Piña Colada Cupcakes

Published March 13, 2016. Updated December 2, 2018

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Pina Colada Cupcakes are a must try dessert! These are soft, moist, fluffy, and brimming with those classic pina colada flavors we all crave! So fun for summer but really these are the perfect cupcake to serve any day of the year.

Pina Colada Cupcakes with Pineapple and Coconut

Since summer isn’t coming quick enough let’s just make these Pina Colada Cupcakes and pretend it’s summer. Okay? Great!

It’s always about this time of year that I crave the warm sunshine and beach days again. So, since I can’t force it I just fake it with food instead, then I sit and enjoy these on my couch…with a kiddie pool in the house and all my brightest lamps and my sun glasses and flip flops on.

Only kidding, but it’s about getting to that point. I’m totally ready to be out of hibernation though.

But don’t you just love foods like this that you can enjoy all year round that give off those summer vibes?

Piña Colada Cupcakes | Cooking Classy

And even better when they make it to your list of top five favorite cupcakes (don’t ask my what my other 4 are right now but they are chocolatey, caramely, probably lemony and very good)!

Everyone was swooning over these and for good reason, they taste just like a Pina Colada but in cupcake form!They are one of the moistest cupcakes I’ve ever made and I’ll be dreaming about this coconut buttercream frosting for days!

How to Make Pina Colada Cupcakes

  • Prepare the cupcake batter and fill paper lined muffin cups about 3/4 full.

Showing how to make Piña Colada Cupcakes

  • Bake in preheated oven until set. Cool on a wire rack completely.

Showing how to make Piña Colada Cupcakes

  • Frost with coconut buttercream. I like to pipe it on but you can definitely just spread it over with an offset spatula or butter knife.

Showing how to make Piña Colada Cupcakes

  • Sprinkle with shredded coconut. Sweetened or unsweetened will work great.

Showing how to make Piña Colada Cupcakes

  • Then don’t forget to decorate! I like to decorate with fresh pineapple slices, maraschino cherries and a colorful drink umbrella.

Showing how to make Piña Colada CupcakesPina Colada Cupcakes

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4.95 from 17 votes

Piña Colada Cupcakes

Pina Colada Cupcakes are a must try dessert! These are soft, moist, fluffy, and brimming with those classic pina colada flavors we all crave! So fun for summer but really these are the perfect cupcake to serve any day of the year.
Servings: 12
Prep35 minutes
Cook20 minutes
Cool1 hour
Ready in: 1 hour 55 minutes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

Coconut Buttercream Frosting

  • 1 cup (226g) butter, softened (preferably 3/4 cup unsalted 1/4 cup salted)
  • 2 Tbsp canned coconut milk
  • 3/4 tsp coconut extract
  • 3 1/2 cups (426g) powdered sugar
  • 3/4 cup (60g) sweetened shredded coconut
  • 12 maraschino cherries and fresh pineapple wedges (optional)

Instructions

  • For the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners, set aside. 
  • In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.
  • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time. 
  • In a liquid measuring cup stir together coconut milk, pineapple juice and coconut extract. 
  • Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter sugar mixture and mix on low speed until nearly combined then add in 1/2 of the coconut milk mixture and mix until nearly combined, repeat process with flour and milk mixtures once more, then mix in last 1/3 of the flour mixture. 
  • Fold in crushed pineapple being careful not to over-mix the batter. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups filling each nearly to the top. 
  • Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean about 19 - 23 minutes. Cool in muffin tin several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 
  • Once cool frost with coconut buttercream, sprinkle shredded coconut over top, garnish with a maraschino cherry and a small pineapple wedge if desired.
  • For the coconut buttercream: In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment whip butter until light and fluffy. 
  • Add in coconut milk, coconut extract and 1 cup of the powdered sugar and mix until combined, then add remaining powdered sugar and whip until light and fluffy.
Nutrition Facts
Piña Colada Cupcakes
Amount Per Serving
Calories 541 Calories from Fat 243
% Daily Value*
Fat 27g42%
Saturated Fat 18g113%
Cholesterol 88mg29%
Sodium 224mg10%
Potassium 166mg5%
Carbohydrates 71g24%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 54g60%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 755IU15%
Vitamin C 2.3mg3%
Calcium 48mg5%
Iron 1.4mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

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104 Comments

  • Victoria

    I made these for my Dad’s birthday and they were a huge hit! I’m wondering if anyone has used this recipe as a cake? Would I have to double the recipe? Thank you!

  • Shelly Melanson

    Thank you for the fun and delicious recipe – I’m the birthday baker at my work so when someone said not too chocolatey I said what about fruity -well this is magic!!! what a delicious moist cupcake – fun for a birthday – made it exactly as written! thank you!! Shelly M

  • N!ck

    Instead of pineapple juice in the cake mix I added pineapple rum…more of a tiki party not really a kids party…then added a small pipette of coconut rum into the finished cupcake! Hakuna-mahtatah.

  • Shannon C

    Made these for my friends Hawaiian themed wedding. They turned out great!

  • Rebecca

    Could you omit the sugar as there is natural sugar from the pineapple. This should make them sweet enough. I always reduce the sugar in recipes. I am sure with the flavour of pineapple and the juice they will be sweet enough.

      • Oriana

        Thank you for this recipe, these turned out really delicious. I used a fresh pineapple and fresh coconut. I crushed the pineapple in a ziplock bag until I had enough juice, and used the juice from the coconut + a bit of rum. Left out the coconut extract, replaced with a bit of vanilla extract. I found the cupcakes themselves almost too moist and not super flavorful so I scooped out the top middle and filled it with more crushed pineapple. I just threw a frosting together, some salted butter, about 1.5 cups of icing sugar, 3 tbsp coconut cream, a cup of toasted shredded pineapple, I found it too sweet so I also added a few spoonfuls of cream cheese to balance it out then topped with an extra toasted coconut shred and slice of pineapple. It was like an amazing flavor explosion and you can really play around quite a bit with these and still have great results. Thanks again!