Pineapple Cupcakes
These pineapple cupcakes are moist, buttery, and loaded with crushed pineapple. They are paired perfectly with coconut buttercream for a tropical treat.
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.
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 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!
For more delicious cupcake recipes, try these delightful mango cupcakes with mango buttercream and these fall favorite apple spice cupcakes.
TO SEE HOW TO MAKE THIS PINEAPPLE CUPCAKES RECIPE, WATCH THE SHORT VIDEO BELOW:
Here are some items I recommend for making this recipe:
Pineapple Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple undrained
- 1 recipe coconut buttercream frosting
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.
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In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir with a whisk to combine. Set aside.
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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 the vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Gradually add the flour, mixing just until combined. Beat in the crushed pineapple and it's juice.
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Fill the cups of the prepared muffin pan 2/3 of the way full. 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.
Recipe Notes
Cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator up to 4.
All images and text ©Jen Sobjack/Baked by an Introvert.
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Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
Oh these cupcakes are gorgeous, Jen! I love the pineapple flavor. And that’s such a great idea to top them with your coconut frosting! Sounds delicious!
Isabella
Not to be mean I tried this recipe and the cupcakes came out crappy
Jen
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy the recipe.
Fred Tomas
Maybe you didn’t follow the recipe correctly. I made it and it was amazing.
Sarah @Whole and Heavenly Oven
These look so moist and tropical-y, Jen! The perfect springtime cupcake right here. 😉 Love it!!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby cakes)
I totally agree with you! These are so amazing! I love anything pineapple.
Raegan
Me to
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter
These look amazing, Jen! I adore fruity desserts and your coconut frosting sounds perfect with these pineapple cupcakes!
Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks
Thank goodness you made some cupcakes to go with that frosting! What a great idea to go with pineapple! It’s like a little pina colada trip from the tropics!
Jen
Just for you, Rachelle!
Mir
These look pretty much perfect, Jen. If anybody can talk me into fruit in dessert, it’s you. Usually, I’m a junkier eater. But these are incredible!
Blair @ The Seasoned Mom
So beautiful, Jen!!
I was just slicing a big pineapple this morning and I was thinking to myself that it’s such a sweet, delicious treat at this time of year. I love pineapple when it’s sunny and warm. Makes me feel tropical, even though I live in Virginia! 🙂
mira
Love the tropical flavor! These look so cute!
Manali @ CookWithManali
Love pineapple and coconut together! This is perfect for summer! Love!
Savita @ ChefDeHome
Love the look of these cupcakes! yumm! Perfect treat for summer.
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom
Jen, I LOVE these cupcakes!!! and the whipped coconut buttercream frosting?!! oh my gawd, perfection!!! these look soooooo good!!!
Nagi@RecipeTinEats
I’ve made pineapple cupcakes from scratch before using a recipe from a cookbook and was disappointed with the results. I expected it to be as moist as carrot cake is. After all the effort you went to to get this right, I am sure this nails it. I will definitely try this next time I make pineapple cupcakes!! 🙂
Jen
I’ve tried numerous recipes as well, Nagi. Each one ending in failure. This one will not disappoint though, I promise!
Sues
These would go perfectly with a piña colada 🙂 And they’re beautiful, too!
Jen
They sure would! Thanks for reading, Sues!
Danielle
I love pineapple and coconut, so I love that you combined the two for this cupcake! These look so moist and perfect!
Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen
Oh wow! Those do look some perfectly fabulous cupcakes. I love pineapple and coconut mix. Very tropical – I need to try them!
Hayley @ The Domestic Rebel
These look so fabulous, girl! I love a good pineapple cake and this looks like it fits the bill. Lovely!
Stacey @ Bake.Eat.Repeat.
Those cupcakes look amazing Jen – love the pineapple/coconut combination, that would be absolutely divine!
Jess @ whatjessicabakednext
Love these cupcakes, Jen! That frosting looks divine! 😀
Cyndi - My Kitchen Craze
These look incredible! So moist and fruity. Wish I had some. Yum!! 🙂
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust
I wish I loved fruit in general more – but these cupcakes? I’d eat them all day!
Jen
Thanks, Dorothy!
marcie
I love these tropical cupcakes, and the whipped coconut buttercream sounds especially divine!
Jen
Thanks, Marcie!
Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie
Love that you topped them with coconut frosting, yummy!
Jen
Thanks so much, Erin!
