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
- โ cup crushed pineapple, with some juice included
- 1 ยฝ 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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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.
Glad to have found this recipe and thank you! I like your “slather” ideas from bread to spoon. How about on a bar of dark chocolate?
I don’t understand how people can NOT like coconut and pineapple. Personally, I love it!
Delicious! I would love to eat my pina colada!
This looks wonderful, I’m a huge coconut fan too and what a fun way to use it!
Brilliant! I am a huge coconut lover so this dip sounds amazing and could be my new go-to dip this winter when I’ll miss summer. Thanks, Averie!
My thoughts exactly – bring some summer into winter :) Just pinned those donuts with the PB glaze of yours…those things are calling me!