This delicious vegan Hawaiian cheese ball is going to be a hit at your next gathering! Made without vegan cream cheese and using only wholesome ingredients, this flavorful creamy dip is easy to make, filled with amazing texture and makes for a stunning appetizer!
A few months ago, my sister told me she wanted to veganize a childhood recipe that we ate every year growing up during the holidays: a Hawaiian style cheese ball. One of my aunts would traditionally bring it at gatherings and it would not live for very long when exposed to us all 12 cousins. I remember it to be a race to see who could eat the most of it.
Anyway.
Childhood memory aside, this cheese dip is typically called "Bombe a l'ananas" within my family. Because guys, it is a BOMB of flavor!
Subtle cheezy flavor with chunks of sweet fruits, plus an onion-y hint of deliciousness. The creamy rich texture is phenomenal and the look is pretty impressive, don't you think?
My sister got her hands on the old family recipe and this amazing cheesy vegan pineapple dip was born. The typical cream cheese was replaced with cashews and a little coconut oil for texture, but the flavor remained mostly the same. Let's just say that it is a big 'veganization' success.
This cheese ball makes for an amazing appetizer to serve part of a Holiday snack table. It features festive colors with an elegant look and a convivial vibe that makes it a perfect center piece when serving appetizers. Make it for potlucks, game day or show off your vegan cooking skills at Christmas or New Years. Everyone will love it!
Why call it a 'Hawaiian' cheese ball?
Pineapple is the ingredient that really stands out in this dip. Fibrous, sweet, slightly tart and juicy pieces of pineapple are distributed all over the cheese ball and make this recipe truly amazing and unique. Combine the fruit with green onion and green pepper for a very Hawaiian theme. It actually looks like a tropical style boursin spreadable cheese!
Savory fruit dip, yay or nay?
If you love sweet and savory flavors combined, then this dip will have your taste buds spinning with excitement. This recipe combines sweet pineapple and cherries plus savory green pepper and green onion. These ingredients incorporated into a creamy cheesy mixture is the best thing you will eat for a while. The combination of ingredients could seem odd at first glance, but you have got to trust me, it is SO good!
Ingredients you'll need to make this vegan Hawaiian cheese ball
Only 9 ingredients (+salt) required! See below for substitution ideas if you can't find some of the ingredients:
- Raw unsalted cashews
- Refined coconut oil
- Vegan milk
- Onion powder, garlic powder and salt
- Green pepper
- Green onion
- Pineapple
- Cherries
Substitutions
If serving this dip during the winter, then fresh cherries will be hard to find. In this case, swap them for red pepper to keep some red in the dip or use frozen cherries. If doing so, then be sure to thaw them first, then chop and even pat dry the fruit so you don't add too much juice to the dip. This would turn it completely pink and more moisture can alter the final texture.
Also, if you don't want to use fresh pineapple, then you could use either frozen or canned pineapple. Once again, make sure to chop the fruits and drain/pat dry to avoid adding too much moisture.
Magical coconut oil
Coconut oil is essential to create a cheese that holds well into the shape of a ball. Once it chills, the coconut oil firms up into a solid, which makes the dip more substantial and agreeably scoopable.
If you wanted to make this dip completely oil-free, then you can omit the coconut oil all together and simply serve the cheese in a bowl. The texture will be softer, but guests can simply spread the cheese over crackers using cheese knives. I would still recommend to chill the cheese for a few hours before serving for best flavor and texture.
How to make this vegan Hawaiian cheese ball
This recipe is SO simple! It requires minimal hands-ons prep time, but you will need to be patient as the cheese needs to rest for hours before serving (so plan accordingly).
Step 1 - Make the cheese
- Start by soaking your cashews in boiling water for about 15 minutes, then drain well.
- Transfer to a blender and add the coconut oil, vegan milk, onion and garlic spices and salt. Blend until very smooth until there are no pieces of cashew left. Take a few breaks to scrape the walls of your blender.
- Pour the cheese mixture into a medium bowl.
Step 2 - Combine
- To the cashew cheese, add the green pepper, green onion, pineapple and cherries. Stir to combine. You can also taste to see if it is salty enough.
Step 3 - Mold
- Choose a rounded shape small-medium size bowl to mold the cheese. Then, cover its whole surface using saran wrap.
- Fill the bowl with the cheese mixture, then cover with more saran wrap.
- Transfer to the fridge and let chill for at least 4 hours, but I found that overnight is best.
Step 4 - Unmold and serve
- When the cheese is ready, then remove the top saran wrap layer and carefully flip the bowl over a large serving plate (large enough so you can place crackers around the dip).
- Remove the last piece of saran wrap to unwrap the cheese completely.
- If desired, distribute some chopped walnuts or pecans over the surface of the cheese ball (apply a gentle pressure so they stick).
- Place crackers around the cheese ball. Enjoy!
Watch how to make it
Tips when making this vegan Hawaiian cheese ball
- Don't omit soaking your cashews, even if you have a high speed blender. This will make sure you have a texture that's super smooth without any grainy feeling.
