Nothing screams tropical vacation quite like frozen cocktails, and especially piña coladas. But you don't have to go to an island to enjoy the sweet and fruity coconut pineapple flavors. These simple Piña Colada Cupcakes will transport you from your kitchen straight to the beach so you can enjoy summer vibes all year long!
Piña Colada Cupcakes are the perfect summer cupcake! If you love fruity summer cakes with a boozy option, you'll love to make these peach cupcakes with bourbon or this raspberry cake with rosé.
Why this Recipe Works
Pineapple Upside Down Cake is a more traditional dessert and this easy Piña Colada Cupcakes recipe puts a fun spin on it by adding coconut, and rum if you want to make it boozy, but it's just as delicious without alcohol too! We make a pineapple cupcake using canned pineapple and add a hint of coconut. We then top these moist cupcakes with canned pineapple, coconut flakes, and a brown sugar glaze, and of course a sweet and flavorful pineapple coconut frosting garnished with a maraschino cherry.
Ingredients and Notes
Crushed Pineapple - These Piña Colada Cupcakes use canned crushed pineapple. Canned pineapple comes in a variety of ways so be sure you're using crushed pineapple as opposed to chunks, slices, or tidbits. The 20 oz can of crushed pineapple will have the exact amount of pineapple needed between the cupcakes and the topping.
Canned fruit lets us make seasonal desserts all year long, like in this Peach Cobbler with Canned Peaches and Cake Mix.
Pineapple Juice - The can of crushed pineapple will also have enough juice for these tropical cupcakes so there is no need to buy pineapple juice separately.
Cream of Coconut - Cream of coconut can often be found in the mixers and cocktails section of the grocery store and is also available at liquor stores. It does not contain alcohol, but is often used in making cocktails such as piña coladas. It is different from coconut cream and coconut milk.
Shredded Coconut - I tend to prefer sweetened coconut, but these are sweet cupcakes so unsweetened coconut will also work fine!
Substitutions and Variations
Cream of Coconut - Coconut extract can be used instead, but the measurements will need to be significantly reduced. I would suggest starting with 1-2 teaspoons of extract in the pineapple cupcake batter, and would start with ½ - 1 teaspoon in the buttercream frosting, then adjust to taste. Additional pineapple juice or rum may need to be added to the frosting to replace the liquid from the cream of coconut.
Rum - If you prefer virgin Piña Colada Cupcakes, skip the rum! It can be replaced with more pineapple juice. If you want to make these soft and fluffy cupcakes with alcohol, a coconut rum would also be delicious making the coconut flavor really pop! For an extra fun twist, soak the maraschino cherries in rum overnight before making the cupcakes.
Shredded Coconut - I tend to prefer the smaller pieces of coconut, but coconut flakes can work too. Consider adding some additional toasted coconut on top of the piña colada frosting.
Buttercream Frosting - These made-from-scratch cupcakes are so light and bright and fun on their own, they are also delicious. The thick and creamy frosting adds some additional depth of flavor and texture, but feel free to skip it or replace with whipped cream for a lighter touch of sweetness.
Upside Down Piña Colada Cupcakes - To make these as upside down cupcakes, do not use cupcake liners and spray the pan with non-stick spray. After preparing the cake batter, before putting it in the pan, first put into the bottom of each cup 1 teaspoon melted butter, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1 maraschino cherry, 1 teaspoon coconut, then 1 tablespoon crushed pineapple. Press into the bottom of the tin, then scoop cupcake batter on top, filling a little more than ¾ full and bake 15-18 minutes.
How to Make this Recipe
Step 1: Beat butter and brown sugar till fluffy.
Step 2: Add egg and cream of coconut, and mix until well combined,
Step 3: Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, and alternate adding the mixture of dry ingredients and the pineapple juice, starting and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing between each addition, until mostly incorporated.
Step 4: Stir in the crushed pineapple.
Step 5: Divide evenly among 12 cups of a lined cupcake pan.
Step 6: On top of each cupcake add 1 tablespoon of crushed pineapple, then 1 teaspoon of coconut flakes.
Step 7: Combine the melted butter and brown sugar, and drizzle over the top of each cupcake. Bake at 350°F for about 18 minutes. Cool completely.
