When you're looking for a fun way to serve fruit to a crowd, consider making these Tropical Fruit Skewers with Pina Colada Dip. Quick & Easy!
(I’ve been on a kabob recipes kick lately - both sweet and savoury kebabs - and I’ll be sharing some of my favorite recipes across my 3 food blogs today!)
These delicious skewers are a relatively healthy dessert, but still absolutely satisfy my feral sweet tooth.
The pina colada cheesecake dip whips up in just minutes, with very little cleanup involved. It’s a delicious way to eat a LOT more fruit - and possibly the perfect snack!
These dessert kabobs - and the delicious dip to accompany them are a relatively healthy snack, and the perfect appetizer to serve at any number of social gatherings.
The tropical flavours make it the perfect summer treat for a pool party, Fourth of July, father’s day BBQ, or Memorial Day, or just a random hot day.
Thinking fancier, they’d be a huge hit at a baby shower, bridal showers, or a great addition to a dessert buffet at a beach themed wedding.
Ingredients
This recipe uses simple ingredients that can be found in pretty much any grocery store.
I like to look at this in two parts: the cream cheese dip, and the tropical fruit kebabs.
Pina Colada Dip
To make the dip, you will need:
Cream cheese
Crushed pineapple
Coconut flakes
Sweetener
Heavy whipping cream / Heavy cream
Rum Extract or Rum (1 teaspoon if extract, 1-3 tablespoon if actual rum)
Salt
To make this dip keto friendly, use an Erythritol / Monkfruit Blend Sweetener.
Powdered sugar can be used, but you’ll want to use about 50% more - go by taste.
Maple sugar or brown sugar can be used 1:1 in place of all or some of the sugar, but either one will impart extra flavours on the dip.
Tropical Fruit Skewers
As-is, I used the following tropical fruits for making my fruity kabobs:
Bananas
Papaya
Pineapple
Mangos
Kiwi
Star fruit - I used it for garnish, but it can also be skewered!
Don’t let my listed choices prevent you from using your favorite fruits for making these skewers. Other non-tropical fruits work really well with tropical fruits, and can bring amazing flavor to your colorful fruit skewers.
Consider honeydew melon, for instance. As a larger fruit, you’ll need to cut it down into bite sized pieces, or use a melon baller to scoop smaller portions from it.
Green grapes or red grapes also work well, and the red ones provide a nice colour contrast.
Equipment
In addition to the dip ingredients and a variety of fruits, there are a few pieces of equipment that help out with this dessert recipe:
Mini Food Processor
I use a mini food processor to blend the pineapple and cream cheese together.
You can use a stick blender, electric mixer, or stand mixer if you prefer, but the pineapple may not end up quite as well incorporated.
Bamboo Skewers
I like to use wooden skewers / wooden sticks, rather than metal skewers for fresh fruit skewers. They look better and are more comfortable, IMHO.
As pictured, I used 4.75" Bamboo Skewers with Knot
Depending on the size of the sticks, the sizing of the fruit pieces, and how many fruit pieces you want on each of the fruity kabobs, lollipop sticks could be used in a pinch.
The lack of a pointed end makes threading them for difficult, though!
How to Make Pina Colada Dip
The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post, here is the pictorial walk through.
Strain the crushed pineapple, discard the juice or reserve it for another use.
In a mini food processor, blend the softened cream cheese together with the sugar and salt until smooth.
Add pineapple and rum extract, blitz once more to combine.
Add pineapple cream cheese mixture and the coconut flakes to the bowl, fold until well combined.
Cover with plastic wrap - or transfer to an airtight container - and chill until use.
Tropical Fruit Skewers
Peel bananas, cut into thick slices, and place in a small bowl. Sprinkle lemon juice over the bananas, gently stir to fully coat them. Set aside.
Using a sharp knife, cut the top and bottom off the pineapple, then cut the rind / skin off. Cut into strips or slices, then into chunks.
Using a paring knife, cut the skin off the kiwi fruit, then cut into thick slices. You can cut each slice in half, if you prefer.
If you’re using a star fruit for garnish - or even on the skewers - slice it into thin stars.
Thread the fruit pieces onto bamboo skewers, and serve with the pina colada dip.
If you need to make these ahead, it’s best to skip the bananas, which will change in texture after a few hours.
Any fruit left over after making the skewers can be tossed in a bowl as a fruit salad.
More Gluten Free Skewer Recipes!
Looking for more excuses to serve gluten-free food on a stick? Here are some fun ideas for you!
Antipasto Skewers
Berry Skewers with Keto Mojito Cheesecake Dip
Fajita Chicken Kebabs
Gluten Free Chicken Satay
Greek Chicken Souvlaki
Greek Salad Skewers
Hawaiian Pizza Skewers
Heart Fruit Skewers with Raspberry Cheesecake Dip
Hop Marinated Chicken Skewers
Jambalaya Skewers
Muffaletta Skewers
Rainbow Fruit Skewers with Mimosa Cheesecake Dip
Share the Love!
Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork for social media! If you Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @BeyondFlourBlog - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!
Also, be sure to subscribe to my free email newsletter, so you never miss out on any of my nonsense. Well, the published nonsense, anyway!
Finally, if you love this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and a comment, or sharing the link on social media!
Pina Colada Dip with Tropical Fruit Skewers
Equipment
- Bamboo skewers
Ingredients
Pina Colada Dip
- ½ cup Crushed pineapple
- 8 oz Cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup Granulated sugar Or other sweetener of choice - see blog post.
- pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon Rum extract
- 1 cup Heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup coconut flakes
Tropical Fruit Skewers
- 2 Bananas
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 Papaya
- 1 Pineapple
- 2 Mangoes
- 5 Kiwi
Instructions
Pina Colada Dip
- Strain the crushed pineapple, discard the juice or reserve it for another use.
- In a mini food processor, blend the softened cream cheese together with the sugar and salt until smooth. Add pineapple and rum extract, blitz once more to combine.
- In a large bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
- Add pineapple cream cheese mixture and the coconut flakes to the bowl, fold until well combined.
- Cover and chill until use.
Tropical Fruit Skewers
- Peel bananas, cut into thick slices, and place in a bowl. Sprinkle lemon juice over the bananas, gently stir to fully coat them. Set aside.
- Cut the papaya in half, scoop out the seeds / pulp and discard. Cut into long slices, trim the peel off, and cut into 1" chunks.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the top and bottom off the pineapple, then cut the rind / skin off. Cut into strips or slices, then into chunks.
- Cut the skin off the mango, then cut the flesh off the seed in large chunks. Cut into bite sized pieces.
- Using a paring knife, cut the skin off the kiwi fruit, then cut into thick slices. You can cut each slice in half, if you prefer.
- Thread the fruit onto bamboo skewers, and serve with the pina colada dip.
Nutrition
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