Pineapple cream cheese wontons are the perfect treat during game day, holiday get-togethers, or awards night!
So, I have this thing for small bites of goodness. If you saw me in a tapas bar, you’d cringe.
I order about 20 things off the menu, and have to eat every single one. I even taste the items that my friends order. But, that’s the best part of tapas, right? Right?!
Cream Cheese Wontons For The Win
A long long time ago, when I was just a fiancee, I decided to make a fun dessert for us to eat after ordering Chinese takeout.
I figured, if I couldn’t cook him dinner, I could at least make him a cute dessert.
Then I looked in the fridge and only say wonton wrappers and cream cheese. Joy.
In the pantry, I found a can of crushed pineapple. Double joy.
This pineapple cream cheese wonton recipe was created out of desperation. But, it would be perfect for a fun dinner party dessert, or even a great snack for an awards show!
Add 8 ounces of cold (not frozen) cream cheese and a 20-ounce can of drained crushed pineapple to your mixer.
You can do this in your hand mixer if you don’t have a stand mixer.
This is the pineapple cream cheese wontons concoction mixed together. Isn’t it pretty? It’s also so dang delicious.
Now, here is where technique comes in.
When you open your package of wontons, you need to cover them with a damp kitchen towel so they don’t dry out.
When I’m on a roll with making the wontons, I tend to take 2 wrappers out at a time, so I can be speedy.
If you are just starting out with wonton-making, take one wrapper out from under the towel at a time.
I actually cover the wonton packet and the finished wontons with the kitchen towel, but that didn’t look well when i photographed it.
Also, reserve 2 wontons for a special task and technique you’ll be doing later. Speaking of technique, here’s how I make my wontons:
Take half a tablespoon of the mixture and place in the middle of the wonton.
I place the wonton diagonally on my dry kitchen top. This will help with the forming of the wonton later.
Lightly wet the top sides of the diagonal wonton with your damp finger. I had a ramekin of water set to the side so I could keep re-wetting my finger.
Fold up the bottom sides to meet the top sides. As I do each side, I push out the air from the corner.
See that corner on the left with a pocket full of air? Yeah, I needed to push that sucker out.
Here it is with both sides closed. At this point, I realized the air pockets and pushed the air out of both sides before the final fold.
Lastly, place a tiny bit of water on one of the side tips of the wonton. Bring the two tips together and press.
This is the final result. I love to call these pineapple cream cheese wontons “Little Pope hats of deliciousness.”
Once you get all of your wontons assembled, place them in the fridge, covered with the kitchen towel, while you take care of the next step.
Get The Oil Ready
Place one inch to an inch and a half of oil in a skillet.
I used my cast iron skillet because it’s BOSS, but you can use whatever solid bottom skillet or pot that you have.
You want to place the oil over medium to medium-low heat. The temperature should reach about 330 to 335 degrees.
Test The Oil With Your Wontons
If you don’t have a thermometer, after about 5 to 7 of the oil warming, take a reserved wonton and place it in the oil.
This is too dark. This poor darling never knew what hit him.
I lowered the heat a bit, and after about 2 minutes I put in another reserved wonton.
Oh yeah. Now that’s a sexy wonton. Perfectly crisp and golden brown. Come to mama. Oh, sorry guys. I have special feelings about my food-stuffs.
Now It’s Time To Fry
Now that your oil is ready to go, place a few wontons to fry in the skillet.
Be sure not to overcrowd the pan. I have a large skillet, so I put in about 6 to 8 wontons at a time.
I place them in the oil by holding the top of the wonton and laying it away from me. It’s like the wonton is swimming on its back.
After about a minute, I turn the wontons over.
Please note: these cook fast. It should only take a minute or less to get them golden brown.
By the time you turn all of the wontons over, the first one you turned will be ready to come out. Take them out and drain them on a paper towel.
Finished pineapple cream cheese wontons. Don’t they look pretty?
I ate them all. Just kidding. I shared a few, but reluctantly. But, before I shared, I had to do this:
Dust them with powdered sugar. Some got more sugar than others, and of course, I had to take those.
It’s funny that no matter how many pictures I took of these, the camera always focused in on that overly powdered one in the middle, and it’s crispy brother to the right.
Can you guess which ones I ate first?
Pineapple Cream Cheese Wontons
Ingredients:
8 ounce cream cheese
20 ounce can of crushed pineapple, drained
24 wontons wrappers
Vegetable or canola oil, for frying
Powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions:
Mix together the cream cheese and crushed pineapple in a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer.
Take out your wontons from the fridge, open the package, then immediately cover with a damp kitchen towel. These can dry out quickly, so always keep them covered.
Take 2 wontons and reserve for another task that you will accomplish later.
Assemble the wontons one at a time. Place each wonton on a dry kitchen top, in a diagonal shape.