Step 8: While the cupcakes are cooling, beat the butter until soft and smooth, then add the remaining frosting ingredients and beat until desired consistency. Pipe or spread onto the tops of cooled cupcakes, top with a maraschino cherry, and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
No! Cream of coconut is much thicker than coconut milk. Cream of coconut is also sweetened and coconut milk is not. Cream of coconut is also less watery than coconut milk. It's the perfect addition to these spiked cupcakes and you can use the leftovers for all your favorite drinks with umbrellas!
It's definitely best to make these Piña Colada Cupcakes as close to when you're serving them as possible. I would recommend not baking them more than a day in advance at most.
They can be easily made non-alcoholic and kid-friendly as the rum is optional.
Tips & Tricks
Tip #1: Put a few kernels of rice into the bottom of each cup of the cupcake tin before placing paper liners in the tin. This will make it super easy to remove the cupcakes from the pan, and also will help keep the outside of the liners from getting greasy.
Tip #2: When alternating adding the dry ingredients and the pineapple juice, on the last addition of dry ingredients, mix in the dry ingredients mostly, but not completely. The remainder will get mixed in as you stir in the crushed pineapple and this will help prevent over-mixing.
Tip #3: If your frosting is coming out too thick, add a bit more pineapple juice to get it to the perfect buttercream texture. If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar.
Storage Tips
Piña Colada Cupcakes can be stored at room temperature in an air tight container for 3-4 days.
Related Recipes
Did you try this recipe? Leave a review below, and tag @flourdeliz on Instagram!
📖 Recipe
Piña Colada Cupcakes
Equipment
- cupcake pan
- stand or hand mixer
Ingredients
Cake
- ½ stick butter
- ¾ cups brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon cream of coconut
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt Diamond Crystal
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 cups flour
- ½ cup pineapple juice from 20 oz can of crushed pineapple
- ½ cup crushed pineapple drained, from 20 oz can used for topping
Topping
- 20 ounce can crushed pineapple drained, minus the ½ cup for the batter
- ¼ cup shredded coconut
- ½ stick butter melted
- ¼ cup brown sugar
Frosting
- 1 stick butter
- 2 tablespoons pineapple juice from 20 oz can crushed pineapple
- 3 tablespoons cream of coconut
- 1 tablespoon rum optional, see notes
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 12 maraschino cherries
Instructions
- Drain the crushed pineapple, saving the juice for the cake batter.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line cupcake tin with paper liners.
Cupcake Batter
- Beat together butter and sugar.
- Beat in the egg and cream of coconut.
- Combine flour, salt, and baking powder, then add the dry ingredients and pineapple juice in alternating additions, both starting and ending with the flour.
- Stir in crushed pineapple.
- Divide batter evenly among the 12 cupcake liners.
Cupcake Topping
- On top the batter in each cup add 1 tablespoon of crushed pineapple then 1 teaspoon of shredded coconut.
- Combine melted butter and brown sugar and drizzle over the top of each.
- Bake about 18 minutes, then cool completely.
Buttercream Frosting
- While the cupcakes are cooling, beat the butter until smooth. Add the remaining frosting ingredients and beat until desired consistency. (See tips and tricks in the post above).
- Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes, top with a maraschino cherry, add extra toasted coconut, if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated so should only be used as an estimate. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
This recipe was originally posted on March 11, 2018, but was republished with an updated recipe, new photos, additional information about the recipe, step-by-step instructions, FAQs, and tips and tricks in July of 2024.
Corey says
I noticed that there is no measurement for the coconut in the ingredients list; and when you are completing step #7. are there any more steps involved besides simply placing the ingredients into the bottom of the cup? Do the brown sugar and butter need to be stirred? Does the coconut? Should the cherry go in first so that it appears on top as in your finished product? I will be making these for a friend's birthday on Saturday night, and could use your advice. Thanks!
Liz says
Hi Corey! I'm so sorry I didn't get back to you before your friend's birthday, but I hope you were still able to make them! The coconut comes out to 12 teaspoons (1 teaspoon for each cupcake), and I put the ingredients into the tin in the order I listed them in step 7. You don't need to stir the brown sugar and butter. I just pour the butter in, then the brown sugar, then the cherry, then the coconut, then the pineapple. The butter and brown sugar will form a glaze over the toppings and the cherry will still appear on top. I hope this helps and I hope your friend had a great birthday!
Zainab says
With all this winter weather still here, I've been craving these tropical flavors!
Liz says
ugh, I totally thought they would make spring come, but it doesn't appear to have worked! Haha!