I love it when I can drink a pina colada. Or eat one.
This dip tastes remarkably like a pina colada and it takes two minutes to make, has three ingredients, and it’s vegan and gluten free. Do I have your attention?
In a sea of pumpkin cakes, pumpkin cookies, roasted vegetable soup, and other fall-inspired food, I figured I’d turn seasonally appropriate on it’s head and make this dip.
Then again, pina coladas know no season.
If you like pina coladas, pineapple, and coconut, this is your dip. If you’re one of those “but I don’t like coconut” people, this is not the dip for you because it’s quite coconutty, as a pina colada is and should be.
I savored every chewy, texture-filled bite, largely from the sweetened shredded coconut that’s bound with creamy cream cheese. Feel free to use vegan cream cheese if that’s your preference. The bits of crushed pineapple further sweeten and add more texture and brightness to the tropical-infused spread.
I’ve made the dip both with and without adding rum. Malibu is especially delicious in it and if rum is added, this goes from a three-ingredient to a whopping four-ingredient recipe. Both versions are equally good. One will just get you in an island mood quicker than the other.
The dip comes together in literally two minutes. To four ounces of softened cream cheese, which is half of a standard-sized plastic tub or half of a block, add the pineapple, and add the rum if it’s after five o’clock somewhere, and stir in the coconut. If you like a very densely packed spread, add more coconut or more pineapple to the four ounces of cream cheese. As written, it’s pretty dense, although it could hold even more if you like an uber-thick spread.
If you prefer something more along the lines of a pineapple-and-coconut-flavored-cream cheese, simply add less pineapple and less coconut, allowing the cream cheese to shine through more. Scott’s more of a cream cheese purist whereas I’m a texture and flavor infusion junkie. I won and this dip is chock full of pineapple and coconut and tastes much more like a pina colada than it tastes like flavored cream cheese. Actually, there’s very little cream cheese taste per se, rather it lends the creamy mouthfeel that I associate with pina coladas.
The beauty of this little dippity dip is that it doesn’t make a big batch, just a cup and a half, give or take. When I see recipes that start off by calling for two eight-ounce blocks of cream cheese, I always wonder if these people have hollow legs or are feeding football teams when needing a pound of cream cheese in one recipe. It sounds great and all though. Small batches of dip are my friend because I’ve never met a dip, condiment, spread, or chutney, that I didn’t love, want to layer on thick, and polish off immediately.
I’ve been slathering this on bread, bagels, crackers, and my spoon has found its way into the container. It’s probably not that much different than eating pineapple-coconut Greek yogurt. Or something like that mindgame I can play so well. The dip tastes best after it’s been out of the refrigerator about 15 minutes and the cream cheese softens, gets creamier, and the dip tastes even more like an island vacation.
Although I love drinking pina coladas, eating them has been even better.
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Pina Colada Dip
Ingredients
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened (half of most standard-sized blocks or tubs; use vegan cream cheese
- ⅓ cup crushed pineapple, with some juice included
- 1 ½ tablespoons Malibu or other rum, optional
- 1 cups sweetened shredded coconut flakes
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine cream cheese, pineapple, and stir to combine. Optionally, add rum and stir to combine. Add coconut and fold it in, playing with the amount until dip is as dense and thick as desired. Serve immediately. Extra dip may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Related Recipes:
Pina Colada White Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies – A fun little cookie that tastes like a pina colada and they’re very soft, mois,t and goofproof, as cake mix cookies tend to be
Coconut Oatmeal Toffee Cookies – Chock full of texture from the coconut, oats, and crunchy bits of Heath bar toffee pieces, and it’s a small batch recipe
Baked Orange Banana Coconut Donuts with Orange Coconut Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze – The donuts are wonderful with bananas, oranges, and coconut baked in, and the glaze makes them even better
Malibu Rum Fruit Loops Treats – Malibu, Fruit Loops, white chocolate, sprinkles, and no-bake. Sounds like a good Friday night 10-minute project to me
Coconut White Chocolate Chip Blondies – Rich, dense and full of coconut flavor, with white chocolate baked in, and dark chocolate drizzled on top. They’re almost fudge-like in texture
Pineapple Banana & Coconut Cream Smoothie (vegan, GF) – Tastes like a virgin pina colada in healthy smoothie form
Taste of the Tropics Smoothie (vegan, GF) – Another version of a healthy smoothie masquerading as virgin pina colada, but feel free to spike it
Do you like pina coladas? Coconut? Pineapple?