Amy | Club Narwhal
Oh good gracious, these cupcakes are beautiful! I love pineapple desserts and am so on board with these 🙂
Jen
Pineapple is the best in any dessert! I could eat these cupcakes all day! Thanks, Amy!
Marissa | Pinch and Swirl
Oh my, do these look amazing!?! Yum!
Jen
Thanks, Marissa!
aimee @ like mother like daughter
You always have the best cupcake recipes Erin!! Pineapple is one of my favorite things in the world and these cupcakes sound divine! Especially with that coconut frosting on top!
Sneha
I love the pineapple flavor. And that’s such a great idea to top them with your coconut frosting! I adore fruity desserts and your coconut frosting sounds perfect with these pineapple cupcakes. 🙂 🙂
Jen
Thank you, Sneha!
Amber @ Dessert Now, Dinner Later!
Mmm-mmm! I love the flavors going on in these cupcakes! Tropical bliss!
Jocelyn @BruCrew Life
That is an absolutely perfect summer cupcake! I love the pineapple and coconut goodness going on in it!!!
Melissa @ Bits of Umami
Coconut + Pineapple = Woman’s best friend.
These cupcakes are absolutely gorgeous! That frosting is just to die for 🙂
Jen
Thanks so much, Melissa!
Tisch
Do you think you could sub the pineapple for oranges blended up? They both have acidity but I’m just not sure. Just curious. I’m looking to make some Mai Tai cupcakes and it seems a lot of mai tai’s actually do not have pineapple, to my surprise! This looks like a great recipe.
Jen
Hi, Tisch. I haven’t tested the recipe with oranges that way, so I can’t guarantee the results. I want to say that it would work fine but I don’t know how much liquid you will get out of the oranges. The can of pineapple plus its juice provide enough liquid for the recipe. You may need to add some milk if the batter looks too thick and dry.
Tisch
Okay thanks for the reply 🙂 Maybe I will try orange AND the pineapple, just do half and half, & the orange liquid could come from orange juice. Pineapple-orange, I don’t think you can go wrong with that flavor 🙂
Jen
Sounds great, Tisch. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Tisch
I ended up making them with 50/50 pineapple and orange, and some with all orange, and they turned out great! I took some pieces of orange and blended them up using my Magic Bullet and some orange juice, and just weighed it all out to 8oz. on my scale.
These cupcakes are delicious and moist. Not really like a “fluffy cake”, but super moist, slightly dense, but not doughy. The flavor of pineapple (or orange) really shines through. Mai Tai cupcakes were a success! I will be saving your recipe, thank you 🙂
Jen
So glad to hear the cupcakes turned out great for you!
cupcake recipes
these cupcakes are the best choice for the summer, Pineapple is always a great compliment for cakes, enjoying 30 minutes to bake them, and other 30 minutes to enjoy eating them.
Emilie
I needed a dessert for some company tonight, had no cake mixes, and a sleeping baby so shopping was not an option. This was such a delicious recipe. Not too sweet, and the cake really is a creamy dream. I will definitely be making this again.
Jen
It’s so great to hear that you had such success with these cupcakes. They are some of my favorites! Thank you for the positive feedback!
Lauren
I’m not sure I’ll ever make another kind of cupcake. That good. My grandmother used to make a delicious pineapple coconut cake. No one else compares. It is really time consuming though and makes a huge cake. Since I’m the only coconut fan in the immediate family, I never make it. These are the perfect substitute. I’m so happy to have this recipe. Thanks a bunch for perfecting this and sharing it!
Jen Sobjack
I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for giving it a try!
Millie
is it 1 and 2/3 C of flour or 2/3 to 1 c of flour?
Jen Sobjack
1 and 2/3 cups of flour.
Amber
Do you think chocolate frosting would work for those not a fan of coconut?
Jen
If you like chocolate and pineapple together then go for it!!
Nana
I want to make these for a luncheon I am hostessing but the picture makes the cupcakes look very flat . I don’t mean they did not raise but more like not much batter volume. Would eight be a better number to expect?
Jen
You could try to go for eight.
Teresa
I’ve made this as cupcakes and it was wonderful! I’d like to convert it to a sheet cake – what size pan would you suggest, and how long to cook?
Thank you in advance – I am very confident taking this recipe to a friend who LOVES pineapple cake for her ‘moving on’ party.
Jen
This recipe should easily fit in a 8 or 9-inch pan. It could take around 20 to 25 minutes to bake but I would start checking for doneness after 15 minutes.
