a mixer or electric beaters to whip up the cheese into a creamy spread. It only takes a couple minutes. If you can do that by hand – you are my hero!
Chop up 1/2 pepper and add to the cream cheese mixture. I like to use red peppers because they have such a robust and sweet flavor; plus they give it a pretty pop of color. You want to chop them up to less than 1″ each.
Next, add 1/2 cup crushed pineapple with the extra liquid squeezed out. My kids like to call this a hawaiian cheese ball because of the pineapple in it.
Then, add 1 Tablespoon finely chopped onion. (Don’t skip this, it contrasts with the sweet pineapple beautifully to give it that WOW – what is that flavor moment.)
Pineapple Cream Cheese Ball
Finally sprinkle lightly with salt and mix all the ingredients in the mixer until well blended; it only takes 1-2 minutes.
Look how creamy it looks! Go ahead, I know you want to snitch a taste of this cheese ball recipe with pineapple – crazy good, right?!
Now if you want to – you can serve the pineapple dip right now for a super quick 5 minute appetizer. Of if you are prepareing dishes ahead and have some time, allowing the flavors to hang out together will make it EVEN YUMMIER!
Using a spatula pile up the cheese ball in to a ball in the center of the bowl and chill for about 2 hours, although you can chill it overnight if you like. Just makes sure you cover it in foil so it doesn’t pick up any flavors from your fridge.
Hint: Chilling not only makes it easier to shape and coat with walnuts, but it also allows the flavors to blend.
Pineapple Cream Cheese Dip
Using your hands, shape the cheese mixture into a ball. If you don’t like to get your hands dirty just scoop the cheese mixture onto parchment or wax paper. Then, only touching the paper shape into a ball and peel back the paepr.
Finally, roll the cheesball in walnut pieces to coat all over. Not only does this help it looks spectacular – a real Martha Stewart worthy appetizer, but the walnuts provide protein to balance out the sugar in the crackers your family and friends are going to eat.
Place the cheese on the center of a large plate or platter and serve with your favorite crackers around it. Doesn’t it look so pretty! Personally, I think buttery crackers like Townhouse or Ritz go best with this appetizer!
Seriously guys, this is a do not miss recipe that will be your families new go to appetizer recipe. You can whip it up with just 5 ingredients in less than 5 minutes! WOW!
The creamy dip has such a wonderful flavor with just a hint of sweet and little sas. Even picky eaters will gobble this up and ask for seconds!
Looking for more family favorite recipes? Check out these recipes or take a peak at all our top secret family recipes!
- Delicious Instapot Corn Chowder Soup
- Best Asian Slaw Recipe
- Best Monster Cookie Recipe
- Quick Yeast Roll Recipe
- General Tso Chicken Recipe
- Homemade Taco Pizza
- Homemade Ice Cream
- Thanksgiving Leftover Soup
- Best Blueberry Muffins
- Amazing Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
- Easy Egg Bake
- Best Gingerbread Cookies
- Pizza Quesadillas
Perfect Pineapple Cheeseball Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 16 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 mediume red pepper, chopped small
- 1/2 cup crushed pineapple
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion (Don’t skip this, it contrasts with the sweet pineapple beautifully)
- dash salt
- 1 cup walnut pieces
- 1 box Townhouse Crackers (or Ritz)
Instructions
- In a mixer add 2 blocks of cream cheese; cream together.
- Add chopped pepper, crushed pineapple, dash of salt, and onion to cream cheese mixture. Cover and chill for 20 minutes or overnight. (this will help the flavors mingle and make it easier to shape)
- Using your hands, shape the cheese mixture into a ball and roll in walnut pieces. Place on cheese platter and serve with your favorite crackers.
My new favorite comfort food. Thanks!
ooooh, that sounds delicious. Going to get pineapple at the store this weekend to try it with the family!
Holy cow, that was awesome! great recipe
Even my picky eater kids liked it LOL. Now I know it is a keeper
Made a half batch to see if we’d like the mix and we made the other half 30 minutes later because it was so good! Thanks!!
loved it
What a delightful mix of flavors. I really like it.
Your pictures are so pretty, I wanted to try it for myself. It didn’t disappoint. Great recipe