I love them all and try to work coconut, coconut milk, coconut oil, or pineapple, into anything I possibly can; from sweets and desserts to savory food and soups and stir frys.
I hope it’s after 5 o’clock for you and your weekend has started or is in sight. Have a great one and thanks for the Pumpkin Whoopie Pies + Book Giveaway entries – winner announced next post.
WhileI certianly LOVE LOVE LOVE drinking my pina coladas, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten one before? Or anything with thoe same flavors. Shame on me. Dip, being one of my favorite foods -(I call it a food because I literally EAT it like it’s at the bottom of my food pyramid – I can hold my own next to hummus, guac and buffalo dip) – in Pina Colada form is genius Averie. Leave it to you, queen of the tropics to come up with this. 3 ingredients (heck why would you NOT throw in the 4th?) to perfection. I love this idea! I’d spread it on a toasted bagel, toasted pita, dip salty pretzels into it… and maybe cinnamon graham crackers too! And I love that the ingredients are so common, more likely than not a person has a can of pineapple, CC, and coconut. At least I always do!
I eat dip like it’s its own food group. Trust me :) And yes, simple, easy, but oh, so good. You will never be able to look at cream cheese the same way again after loading it up with the tropics. Unless you stir in PB & cocoa powder (that’s a diff recipe though…lol)
Brill. Just brilliant.
And how did I miss those Fruit Loop treats? I was never allowed to eat sugar cereals as a child so cereal treats + rum = PURE SCANDAL!!
I posted the Fruit Loops from Aruba in August and I had rum and scandal on the brain :)
The dip is a great idea! I can’t wait until I can make that. And it’s so pretty.
What a fun idea, I love these flavors!
A four-ingredient dip that can instantly transport me to a tropical island? Sign me up! I want to stick my face in there.
It’s a little too fast & easy :)
Love how simple this recipe is!!! And packed with all that great pina colada flavor, I imagine this is quite addicting.
extremely addicting…loving it!
A tropical touch as the weather gets cooler? Just perfect. Love pineapple anything
I still want your strawberry pancakes!
This is so beyond anything I’d imagine myself! Makes me think of warmth. Always good!
Warmth via an easy dip is what I was going for!
I’d love this, mr. Fussy pants wouldn’t. I think this would be so good as a shrimp dip or with veggie sticks. Yum!
It would be so great with shrimp! Like a coconut-battered shrimp, or even just plain, this would pair perfectly! Now you make me wish I didn’t have a shrimp allergy!
I’m definitely on your side, I prefer the chunky dip to the smoother ones!
At least if I’m inhaling cream cheese or cheese sauce or whatever it is, if I have some chunky pieces in it, it feels somewhat healthier. lol
What a fun dip idea. I’m not a coconut fan, but I’ve found that when used properly, I don’t mind it so much. And I love pina coladas so I’m thinking I’d love this! And I love how easy it is too. Perfect for a party!
If you like pina coladas, you’ll like this I think…but if you don’t like coconut, but like pina coladas, well..I dunno…:) This is pretty coconutty! But see I think pina coladas are the epitome of coconutty!
I’ve never had a pina colada but I love coconut and rum, so I know I’d be a fan. It’s fun to still have summer-y desserts, as it reminds me it will one day be warm again.
Never had a pina colada? Omg knowing you, go make one. It’s Friday! Or go out for one!
Genius!
So whimsical and fun, Averie! Instead of coffee, I can now dunk your Baked Orange Banana Coconut Donuts into Piña Colada Dip! Yum =)
I wish I had a donut AND the dip at the same time!
Piña Colada DIP?! Amazing. Love coconut & pineapple – such a refreshing, delicious flavor combination.
Hi Liz! I know you like your coconut and this is so easy & coconutty! Hope you’re doing well :) xo
Pina Colada Dip, get on my bagel!
What a brilliant – and glorious – idea.
White autumn sangria of yours, get in my cup :)