Ham & Pineapple Cheese Ball Recipe

Easy and fast to mix up, and place in the fridge for later. A great make-ahead appetizer, this Ham & Pineapple Cheese Ball is sure to please the majority of guests!

Step-by-step photos and instructions are below. Jump to the recipe card if you wish!

Ham & Pineapple Cheese Ball

This easy Hawaiian cheese ball recipe is deliciously simple and a hit at parties, holidays and game days.

It’s one of those recipes that you literally just mix up and refrigerate, then pull out and serve. Total winner!!

Is this easy? Is it quick to make?

HECK YEAH!! I mix this up in under 5 minutes and set it in the fridge for later. I roll it in pecans, then set it on a platter – ready to serve whenever I am! Just add some crackers, and you’re good to go.

Meat + Fruit = okay, or no?

There are two distinct camps about mixing fruit and meat – those who love it (hi there Hawaiian pizza) and those who think it’s all wrong and should never happen. And then there are those that love Hawaiian pizza, but say that fruit and meat should never mix in any other way, ever.

Which camp are YOU in?

Want another Cheeseball Recipe? Grab my Jalapeno Popper Cheese Ball.

Why you’ll love this

• Super easy to make. Literally just a few minutes to mix, and then store in the fridge until you want to eat it.
• Make ahead. Make this the day before a party or holiday and cross it off your list of things to do!

What to serve with a Cheese Ball

Sturdy crackers like wheat thins or pita chips go great with this recipe. You can also do sliced vegetables. I like cucumbers, carrots and red bell peppers too.

Step-by-step photos and tips and tricks are below. Jump to the full recipe card instead

How to make this recipe

Get prepped. Soften the cream cheese, drain the pineapple, chop the green onions, dice the ham.

Mix. In a large bowl, mix the softened cream cheese, drained pineapple, powdered sugar, chopped green onions and dice ham.

Shape. Shape the mixture into a ball. Line a small bowl with plastic wrap and scoop the mixture in. Close the plastic wrap around the mixture and shape into a ball as shown. Don’t worry about getting the perfect shape, you can roll it more later when it is chilled.

Chill. The Cheese Ball AND you. Chill until firm, then roll in crushed pecans. Return to the fridge and store until you want to serve.

Serve. Remove the cheese ball from the refrigerator about 10 minutes before you want to eat (so you can dig in easily!). Serve with crackers, devour.

More recipes to love

More appetizer recipes

• Baked Chicken Taquitos –  Baked in the oven, not fried – easy to make, super delicious, and freezer friendly.
• Ham & Cheese Savory Palmiers – Make ahead, and bake as your guests arrive –yummy!
• Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls – sweet corn, black beans, spinach and cilantro. These are as tasty as they sound!
• Smoked Paprika Almonds (with Bacon) from Take Two Tapas
• ALL APPETIZER RECIPES

4.68 from 28 votes

Ham and Pineapple Cheese Ball

Author Kylee Ayotte

Servings 12

Prep Time: 2 minutes mins

Total Time: 2 minutes mins

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Easy and fast to mix up, and place in the fridge for later. A great make ahead appetizer, this Ham & Pineapple Cheese Ball is sure to please the majority of guests!

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Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• ▢ 8 ounces crushed pineapple (canned) drained
• ▢ 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• ▢ 2-3 tablespoons green onions chopped
• ▢ 1/3 cup ham chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup pecans chopped

Instructions

Get Prepped

• Soften 8 ounces cream cheese, drain 8 ounces crushed pineapple, chop 2-3 tablespoons green onions, dice up 1/3 cup ham.

Mix

• In a large bowl, mix the softened cream cheese, drained pineapple, 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, chopped green onions and dice ham.

Shape

• Shape the mixture into a ball. Line a small bowl with plastic wrap and scoop the mixture in. Close the plastic wrap around the mixture and shape into a ball.

Chill

• Chill until firm, then roll in 1/2 cup pecans.
• Return to the fridge and store until you want to serve.
• Devour.

Notes

Don’t worry about getting the perfect shape, you can roll it more later when it is chilled.

You can use a stand mixer to mix this, but I generally just use a large mixing bowl.

Remove from the refrigerator about 10 to 15 minutes before you want to serve so it is softened and scoopable.

Substitutions/Additions

Add a little garlic powder or ranch dressing mix for some added flavor!

Check the flavor – you may wish to add a pinch of salt.

You may like to add blue cheese, or sharp cheddar cheese (I use pre-shredded cheeses to keep this super fast)

⭐️ Don’t Forget! I love to hear how this turned out for you! Share your thoughts by leaving a review and rating below.

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Nutrition

Calories: 93kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 135mg | Potassium: 100mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 124IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Did you make this recipe?

Make sure to follow @kyleecooks on Instagram for more and tag me #kyleecooks so I can see!

Update: This recipe was originally published in May of 2017. It was republished with updated photos in March of 2026.

About Kylee Ayotte

I am a born and raised New Zealander (a Kiwi), now living in Phoenix, Arizona. I’m happily married to the love of my life – a hot American boy I met while traveling the world. I’m a mama to 2 awesome little boys and love red things, rugby, cheesecake, and bacon. Mmmmm. Bacon. Meet Kylee