Have your piña colada and eat it too! These extra moist pineapple coconut cupcakes will make every day seem like a trip to the beach.
Today’s recipe was inspired by one of my favorite “activities.” A beach, a book, a piña colada, and an impossibly blue sky. Pure contentment right there. Though today’s piña colada cupcakes don’t have any alcohol in them, I’m not stopping you from serving them with a beachy beverage.
I’m all about summer these days in my kitchen. If you haven’t noticed, I’m a little over the cold weather. Winter was sooo last month. Bring on the flip-flops!
If you have an hour or two to spare, use it wisely and make these cupcakes. They’re a tropical-tasting medley of pineapple and coconut flavors, all mixed into my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe. One bite will instantly brighten your mood. Since no one stops at just 1 bite of a cupcake, just think what the entire cupcake will do.
Happiness in a cupcake wrapper.
I was inspired to make these cupcakes last week after we finished booking our trip to Mexico. Kevin and I are headed there at the end of this month for Kristen & Seth’s wedding. Riviera Maya to be exact. Have you ever been there? 5 days of sunshine, sandals, and wedding festivities. I’m so excited for their wedding, pink sunsets, turquoise water, some great food, and, of course, the fruity drinks with umbrellas in them. Always umbrellas.
Today’s cupcakes are an upgraded version of my favorite homemade funfetti cupcakes. Still keeping that brilliant vanilla flavor, I amped things up a bit and added the flavors of sweet pineapple and coconut. Making them is about as easy as a walk on the beach.
I used nearly all brown sugar in these cupcakes. Brown sugar + pineapple is exactly what I love about my pineapple upside-down cake, so the swap from white to brown sugar here was a no-brainer. You’ll love how much flavor the brown sugar brings.
A couple things you’ll need that you may not already have: 100% pineapple juice and coconut milk. I use full-fat canned coconut milk in this recipe and highly suggest you do the same. This coconut milk (pictured above) is the liquid that comes from the grated meat of a coconut. And it has a high oil content. It makes the cupcakes SO moist. The moistest cupcakes I’ve ever made.
Coconut milk and coconut cream are not the same items. Coconut milk is 1 part water simmered down with 1 part coconut pulp. Coconut cream is 1 part water and 4 parts coconut pulp. Coconut cream is much thicker—I haven’t tested this recipe with coconut cream. Stick to coconut milk. More information about coconut milk can be found in the recipe Notes at the bottom.
The frosting I use for these piña colada cupcakes starts with my favorite vanilla buttercream frosting recipe. The same vanilla frosting I use to top my cakes, cupcakes, and even cookies. If you’re looking for a go-to vanilla frosting, this recipe is it.
To amp up the flavor, I add a touch of coconut extract. Coconut extract can be found in the baking aisle in your grocery store with the vanilla extract and spices. There’s no way around the coconut extract unless you want to compromise the coconut taste or texture of the frosting. If you can’t find coconut extract, simply use a little extra vanilla.
This coconut frosting is ultra thick and creamy, perfect for piping and slathering on top of the pineapple coconut cupcakes. So rich, velvety, and buttery. You could also use the coconut cream cheese frosting from these coconut chocolate Easter cupcakes.
May I suggest topping a spoonful of this creamy coconut frosting with mini chocolate chips? Or slather it on my favorite homemade chocolate cupcakes. Go ahead, indulge.
These cupcakes are certainly sweet, just like typical piña colada cocktails. I always like to add a pinch of salt to my frosting to offset some of the sweetness. Works like a charm. If you want a lighter frosting, try a simple whipped cream flavored with a drop of coconut extract. Or here’s a tasty strawberry whipped cream recipe if you’re interested as well.
(Add a splash of rum if you’re feeling jazzy!)
Since there’s no alcohol in these piña coladas, they’re the perfect tropical treat to share with little bakers. They can help decorating the frosting with coconut—oh gosh, please do this over the sink. I ended up with coconut pieces all over my kitchen floor and Jude jumped at the opportunity to help clean. He didn’t get to any in time, don’t worry.
If you’re looking for another fun drink-inspired cupcake, try a batch of my margarita cupcakes! See those recipe notes for an alcohol-free sweet lime version, too.
CHEERS!
(Blue straws used as decoration are from Sweets and Treats Boutique.)
