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.
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 Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes!
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.
