These simple Hawaiian Tortilla Roll Ups are crazy delicious! With layers of cream cheese and sweet pineapple topped with flavorful ham and rolled up into the perfect bite sized appetizer or lunch, the sweet and salty combination makes these an easy favorite you can whip up in no time flat!
A long time ago one of my friends taught me her recipe for pineapple dip. It had a bunch of ingredients in it and I don’t think I liked even one of them. But when you combined them all together, something magic happened and I wanted to not only devour the whole bowl of dip, but also lick that bowl clean!
Years (and many bowls of dip) later I had the brilliant idea to take the dip we loved so much and turn it into these really amazingly tasty tortilla roll ups! They start with a few of the basics of the dip, cream cheese, pineapple, and green onions and then because nothing savory goes with pineapple as well as ham, I just decided to layer that right on top. Then roll it all up, and the result, well… maybe one of my favorite party appetizers ever!
I am just really a nut for that sweet and salty combo so when it comes to these, it was a no brainer. What I love about them though, is that they are not only delicious, but bite sized and pretty. This makes them perfect for everything from a tailgate to a fancy baby shower. There aren’t many foods that can go from football to babies! Plus, if your kids complain about boring lunches, put this in their lunch box in place of a sandwich (leave out the green onions if they are picky) and they will have the coolest lunch at school!
As a warning before I give you the recipe below, this is one of those things that people will be asking you for the recipe for. You know, all the time. On the bright side, it only has 5 ingredients so it isn’t too hard to write out for them, or even better just send them here, then I will owe you one!
Hawaiian Ham & Pineapple Tortilla Roll Ups
This recipe is so quick and easy you are going to want to kiss me for showing you, or maybe punch me in the arm (no faces okay?) for not showing you sooner… you decide!
Hawaiian Ham & Pineapple Tortilla Roll Ups – Ingredients
- 4 12″ tortillas, I used whole wheat
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 20 oz can crushed pineapple, all liquid drained
- 2 green onions
- 12-16 slices of thinly sliced deli ham
Hawaiian Ham & Pineapple Tortilla Roll Ups – Instructions
Make sure your cream cheese is nice and soft. I usually leave mine out on the counter a couple of hours before I am going to use it. If you forget though, no big deal! Just pop it in the microwave until it is soft. Then open the can of pineapple and drain all the liquid out as well as you can. You will buy a big can, but only use half of it in this recipe, or you can double the recipe and use the whole can which works well when you are making this for a party appetizer.
Combine the softened cream cheese, pineapple, and green onions in a medium bowl. Stir until everything is well combined.
Spread 1/4 of the cream cheese mixture on each tortilla to cover it evenly. I used whole wheat tortillas, because I was packing lunches and try to get all the “healthy stuff” in my kiddos I can, but you can use white or even spinach if you prefer. I buy the Mission brand 100% Whole Wheat flour tortillas in the burrito size. They are the softest best whole wheat tortillas I have found. We really love them!
On top of the cheese, place a layer of ham (approx 3-4 slices) on each tortilla. You can use whatever flavor of ham you like best, but I find that these work the best with really thinly sliced meat so I always ask them to shave it at the deli counter. Since it is all getting rolled up, even if it is falling apart, it works well still.
Roll the tortilla up gently but firmly, then use a serrated knife to cut the roll into 6 slices. It is important to use a serrated knife for this step because if you use a regular non-serrated knife, you will most likely end up smashing the roll up instead of cutting it all nice and pretty where the rolled layers all show. Instead, I will see a meme on Facebook of my pretty pic below next to an ugly smashed one with the cheese all oozing out and the caption “Nailed it!” So if you like pretty, and you want pretty, just use the serrated knife!! I do cut the ends off first so it will be nice and even to cut into slices.
You can serve immediately or chill in the fridge until ready to eat. If you chill them the cream cheese should firm up a little bit as well. You can also chill them before cutting and slice it right before serving if it is easier to store that way. Just roll the tortilla up and place it in plastic wrap in the fridge until you are ready to cut.
And that is it! Mix, spread, layer, roll, slice, eat. Yum!
If you try this recipe, I would love for you to share it with me in the comments! It makes my day when people make and love my recipes and I read every single comment I get! Also, find me sharing more of my favorites on Instagram @easyfamilyrecipes!
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Hawaiian Tortilla Roll Up
Ingredients
- 4 12 " tortillas
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/2 20 oz can crushed pineapple all liquid drained
- 2 green onions
- 12-16 slices of thinly sliced deli ham
Instructions
- Combine the softened cream cheese, pineapple, and green onions in a medium bowl. Stir until everything is well combined.
- Spread 1/4 of the cream cheese mixture on each tortilla to cover it evenly.
- On top of the cheese, place a layer of ham (approx 3-4 slices)
- Roll the tortilla up gently but firmly, then use a serrated knife to cut the roll into 6 slices (cut off the ends to make it look nice!)
- Serve immediately or chill in the fridge until ready to eat.
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
Sue says
I needed something for a ‘finger foods’ reception after a recital. Been looking at lots of rollup recipes, and this one looks yummy, way lower in salt than the ones calling for a whole package of ranch dressing mix, and different. The gang will love them!
Joe Schmoe says
These are great!
I made these for a Tiki themed potluck we went to. They are tasty and they handle being transported to the event location very well!
Thanks!
Lanie says
Can you substitute something for ham. We don’t eat pork
Kimber says
Try doing turkey! I think it also works well. Also you can just do it meat free. We eat it that way sometimes as well
Becky Eastridge says
Is it ok to make refrigerate over night?
Cheri says
These were delicious and easy! I made the filling the day before and put them together the day of the party. Rave reviews!