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Piña Colada Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Super-moist pineapple coconut cupcakes topped with creamy smooth coconut frosting. Decorate each cupcake with a sprinkle of coconut (toasted or not), a slice of pineapple, and a cherry on top. Have your piña colada and eat it too!
Ingredients
- 1 and 2/3 cups (209g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120ml) pineapple juice*
- 1/2 cup (120ml) full-fat coconut milk*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- optional: coconut, pineapple slices, and cherries for decoration
Coconut Frosting
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream or half-and-half*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- Make the cupcakes: In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave. Whisk in brown sugar and granulated sugar. Whisk in egg, pineapple juice, coconut milk, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Slowly mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until no lumps remain. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the frosting: In a medium bowl, beat the softened butter on medium speed with an electric or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat for about 3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Turn mixer off and add confectioners’ sugar, cream, vanilla, and coconut extracts. Mix on low for 1 minute then increase to high speed and beat for 3-4 full minutes. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin or more cream if frosting is too thick. Add salt if frosting is too sweet (I usually add 1/4 teaspoon). Frost cooled cupcakes. There may be leftover frosting depending how much you use on each cupcake. I used a Wilton #12 piping tip. Decorate cupcakes with coconut, pineapple slices, and/or a cherry.
- Leftover cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days and in the refrigerator up to 4.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare cupcakes and frosting 1 day in advance. Keep cupcakes covered tightly at room temperature and the frosting covered tightly in the refrigerator. Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before frosting and serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Piping Bags (Disposable or Reusable) | Wilton #12 Piping Tip
- Pineapple Juice: Use 100% pineapple juice (not syrup). You can freeze leftover pineapple juice and thaw overnight in the refrigerator to make another batch!
- Coconut Milk: I used 1/2 cup full fat canned coconut milk. I suggest using full-fat if you can for the moistest, richest taste and texture. The brand I used is pictured above in this post and was purchased at my regular grocery store in the international foods aisle. Do not use coconut cream or cream of coconut. You can always freeze leftover coconut milk and thaw overnight in the refrigerator to make another batch.
- Heavy Cream: Feel free to use coconut milk in the frosting instead of the heavy cream/half-and-half. I do not suggest using milk because you will lose a lot of its creamy texture.
Hello 🙂
I want to use this frosting recipe to go on top and inside your delicious hummingbird cake recipe – do you think I’ll need to double/triple or more to get the quantities I need please?
I’m also thinking of putting some pineapple jam in between the layers for a more fruity balance.
Thanks for the wonderful recipes 🙂
Hi Jo, it depends on how heavily you’d like to frost the cake, but doubling the recipe should be plenty. Hope it’s a hit!
Do you think this would work with cream cheese frosting or is coconut extra and cream cheese a bad idea? Thanks!
Cream cheese frosting would be lovely here!
My brother in law asked for a coconut dessert for his birthday, and these looked fun to try. I followed the advice of others and added crushed pineapple and a 1/2 tsp of coconut extract to the batter and used leftover coconut milk to the frosting instead of cream. I just finished making them and tried one. They are delicious and I don’t even like coconut. I bet they will be even tastier tomorrow.
I made in a 2 9inch pans it tasted good,but it was small and thin as a pancake. Is that normal?
Hi Katie, this won’t be enough batter for a 9 inch layer cake. Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes.
If I baked it in a two 9inch pans what would be the cook time?
Hi Jay, we’re unsure if this would be the right amount of batter for those pans, or the bake time. Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes.
Can you turn it into a cake?
Hi Murry, this cupcake batter would fit well into three 6 inch pans for a smaller cake.
Hi! If I need to double this recipe, would it be better to make it as one big batch, or two separate batches, for both the batter and frosting? I’m a bit worried the extracts will become too strong if it’s all one batch.
Hi N, we recommend making separate batched for best results!
Can you make this as a cake?
Hi Ashes, yes, this would be the perfect amount of batter for a 3 layer, 6 inch cake. Or, here’s everything you need to know about other cake pans sizes and conversions.
If you substitute the pineapple juice for lime juice, do you think it would make good coconut-lime cupcakes? I imagine you’ve never tested that, but I wonder if you have a good idea if that would work or not, or if it would be too limey.
Hi Maren, 1/2 cup (120ml) may be a little too much lime juice. I would try subbing in only 1/4 cup (60ml) and adding 1/4 cup more coconut milk. Let me know if you test it.