This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy.
This pineapple cheese ball is an easy appetizer any time of year. The pineapple, pecans, and seasonings in the cream cheese are delicious on crackers!
Featured with this recipe
I couldn’t believe how easy this pineapple cheese ball was to make! Not only does it look fancy, but it also tastes SO GOOD! I love the sweetness of the pineapple mixed with the savory flavor of the green onions and pecans. If you are looking for an appetizer to bring to your next holiday gathering, look no further!
This pineapple cheese ball is the perfect crowd-pleaser that everyone loves! Add crackers, veggies, and bread for dipping for a delicious appetizer or snack. The cream cheese mixture is mixed together and then wrapped in a crunchy, sweet, and savory cheese ball. Take this delicious Hawaiian cheese ball to your next party and watch it disappear in minutes!
Pineapple Cheese Ball Ingredients
Create the best pineapple cheese ball in minutes! These simple ingredients are the perfect combination of sweet and savory flavors. With a minimal amount of prep and simple ingredients, this pineapple cheese ball comes together quickly and easily!
- Cream cheese – Soften the cream cheese ahead of time by leaving it out at room temperature. This will help the cream cheese to mix quickly and have a smoother consistency.
- Green bell pepper – Chop the green bell peppers into small pieces that will be mixed into the cheese ball recipe. For more flavor and a little sweeter you can add in yellow and red bell peppers too!
- Green onions – Slice the green onions into small sections. This will give a little zest to the cheese ball mixture.
- Pineapple – A can of crushed pineapple is perfect for this cream cheese mixture. Drain the ingredients ahead of time before mixing the ingredients together.
- Pecans – Purchase already chopped pecans or use a food processor and pulse them until the pecans are chopped into smaller pieces.
How to Make Easy Pineapple Cheese Ball
Get ready for game day in style with this delicious and easy-to-make pineapple cheese ball recipe! It is the perfect setup for any appetizer, snack, or cheese ball dip to have out for feeding your friends and family. They will be raving about this cheese ball with pineapple all evening long!
- Hand mixer – In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, peppers, onions, pineapple, seasoning salt, and one cup of pecans.
- Wrap – Lay out a large sheet of plastic wrap on the counter and scoop the mixture onto the plastic wrap. Fold plastic wrap over the mixture and chill in the fridge for at least four hours, or overnight if possible.
- Chill and serve – When completely chilled in the refrigerator, shape it into a ball and roll in the remaining pecans. Serve with crackers, veggies, or bread.
Tips for the Best Pineapple Cheese Ball Recipe
This recipe is so simple and it is perfect for feeding a crowd. It took me less than 5 minutes to prep this recipe and then I put it in the fridge to chill. Follow these simple tips to make the perfect pineapple cheese ball every time!
- Refrigerate – This cheese ball is best if it sits in the fridge overnight before you roll it in the pecans. If you don’t have time to let it sit overnight, try to let it chill in the fridge for at least 2 to 3 hours that way all the flavors have some time to mix.
- Drain pineapple – Make sure that you drain the pineapple really well, or the cheese ball won’t set up correctly.
- Nuts – Try it with crushed walnuts for another crunchy flavor!
- Serving – I served this cheese ball with whole wheat toasted crackers, I think I might try it on some Triscuits, Ritz crackers, or Wheat Thins next time. You could also serve it on sliced baguette bread or veggies. We love sliced carrot sticks too!
It can be very tempting to dig into this delicious appetizer right away, but don’t do it! Let it sit in the fridge overnight for all the flavors to mix and mingle and get to know each other. You won’t be sorry!
“Whenever I am invited to my families get together and ask what I can bring,they just say, you have to ask, You know Your pineapple cheeseball!!”
-Debbie
Frequently Asked Questions
Pineapple is a tropical fruit that pairs well with buttery and fruity cheeses. Gouda cheese, cheddar cheese, or softer cheeses work well with pineapple. You can add freshly grated cheese to the pineapple cheese ball if you like extra cheese flavor!
The variation and options are limitless! Crackers, pretzel crisps, chips, veggies, bread, or parmesan crisps are all favorites of ours. Celery, carrots, and bell peppers are great for the veggies. They are nice and thick and blend well with pineapple.
Yes! Freezing a cheese ball is a great way to make it ahead or store any leftovers. This pineapple cheese ball can be frozen for up to four weeks. Wrap the cheese ball in plastic wrap, and place it in an air-tight container or freezer-safe ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for up to one month. When ready to serve let sit in the refrigerator or at room temperature until thawed.
Even More Cheese Balls!
If you are looking for another great cheese ball recipe, we have several to try. This Strawberry Jalapeno Cheese Ball, for example, is a wonderful, festive, holiday appetizer. The sweetness of the strawberries and the spice of the jalapeno give it the perfect blend of sweetness and heat. Or get a load of our Cranberry Almond Bacon Cheese Ball. This one is also great for the holidays. It just looks so festive with the red of the cranberries showing through. Really, you can’t go wrong with any of these cheese balls.
