Hawaiian Cheese Ball
Hawaiian Cheese Ball is a cream cheese ball appetizer with crushed pineapple, green onions, and bell pepper. Use a mix of red and green bell pepper to make this festive for Christmas. This is a crowd pleaser.
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HAWAIIAN CHEESE BALL
This Hawaiian Cheese Ball was served at the last Bunko party we had. I’m not usually one to go for a cheese ball but when the girls were flocking over this cheese ball with pumpkin cake, carmelitas, and cake pops nearby, I knew that I had to try it.
My friend Alice was given this recipe at her bridal shower years ago. It’s a vintage recipe that’s new to me. Those are my favorite. I actually took this as an appetizer for Thanksgiving and we scarfed it down.
PINEAPPLE CHEESE BALL
The fact that we all were starving because we tried to save our appetites for Thanksgiving dinner may have contributed a bit.
I know cheese balls are a bit 1980s-my-grandma-makes-them but there’s a reason grandma made cheese balls. They’re good!
I love that you can make this festive for Christmas by adding both green and red bell peppers to the ball.
You add half of the pecans to the ball… 
…and the other half you roll the ball in.
Serve with Triscuits, Wheat Thins, or Ritz crackers.
OTHER CHEESE RECIPES:
Hawaiian Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, well drained
- 1/4 cup finely chopped green or red bell pepper, (or a mix of both)
- 3 Tablespoons finely chopped green onion
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 2 cups chopped pecans, divided
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients (only 1 cup of the pecans) together until well combined. Shape into a ball. Place the remaining 1 cup of pecans on a plate and roll the ball in the pecans covering well.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with crackers: wheat thins, Ritz, or Triscuits work well.
Notes
I’ve tried ur recipes an I luv them keep up the great work!!
Thank you!
My mom used to make this but she also added chopped maraschino cherries love this! Reminds me of my mom.
oh yum
Do u put the white part of the onion to or just the green part?
Usually just the green but the white part has great flavor and can be added.
I wonder if this could be used as a spread for tea sandwiches instead of being made into a ball.
Sure!
This is a must at showers. It’s the best.
Thank you!
I made this cheese ball for my kids during Christmas. It was very good, but next time I would add another can of pineapples. Definitely a keeper. 😊 Thank you Christy!
Thank you!
Try adding some finely chopped maraschino cherries to this! Delicious!
Excellent. My mom use to make this, so when looking for the recipe a several years ago I found this one. My friends and coworkers request it for every party. I use less seasoned salt, but besides that I follow this recipe.
Thank you!
Love this concept. To make it truly Hawaiian, I’d add crispy bits of SPAM.
(As info, cheese balls were the height of sophistication in the 1950s……they came back around in the 1980s. )
Thanks so much for this great reminder and yummy idea. Happy holidays!
Haha Spam is very Hawaiian but I might have to pass.
I made this Hawaiian cheese ball and it turned out great. I did use Lawry’s less salt season salt and it was just right for my taste. I was wondering if these could be made ahead and frozen?
Yes they totally can.
I got this recipe from a friend 30+ years ago. We love it and pull it out for special occasions. I wouldn’t call it “Hawaiian” … in fact, most people don’t realize immediately that there’s pineapple in it. The pineapple becomes part of the overall flavor and doesn’t predominate. We call it Holiday Cheese Ball. My recipe calls for 2 Tbsp minced (regular) onion rather than green onion. I have also found a difference with the brand of seasoned salt. It’s saltier with Lawry’s than with Season-All (which flavor we prefer). If you use Lawry’s, cut back a little bit.
Thanks for the tip Cyndi
I didn’t see that it called for seasoned salt and I added 2 tsp of regular salt. Way too salty. I would cut that down even it I used seasoned salt.
Im curious if anyone has ever tried to add crispy bacon to the ball? Or would that ruin it?
That would be great!
I Love this cheeseball! Thank for the recipe.
You’re welcome!
I have a question about the amount of green and red peppers. Do you use 1/4 cup each or a total of 1/4 cup? This looks really good and I will probably try it. Thanks!
It’s 1/4 cup total. Sorry if that was confusing.
my mom made this in the 80’S but it had 1 package of chopped up dried beef added. my grown kids can;t get enough!
INteresting!
What kind of season salt?
It doesn’t matter. I used Lawrys.
Can you make this a a couple weeks ahead of time and freeze?
Absolutely!
I liked this recipe very much. I would prefer additional pineapple so will do that next time. It’s just a matter of taste.
So glad you liked it!
I made this exactly as instructed and it came out wonderful! Everyone loved it! Next time I will double the recipe so there will be some left for me later 😄
Awesome to hear!
We love this recipe. I take it to group gatherings often and am always asked to bring it again. We like to serve it with apple slices, celery, and cruskit crackers. Thank you. I live in New Zealand now and wasn’t able to bring my recipe books. So I’m very thankful to Pinterest! Oh and be sure to really drain the pineapple for like 30 minutes through a colander or you’ll have cheese soup …just sayin!😋
Great tip! You’re totally right. I’m so glad you love this!
Waaaaay too much seasoning salt. Ruined my cheese ball. Cut back!
Sorry you felt that way!
Has anyone found tit too salty? I am going to make it for a bridal shower next weekend. Thanks
You can definitely start with less and add more to taste.