- Make sure to drain your cashews VERY well. If you add too much water to the dip, then it might not hold as well.
- I find it important to use REFINED coconut oil to avoid coconut flavor for this dip.
- Don't substitute for any other kind of oil as the coconut oil is essential to create a cheese that will hold well.
- Dice you fruits and veggies on the smaller side. This will help you dig into the dip easily and have some pieces in each bite.
- The cheese should be nicely firm after resting in the fridge overnight, so you can consider taking it out about 15 min before serving so it can soften just a little.
- Do not overmix the dip after adding the fruits so it does not turn pink from the cherry juice!
Cheese molding tips
The shape of the bowl you choose will determine the way the cheese ball will look once it firms up, so try to use a fairly rounded bowl that's not too big. Cover the top as well so it does not dry up.
The cheese will take on some of the saran wrap wrinkles (it imprints on the creamy cheese), so take some time to place the saran wrap as smooth as possible against the bowl. If you don't want any imprints from the plastic, then cover your ball with nuts at serving to hide them.
Vegan Hawaiian cheese ball serving suggestions
I love how festive this dip is! Just place the ball in the middle of a serving plate and distribute crackers around. Dig in the cheese with the crackers for a fun rustic way to eat it or for a cleaner serving method, then place some cheese knifes around and spread the cheese over the crackers.
I think this cheese dip is best served with crackers, but raw veggies sticks or bread (like a crusty baguette) would work well too.
How to decorate your cheese ball
Another way to play around with serving the cheese is how you decorate it. You can leave it completely plain if desired, but I like to stick some roughly chopped walnuts around and garnished with more green onion for a pop in color.
You could also use pecans, or even better choose macadamia nuts to stay in an Hawaiian vibe. If you want to add some more color, then decorate with more bright red cherries or sliced of pineapple. I also saw some cheese balls decorated with cranberries, fresh herbs and sliced jalapeño, which would work well too. Aim for something green + red, like colorful peppers if serving during the holidays.
How to store leftover vegan Hawaiian cheese ball
Store any leftovers in the fridge completely covered for up to 4 days. The cheese will be at its firmest texture after stored in the fridge for a little while and soften when left at room temperature.
Leftover creamy cheese can be used as an amazing bagel vegan cheese spread or to use in sandwiches with sliced veggies and crunchy lettuce (yum!).
This is a great recipe to make ahead as it already needs to rest in the fridge ideally overnight before serving. This makes it a great appetizer to check off your menu a day or two ahead when hosting.
Other party appetizers you might like
Other vegan cheesy recipe you need to try!
- Vegan powdered parmesan cheese
- Vegan feta cheese
- Butternut squash mac and cheese
- Cashew ricotta
- Vegan white sauce
- Vegan baked cauliflower mac and cheese
I hope you enjoy this vegan cheese ball as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
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Vegan Hawaiian Cheese Ball (Cashew Pineapple Cheese Dip)
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
To make the vegan cheese
- 1 cup raw cashews - soaked in boiling water for 20 min, then rinse and drain
- ⅛ tsp onion powder
- ⅛ tsp garlic powder
- ¾ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup refined coconut oil - melted
- ½ cup vegan milk - unsweetened, unflavored
For the dip
- ½ cup green pepper - finely diced
- 2 green onions - finely sliced
- ¾ cup fresh pineapple - finely diced
- 6 cherries - diced
- walnuts or pecans - crushed, optional
Instructions
- Soak the raw cashews in boiling water for about 15 minutes, then drain well.
- Transfer the soaked cashews in a blender alongside the vegan milk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and coconut oil. Blend until very smooth, then transfer to a bowl.
- To the creamy cheese mixture, add the green pepper, green onion, pineapple and cherries. Stir to combine.
- Cover a small round bowl with saran wrap. Transfer the creamy mixture inside the covered bowl and press with a spatula so it's well distributed into the bowl. Cover with more saran wrap and transfer to the fridge for at least 4 hours (but overnight is best).
- When ready to serve, remove the top saran wrap, then flip the bowl over a large serving plate and remove the other piece of saran wrap to completely unmold the cheese ball. You should have a dome shaped spreadable cheese dip that holds well. You can cover the cheese ball with crushed nuts such as walnuts or pecans and place crackers around the cheese ball and dig in with crackers. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Don't skip on soaking your cashews, even if you have a high speed blender. This will make sure you have a texture that's super smooth without any grainy feeling.
- Make sure to drain your cashews VERY well. If you add too much water to the dip, then it might not hold as well.
- I find it important to use REFINED coconut oil to avoid coconut flavor for this dip.
- Don't substitute for any other kind of oil as the coconut oil is essential to create a cheese that will hold well.
- Dice you fruits and veggies on the smaller side. This will help dig into the dip easily and have some in each bites.
- The cheese should be nicely firm after resting in the fridge overnight, so you can consider taking it out about 15 min before serving so it can soften just a little.
- Do not over mix the dip after adding the fruits so it does not turn pink from the cherry juice!
- You can use frozen or canned pineapple if you want, but be sure thaw first and drain/pat dry your fruits so it does not water down the dip.
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