Description
These delightful pineapple Christmas balls embody festive cheer with tropical sweetness. Brazilian bakers craft these delectable treats, blending coconut, condensed milk, and fresh pineapple into irresistible bite-sized delights you’ll savor during holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 oz (85 grams) pineapple jello packet
- 8 oz (226 grams) cream cheese, softened
- 398 mL (13.4 fl oz) canned crushed pineapple, very well drained
- 2 cups (480 mL) unsweetened fine desiccated coconut
- ½ cup (120 mL) graham crumbs
Instructions
- Mix Preparation: Whip softened cream cheese in a spacious bowl until achieving a silky, uniform texture using an electric mixer.
- Ingredient Incorporation: Gently fold thoroughly drained crushed pineapple into the cream cheese, ensuring minimal moisture retention while maintaining a cohesive mixture.
- Flavor and Binding: Sprinkle pineapple jello powder and graham cracker crumbs into the blend, stirring meticulously to create an even distribution and consistent flavor profile.
- Coconut Integration: Fold half the desiccated coconut into the mixture, developing a rich, tropical-inspired foundation with enhanced textural complexity.
- Chilling and Firming: Refrigerate the prepared mixture for one hour, allowing it to solidify and become more manageable for shaping.
- Forming and Coating: Using clean hands, carefully craft uniform spheres and roll each ball generously in the remaining coconut, creating a festive, snow-white exterior that provides both visual appeal and delightful crunch.
- Storage and Serving: Place completed pineapple balls in an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper, and refrigerate until ready to serve, enabling flavor melding and maintaining optimal texture.
Notes
- Smooth Cream Cheese Technique: Ensure cream cheese is completely softened at room temperature for effortless mixing and a silky-smooth texture that prevents lumps.
- Drain Pineapple Thoroughly: Pat crushed pineapple with paper towels to remove excess moisture, preventing soggy pineapple balls and maintaining the perfect consistency.
- Coconut Coating Trick: Roll balls immediately after chilling for the best coconut adhesion, creating a beautiful, even white exterior that looks professionally prepared.
- Storage Smart Move: Keep pineapple balls in a single layer between parchment paper to maintain their shape and prevent sticking, ensuring maximum freshness for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg