Pineapple Cupcakes
This post may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure here.
These pineapple cupcakes are moist, buttery, and loaded with the flavor of fresh pineapple. They are paired perfectly with pineapple buttercream frosting as a tropical treat.
I am a huge fan of fruity desserts – if you have been reading along with this blog for any length of time, this is hardly a newsflash. I want fruit in all my desserts. It’s an obsession that I can’t control.
While I love all fruits, there is something particularly addictive about pineapple. It is juicy, refreshing, bursting with flavor, and tastes like vacation.
When I first came up with my pineapple cupcakes recipe, I made batch after batch to develop the best recipe possible. I had seen the recipes for cupcakes that call for store-bought box cake mix and a can of crushed pineapple. It’s probably delicious, but you know how we do it here. We bake from scratch.
After many attempts, I finally landed on these moist, buttery cupcakes that were bursting with pineapple flavor. Trust me, they are fabulous! They’re even better with pineapple frosting swirled on top!! Or, if you are going for a pina colada vibe, and why wouldn’t you – use my whipped coconut frosting.
This recipe base isn’t limited to making cupcakes. 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.
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!
Recipe Snapshot
TASTE: Vanilla and pineapple flavored cupcakes.
TEXTURE: Moist, buttery, and fluffy.
EASE: Remarkably easy for how delicious they are.
TIME: Just about a half hour.
What You’ll Need
Ingredients
How to Make Pineapple Cupcakes
It is easy to make these vacation-flavored cupcakes at home, from scratch. They are so much better than any cupcakes you would pick up at the market.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
- Prepare to bake. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir with a whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy. Turn the mixer to low, beat in the vanilla, and then beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add in the crushed pineapple and its juice. Add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined.
- Bake. 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 the buttercream frosting of your choice.
Tips For Success
- 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 crushed pineapple. The juice and all the pineapple bits!
Storage & Freezing
Cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Pineapple Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 1 ⅔ cups (216 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup (53 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 8 ounces (234 g) crushed pineapple, undrained
For the frosting
- 1 cups (43 g) freeze-dried pineapple
- ¾ cups (170 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 ¾ cups (240 g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
Make the cupcakes
- 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 pineapple buttercream frosting.
Make the frosting
- Using a food processor, grind the freeze-dried pineapple into a fine powder. Sift the powder through a fine-mesh sieve and discard any large bits. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy and pale in color, about 5 minutes.
- Add half the confectioners' sugar and beat on low speed just until the sugar has fully moistened, then turn the speed up to medium-high and beat until well incorporated, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the remaining confectioners' sugar and pineapple powder and beat on low speed just until the sugar has fully moistened, then turn the speed up to medium-high and beat until well incorporated, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the vanilla and salt. Turn the mixer on low speed and slowly add 1-2 tablespoons of the heavy cream. Turn the mixer up to medium-high and beat until the cream is well incorporated, about 3-5 minutes. (After 2 minutes stop and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl then continue mixing.)
- Check the consistency of the frosting and add more cream, ½ tablespoon at a time, if needed. The frosting should be soft and spreadable but not so loose that it doesn't hold its shape.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients and brands you used in the recipe.
Love the tropical flavor! These look so cute!
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! 🙂
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!
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!! 🙂
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!
Just for you, Rachelle!
These look amazing, Jen! I adore fruity desserts and your coconut frosting sounds perfect with these pineapple cupcakes!
I totally agree with you! These are so amazing! I love anything pineapple.
Me to
These look so moist and tropical-y, Jen! The perfect springtime cupcake right here. 😉 Love it!!
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!
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy the recipe.
Maybe you didn’t follow the recipe correctly. I made it and it was amazing.
I know it was posted a while ago, but I also just need to dispute this negative comment – she must have done something wrong. The taste and texture of these cupcakes is excellent! They are fluffy, not tooth-cracking sweet, and easy to prepare. Definitely a keeper!
Thank you so much for the positive feedback!
Oh my, do these look amazing!?! Yum!