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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!

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

ham and pineapple cheese ball on a plate with crackers

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.

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

Key Recipe Ingredients

Note: This highlights some ingredients. Full list is in the recipe card.

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Cream Cheese – softened, so it’s easy to mix.
Pineapple. I use crushed pineapple, as it disperses well into the mixture. Drain the pineapple really well.
Powdered Sugar. Totally optional, but I think it works well with these flavors. Not a fan of sweet? Add a dash of hot sauce!
Chopped Green Onions. Don’t leave these out! They add a pretty color and subtle flavor.
Ham. I use a high quality thin sliced deli ham that I then chop into fine pieces, you can also use leftover ham!
Chopped Pecans. What is a cheese ball if not rolled in finely chopped nuts? You’ll need about a half cup of pecans.

ingredients to make a hawaaian cheese ball laid out and labeled

How to make this recipe

This is a step-by-step photo guide. Full ingredients and instructions are in the printable recipe card below.

Jump

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.

ingredients for a pineapple cheese ball in a bowl

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.

collage showing how to shape a cheese ball

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.

ham and pineapple rolling a cheese ball in crushed nuts

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.

a hand digging into a pineapple cheese ball with a cracker

Kylee’s 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)

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

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A cheese ball coated with chopped pecans, partially sliced, served on a plate with square crackers arranged around it.

4.68 from 28 votes

Ham and Pineapple Cheese Ball

Author Kylee Ayotte

Servings

Prep Time: 2

Total Time: 2

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!

Ingredients

▢ 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.

Would you like to save this recipe?

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Nutrition

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

4.68 from 28 votes (19 ratings without comment)

21 Comments

Tiffany says:

at

Hi Kylee! My eyes li t up seeing this recipe. Can you please share what ham you used? We don’t but a lot of ham here, so I don’t know which to select. The thin deli sandwich meat kind? A whole slab? Help me out here! (Please and thank you!)

1. Tiffany says:
  
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  Sorry for the misspelling!
  Lit* up
  Buy*
2. Kylee says:
  
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  Hi Tiffany
  You can use any ham you like! I’ve used deli ham, sliced, and also chunked up some leftover easter ham!
Anita says:

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How long will it last. Can i make it a week ahead..?

1. Kylee says:
  
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  I would only make this a few days ahead, and maybe wait to roll in the nuts – or they’ll go soggy
Linda says:

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Last time I made this was Oct 4, 2014 for a baby shower for my daughter to help out the friends giving it. I guess I was running late putting it together & had to microwave the cream cheese so it was more ‘creamy’ than the usual cheeseball. Still it tasted great. I’ve been looking for the recipe since then. Thought I knew the ‘work place’ cookbook the recipe was in & even who had put it in. Nope, no luck. Do not think it had the powdered sugar & we have a small can like tuna of canned ham [not spam] that my recipe originally called for. So glad I found your recipe. Saving it on Pinterest this time. Plan to have it this Christmas for sure – cant wait! By the way, my daughter had our first granddaughter the next day! [2 weeks early]

Beth says:

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I love your ham and pineapple cheese ball! It’s beautiful and delicious, too! I included it in my most recent blog post: https://talesfromwalnutstreet.wordpress.com/2016/12/08/keeping-it-simple-for-the-holidays/
I hope you don’t mind! Thanks for the inspiration! Happy Holidays!

1. Kylee says:
  
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  Not at all – thanks for sharing, Beth!
Kate says:

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I’m having ham and cheese on pizza for lunch today!

1. Kylee says:
  
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  I LOVE me some hawaiian pizza!