Place half a tablespoon of the wonton mixture in the middle of the wonton.
With a damp finger, wet the top sides of the wonton, then fold up the bottom sides to meet the top.
Be sure to press out the air from the sides of the wonton.
Slightly dampen one side corner of the wonton, and bring the two together in an “arm-folding” fashion.
Once all wontons are assembled, place them in the fridge, covered with the wet kitchen towel, until the oil is ready.
Place 1 to 1 1/2 inch oil in a heavy skillet or pot, and heat on medium-low. The temperature should reach 330 to 335 degrees.
To test the oil, place one of the reserve wontons and see if it becomes golden brown within a minute. If so, the oil is ready.
Place 6 to 8 wontons in the oil, with the fold up. After 30 seconds, turn over the wontons. After about 20 to 30 seconds more, take the wontons out of the oil and let drain on a paper towel.
Top with powdered sugar (optional), and serve immediately.
More Pineapple Recipes
Slow Cooker Pineapple Pork
Grilled Pineapple Turkey Burgers
Pineapple Cream Cheese Wontons
These pineapple cream cheese wontons are the best appetizer for game day, New Year's Eve or awards night!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cold cream cheese
- 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple, drained
- 24 wontons wrappers
- Vegetable or canola oil, for frying
- Powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Mix together the cream cheese and crushed pineapple in a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer.
- Take out your wontons from the fridge, open the package, then immediately cover with a damp kitchen towel. These can dry out quickly, so always keep them covered.
- Take 2 wontons and reserve for another task that you will accomplish later.
- Assemble the wontons one at a time. Place each wonton on a dry kitchen top, in a diagonal shape.
- Place half a tablespoon of the wonton mixture in the middle of the wonton.
- With a damp finger, wet the top sides of the wonton, then fold up the bottom sides to meet the top.
- Be sure to press out the air from the sides of the wonton.
- Slightly dampen one side corner of the wonton, and bring the two together in an “arm-folding” fashion.
- Once all wontons are assembled, place them in the fridge, covered with the wet kitchen towel, until the oil is ready.
- Place 1 to 1 1/2 inch oil in a heavy skillet or pot, and heat on medium-low. The temperature should reach 330 to 335 degrees.
- To test the oil, place one of the reserve wontons and see if it becomes golden brown within a minute. If so, the oil is ready.
- Place 6 to 8 wontons in the oil, with the fold up.
- After just less than a minute, turn over the wontons. After about 20 to 30 seconds, take the wontons out of the oil and let drain on a paper towel.
- Top with powdered sugar (optional) and serve immediately.
Notes
These pineapple cream cheese wontons can easily be frozen once created. The frying time will be longer when using frozen wontons, but will yield the same yummy results.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 456Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 617mgCarbohydrates: 60gFiber: 2gSugar: 36gProtein: 12g
Thanks for sharing photos on how you tested your wontons. The first ones never cook right for me either.
Oh, Amiyrah. This couldn’t have come at a better time! I just started cooking with wontons this week! I can’t wait to try!
Yay! Let me know how it turns out, Cindy. Remember: only keep them in the oil for a minute to a minute in a half, tops.
Can you bake in the oven?
These need to be fried for the perfect crunchy consistency.
Oh my goodness! This looks so delicious! I pinned it right away! 🙂
Thanks Joy!
I love these appetizers. During my lunch break i’m go out to get my ingredients.
can I freeze these before frying them to cook them later?
Hi Lynette! One of the very first times that I made these, I did flash freeze a small cookie sheet worth. You will have to deep fry them if you freeze them, though. They will pop quite a bit in the oil, so you will want them fully submerged. Enjoy!
Hi! Can I use fresh pineapple for this recipe?
I wouldn’t use fresh, since the only thing that cooks in this recipe are the wontons. The pineapple won’t be as soft as the canned pineapple turns out within the wontons.
Hi!
Can I bake these instead of frying them??
Hi Leslie! We’ve never tried to bake them, but feel free to try and let us know how they turn out.
Yum and yummy and thank you bunches!
How are they if you don’t serve them immediately? I wonder if they would travel well…
Like regular wontons, I would serve them as soon as I could. They tend to get chewy if you wait to long to serve them.
Okay I have to admit I’ve Never made wontons of any kind before I always thought they would be very difficult and complicated (Until) I found your Pineapple cream cheese wontons you couldn’t have made it seem any easier thanks so much for sharing: )
Yay! I’m so happy you’re up to trying them, Elishia! They really are pretty simple to make.
Those look delish. We are on the road in our RV but I’m saving this for one day when we settle down again.
What about air frying?
I haven’t tried them in an air fryer yet! If you do, please come back and let us know how it goes!
This is exactly the way I make mine, except that I add a little cinnamon to the filling mix 😁