These pineapple cupcakes are moist, buttery, and loaded with crushed pineapple. They are paired perfectly with coconut buttercream for a tropical treat.
Easy pineapple cupcake recipe
I am a huge fan of fruity desserts. So it should come as no surprise that I want to fruit in all my desserts. It’s a habit that I can’t control.
These cupcakes have been on my mind for quite some time now. I made batch after batch to develop the best recipe possible. And these are fabulous! I'm sure they'd be even more fabulous with pineapple frosting swirled on top!!
I've used the base for my pina colada cupcakes and it turned out amazing. And I did something similar with my pineapple upside-down cake.
How to make pineapple cupcakes
It took me countless days to achieve a moist, buttery cupcake that was full of crushed pineapple and made completely from scratch. I’d seen recipes that called for box cake mix and a can of crushed pineapple.
Yeah, it’s simple and probably delicious but you know how we do it here. We bake from scratch whenever possible.
I decided to top these crushed pineapple cupcakes with the whipped coconut buttercream frosting that I shared with you on Wednesday. Why?
Because it was darn good, that’s why. A tender pineapple-y cupcake with a puff of silky coconut buttercream. What more could you ask for?
Stop what you are doing right now and go bake these cupcakes. It will be the best 30 minutes you’ve ever spent. They are amazing!
Tips for making pineapple cupcakes
- Measure the flour correctly! Lightly spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level with the back of a knife. For more accurate measurements, it's best to weigh the ingredients.
- The recipe calls for one 8-ounce can of crushed pineapple. Crushed pineapple will be broken down much more than pineapple chunks. Make sure you are in fact using crushed pineapple.
- Use the entire contents of the can of crush pineapple. The juice and all the pineapple bits!
- Test your baking powder! If the baking powder is no longer effective, the cupcakes will not rise. Add ½ teaspoon of baking powder to ¼ cup warm water. The baking powder should fizz moderately if it is fresh. You'll need to replace the baking powder if there's no reaction.
Pineapple Cupcakes
These pineapple cupcakes are moist, buttery, and loaded with crushed pineapple. They are paired perfectly with coconut buttercream for a tropical treat.
Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cups (216 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup (53 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 8-ounce can (234 g) crushed pineapple, undrained
- 1 recipe coconut buttercream frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir with a whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy. Add the sugar, continue to beat for 3 minutes.
- With the mixer set to low, beat in the vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Beat in the crushed pineapple and its juice. Add the flour, mixing just until combined.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean.
- Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Top with coconut buttercream frosting.
Notes
Cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator up to 4.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 106Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 146mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 3g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the values shown are just an estimate.
Sian says
This recipe is amazing! So fresh, moist and delicious! I think I might use the coconut buttercream for all my vanilla cakes - gives the icing a beautiful creamy texture. The coconut offsets the sweetness. Thank you so much for sharing!
Anna says
We don’t have tinned crushed pineapple here, only tinned chunks or rings. Could I drain and finely chop or mash these instead? Or use a blender to break them down? I so want to try these!
Jen Sobjack says
While I haven't tested this myself, there have been readers who have successfully pureed fresh pineapple and it worked for them. I imagine doing this with the tinned chunks would be okay but I can't guarantee it.
Leah says
Jen, this recipe inspired me to start my own baking business, I cannot thank you enough!!
Nicole Nguyen says
Hi! I'm assuming I can use this same recipe to make a cake instead of cupcakes.
Jen Sobjack says
Certainly. It's enough to fill one 8 or 9-inch pan.
Demi says
Question, I went to the store to grab everything for this recipe and I was looking for the coconut milk for the frosting but you did not say whether or not the coconut milk needed to be sweetened or unsweetened? The only choice at the grocery I went to was unsweetened coconut milk or sweetened condensed coconut milk so I went ahead and grabbed the sweetened condensed milk, is that okay?
Jen Sobjack says
The coconut frosting requires canned coconut milk or coconut cream. Sweetened condensed is not the same thing. Unsweetened coconut milk is perfectly fine since there's sugar in the frosting.
Donna says
This recipe is absolutely delicious. Very moist and tasty and not overly sweet. I also made the coconut frosting, cut the recipe in half and ended up freezing half of it. Thank you for sharing.
Anoushka says
Hi! I wanted to make the cupcakes but not incorporate the crushed pineapple in them. Can I just replace them with the juice from the can or will that be too dry?
Jen Sobjack says
The bits of pineapple also contain liquid. I'm not sure how much pineapple juice you'd need to make up for the loss.
Elizabeth says
Would you say this recipe ore one with a pineapple filling with a yellow cake base is better!? Trying to decide for an event. I would use a coconut buttercream for either. Just can’t decide which will taste best.
Jen Sobjack says
I like this recipe so I'd say use it. You can also add a pineapple filling to the pineapple cupcakes.