I ended up using 1 tsp. seasoning salt, and that tasted great to me. I knew the crackers were going to be a little salty too. Other than cutting back a little on the salt, it was so delicious. I had to make my husband stay out of it, so I could take it to the bridal shower. This is definitely going into my recipe notebook as a favorite. Can’t wait to try some other recipes.
So glad you liked it!
Is it a 1/4 cup each of green and red peppers, or just 1/4 cup of them combined?
It’s just 1/4 cup of them combined.
Please don’t ever change the name…it’s a perfect name for a perfect cheese ball…”Hawaiian Cheese Ball” My family completely devours it every time I make it …LOL
So because it has pineapple, you decide to call it Hawaiian? As someone that is 75% Hawaiian, I get super annoyed when others think that because it has pineapple and or coconut, it’s Hawaiian. We are more than a fruit. Please consider changing the name. PS: I’m sure you never intended to offend, but may I encourage you to be more aware and thoughtful. While you may not intend offense, think about what others might think, especially when it comes to their culture.
Kanoe, I would have to disagree under the content of too much political correctness.
Isn’t Hawaii the largest growers & shippers of Pineapples & Coconuts in the world, among many other scrumptious fruits? Even if I was 1/8 Hawaiian, I believe I would be proud that my heritage is known for these fabulous fruits. I LOVE Macadamian nuts also and have a Japanese/Hawaiian cousin whose family (he has retired now & his son runs their crops & business) has grown them for now 4 generations. It was/still is a VERY lucrative business … and I know first hand they are proud to have their nuts associated with Hawaii!! Please try not to be so offended & defensive, and be PROUD of your culture!! I envy you are mostly Hawaiian, I am a hodge-podge of the world … literally …. predominantly British/Irish/Scottish/Cherokee Native Indian, but also have many minor cultures in my ancestry … so I cannot really claim a culture of my own!!
Is there any thing I could replace the seasoned salt with?
Oh dear God, i love this recipe. Barbara Bernard with New Orleans Opera used to make this for our Chorus Christmas Party, and I looked everywhere for the recipe. I used Tony Chachere’s seasoning for the seasoned salt and added a touch of garlic powder and worchestershire. Yum. I could eat it all myself
OMG, this is the greatest cheeseball of all times. I’ve had this recipe from years ago. Thanks for the repost. Everyone, you need to try this. It rocks.
This Hawaiian Cheese Ball recipe was given to me years ago also by a coworker. I lost it in a fire and so thankful to find it again. I love this cheese ball. It is the only one I will eat because I am not big on cheese. Thank you.
You’re welcome! it’s a goodie!
I have made this for years and everyone loves it.
So good to hear.
It was really good! But a little too much green pepper taste and not enough pineapple.
What do you think of adding bacon to this…..because bacon….?
I will never say no to bacon!
Why is it called “Hawaiian” cheese ball? Last I checked, Hawaiians didn’t make cheese balls and I don’t recall any Hawaiian dishes that had pecans in it. Just wondering.
Probably just the pineapple. Haha. Good point.
I also add a ts of onion and garlic powder (1 ts each). It really adds something to it and still leaves the pineapple sweet.
can youmake this the night before serving ?
Yes! The flavors will blend!
I got another recipe from Pinterest that calls for only 1- 8 oz. package of cream cheese. Which is right?
I can’t vouch for the other recipe but we use 2 packages.
I don’t typically make cheese balls, but I did make this one and there was enough to make two balls (one slightly smaller and one bigger). I took it to my office with no expectations, and honestly, I can say it was gone before lunch time. This is going on my to-make-for-Christmas list every single year! Thank you!
Yay! I’m not a cheese ball maker either. Glad you loved it!
Never made a cheese ball before. This recipe is one I need to make as I have a feeling it will be perfect for a Christmas party coming up!
Oh my gosh this looks SO GOOD! Pinned!
I’ve never tried making a cheese ball before…but really…what could be better than a big ball of cheese? 😉
It’s really yummy!
This is one of my favorite recipes from when I was a kid. I crave it this time of year. We usually do walnuts, but I will definitely have to try with pecans.
Yum! One of my two great weaknesses, cheese and chocolate. I like the pecans and pineapple mixed in the cheese.
I love this cheeseball!! We throw a little jalapeño in to give it a little kick. My whole family loves it!!
This would be best (and Hawaiian) with chopped Macadamia nuts, instead of the pecans. Looks like a great recipe!
Haha. Yes. I guess that would be right but this is how it was given to me.
I love the idea of using pineapple in the cheese ball! I must say I was wondering about the size of the ball and how much people it would serve. We have quite a large family and if I would serve this for Christmas I want to be sure everybody gets to try it.
I’m thinking it would serve about 14 generously.
This sounds so yummy!! I’m hungry now!!
I’ve been using this recipe for years! This year we made one for thanksgiving and added garnishes to make it look like a turkey. It was a big hit and we scarfed it down! Wish I could post a photo to show how cute our turkey cheeseball was.
How cute? Love that idea~
What type of seasoning salt do you use?
Lawry’s is what I used.
Delicious !!!!
My best friend growing up used to make a pineapple cheeseball that I loved. I’d forgotten all about it, but I’ll have to give this a try! Looks as good as I remember it tasting! 🙂
That looks amazing, yum!
Thanks Christy for the nice cheese ball. Love pineapple.
That looks so good! I’m pinning it so I can try it the next time we have a football watching party at our house. Thanks for sharing!