Lynette H.
These sound great! I could not taste the pineapple with 8oz…so I added extra crushed pineapple and there’s a hint of taste. Same with the coconut milk…I almost doubled the amount. I didn’t want to add too much and mess up the consistency of the frosting. I just could not taste the flavors like I thought. I can smell the pineapple cupcakes and the frosting tastes very close to Cool Whip. What could I have done wrong? Is there a particular brand of pineapple or coconut milk you use? I also had batter left over after making a dozen cupcakes. The cake was moist and I guess as fluffy as it could be considering there were bits of pineapple in there. I think I could have gotten another 4-5 cupcakes. Thanks, I’d totally try these again.
Jen
I used Dole crushed pineapple. You need the entire can plus the juice. For the coconut milk, make sure it isn’t light. It needs to be regular coconut milk from a can. The contents of the can need to be mixed together well before adding it to the frosting. If you have extra batter, don’t waste it. Go ahead and get those extra 4-5 cupcakes!!
Lynette
Thank you!! Everyone still loved them, but I will make them again. 🙂
K
I made these and I don’t think they came out quite right. My cupcakes came out dense and moist but they didn’t seem to have raised much and they looked too dense and sucken in a little bit. Can you tell me where I went wrong?
Jen
It’s really hard for me to say what went wrong since I wasn’t in the kitchen with you. A number of things could have affected the outcome. If the cupcakes were too dense, perhaps you didn’t measure the flour correctly. One of the main reasons cupcakes sink in the middle is because they haven’t cooked properly. Either the oven temperature was off or you removed them from the oven too soon. Always use a wooden toothpick to check for doneness and bake a little longer if needed.
Vanessa at www.foodinbooks.com
I made these today as part of an overall post for my own blog. They were absolutely delicious! I did skip the frosting, since these were quite nice on their own. Excellent recipe. Glad I found your site. I am thinking of experimenting with this recipe a bit and adding some rum to make pina colada cupcakes. I’ll report back. Thanks again for a great recipe.
Jen
I’m so happy you enjoyed the cupcakes, Vanessa! I’ve turned them into Pina Colada Cupcakes using rum extract before. It’s definitely a recipe worth trying out.
Matilda
I am a baker myself and had very high hopes for these cupcakes. The coconut frosting is amazing but these cupcakes tadtes nothing of pineapple. They were not chock full of pineapple. And they tasted like doigh. I also made the curd to fill these cupcakes with and the curd was watery even after 20 minutes on the stove. And again, not bursting with pineapple flavor.
Jen
I’m sorry you didn’t like the recipe. I do respect the fact that everyone has different tastes. A flavor that I taste strongly may not be as intense for someone else. I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback on the recipe so I think it’s just a matter of what each individual person prefers. You’re welcome to use another cupcake recipe next time.
Zara
Hi Jen,
What the best way to store these, fridge or in a tin? Thank you xxx
Jen
The cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator up to 4.
Amy
do i need to sift the flour?
Jen
You do not need to sift the flour.
Karen Miyao
My friend wanted me to make him pineapple cupcakes n i never really heard of pineapple cupcakes n Googled. I did test run this past week before making his order. I’ll always b using this recipe! It’s fairly easy n delish! He wanted me to use a banana frosting n I did try but we didn’t care for it. He wants me to try making lemon buttercream, which I’ll b doing. Sprinkling some w/flaked coconut n some without. I don’t understand how this recipe could ever b botched up:(…again,, this recipe is great, especially for the folks in my life that love pineapple!!! Great!!! (Btw I have many requests for coconut cupcakes too n I use barefoot contessa recipe. That frosting can b used too!)
Jen
Thank you so much for the feedback, Karen. I’m so happy to hear the cupcakes were a success for you!
Top 10 Temples
OMG! Pineapple cupcakes are my favorite!
Amy G
Can these be made with a gluten free flour?
Jen Sobjack
I haven’t tried them with gluten free flour. If you usually substitute all-purpose flour with a particular brand of gluten free flour and have great results then it should be fine.
catia software
I love pineapple so they sound amazing!
Alison
Hi, I am wondering why there is no baking soda in this recipe? I made it the first time following the recipe exactly and they didn’t rise too much (but were still really yummy! thanks!) and I made a second time today, but added in 1/2 tsp of baking soda, and they rose a lot higher this time around, so I’ll definitely make these again but maybe add in a touch of baking soda to make them rise a bit more 🙂