If you prefer a more “dip-able” cheese, rather than in a ball, you will love our Chili Cheese Dip. It’s one of our easiest dips to make. Five minutes, tops! And it is dangerously addicting. Another great dip is the Warm Bacon Cheese Dip in Sourdough, which puts all the flavor and bakes it right in a delicious sourdough bowl.
How to Make a Pineapple Cheese Ball
Pineapple Pecan Cheese Ball
Video
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup green peppers finely chopped
- 1/4 cup green onions finely chopped
- 8 ounces crushed pineapple drained extremely well
- 2 teaspoons seasoning salt
- 2 cups chopped pecans
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, peppers, onions, pineapple, seasoning salt, and 1 cup of pecans.
- Lay out a large sheet of plastic wrap on the counter and scoop the mixture onto the plastic wrap. Fold plastic wrap over the mixture and chill in the fridge for at least four hours, or overnight if possible.
- When completely chilled, shape it into a ball and roll in the remaining pecans. Serve with crackers.
Hi. I will be making this for Easter. Do you think honey wheat crackers would work with this recipe or should i stick with just wheat crackers? Thank you,
lorraine
I think honey wheat crackers would be fine!
Thank you!!! i can’t wait to try this. will be letting you know what the crew thought.
Great cheeseball. Everyone loves it, its not overbearing eith flavor but a nice classy choice for holidays and functions . I use Ritz crackers usually but works well with most crackers. Make sure u squeeze out all pineapple juice , chopped everything fine, easy to make wont last long and make a great hostess gift as well. Love this recipe been making it for many years. So yummy. Enjoy.!
Want to make it even YUMMIER? Add one can of deviled ham and two cups or 2 1/2 of cheddar cheese to it! It will blow your mind how good it is!!!!
Sounds delicious!
This cheese ball won a contest for me at my work against 3 others. I won some spending bucks! It really is a great recipe! Thank you!
Congrats!
I love this cheese ball! I make this alot! I also add shredded cheddar cheese and cut up smoked ham. I only add 2 T. of the tops of green onion
Whenever I am invited to my families get together and ask what I can bring,they just say, you have to ask, You know Your pineapple cheeseball !!
I’m so glad to get this recipe, I had it somewhere in my younger years. Love but never figured how to make it just happen to be looking for something different and it jump out. I’m making it for Christmas right now it’s everything i was looking for so thank you so much and it taste just like I remember. Merry Christmas 😋😋
Merry Christmas to you! Enjoy the cheese ball!
Could you use frozen peppers in this recipe? I freeze sliced up peppers from my garden to use in omelette etc. I have everything but a fresh green pepper to make this. Or would it make it to much moisture in the cheese ball?
I would maybe set them on the counter to thaw for a bit and pat them dry before adding them!
Instead of adding salt try garlic powder. It isn’t salty and its wonderful. My great grandmother made this when I was little and now I do for holidays.
Can you make it in advance. If so maybe 3 days
Yes you can make it in advance, but I would wait to roll it in the pecans until right before you serve it. Hope this helps!
I too have made this since the 70s. Just made a double recipe and then froze four balls to have for holiday parties.
I tried this for our Christmas Eve gathering…..It didn’t last an hour! My family devoured it! I’m making it again for the super bowl gathering! Thanks so much! It a keeper!????????
So glad you liked it! We always make this around the holidays too 🙂
OMG! My mother used to make “her famous cheeseball” every Christmas. This is the recipe…. we all loved it. She would add chopped pimento or red pepper also to give it the green and the red colors. I think she also added a bit of garlic powder and some Worcester sauce. The crushed pineapple made it amazing.
I am going to make this for Christmas this year with 2 balls in the shape of a snowman with a cucumber ribbon scarf. I think I will use dried cranberries for the touch of red.
Oh I love the idea of adding the red and green peppers to make it look Christmas-y! Thanks for sharing! Glad you were able to find this recipe!
What can be substituted for nut and peanut allergies?
You can just leave the pecans out but you wouldn’t have the crunchy texture anymore. If you are still wanting to have the texture you can use sunflower seeds or even chopped up pretzels! Hope this helps!
I added 2 tbs of powdered sugar to the recipe and mixed it with hand mixer, getting a smoother texture, chilled it in a bowl, and we used it as a spread ! Left out the nuts entirely.
Any chance you can start posting the nutritional facts for your recipes. I am working on a low carb program and would live to try some of these.
This is something that we would like to do in the future but it is something that will take us a LONG time (since we have almost 1,000 recipes). In the meantime, feel free to use resources such as livestrong.com or fitbit to determine the nutritional facts for the recipes. Thanks!
Use fitness pal app it calculates any recipe.
Can this be frozen?
Yes
I love this cheese ball!! It sounds so weird but, I have been making it since the 70’s and it is always a hit! I’m so glad you shared this! I need to make it again ????.