Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes
Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes – a mini version of your favorite cake in cupcake form with butter, brown sugar, pineapple, and a cherry on top! These cupcakes are good warm or at room temperature so they’re a great recipe for parties or luaus.
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Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes
In a perfect world, I would make these from scratch. And by all means if you want to, go right ahead.
But sometimes a doctored up cake mix does wonders. I mean adding brown sugar and butter to cake mix? Sounds like a sure win to me.
This Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes recipe has been calling to me for years. Try not to burn the top of your mouth off eating them straight out of the oven. I did.
WHAT ARE PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CUPCAKES?
Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes are a mini version of your favorite cake with butter, brown sugar, pineapple, and a cherry on top!
- First, spoon a little bit of melted butter, crushed pineapple, brown sugar, and a cherry in the bottom of a muffin tin.
- Next, top with the cupcake batter and bake.
- Finally, invert the cupcakes for beautiful Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes.
I always have plenty of helpers in the kitchen. My son poured a teaspoon (or two) of butter in each cupcake tin. Then he put a tablespoon of brown sugar on top.
Then he put a cherry right in the center of the brown sugar.
I tried using crushed pineapple, pineapple slices, and pineapple tidbits to see which one worked better. The crushed pineapple won the experiment by a long shot. I wouldn’t recommend using paper liners here as they will stick.
It had way more flavor and looked prettier. The tidbits give a nice flower shape but most of them got stuck in the muffin tins and the pineapple flavor wasn’t as strong.
The cupcake batter is just made according to the package directions but with replacing the water in the recipe with pineapple juice. Make sure you don’t over fill your tins.
Invert cupcakes onto waxed or parchment paper and you’re done!
WHAT’S THE BEST CUPCAKE PAN?
The Wilton Perfect Results Cupcake Pan is great for baking Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes and is only $15 at Amazon. It only features 12 cups, so you’ll need two to make all 24 cupcakes at once. You can also bake half at once, which will take a little more time. I also like to use cupcake liners to make sure they don’t stick to the pan!
OTHER FRUIT RECIPES
- Easy Fruit Dip
- Poppy Seed Fruit Salad
- Grape Walnut Salad
- Peach Cobbler Recipe
- Fruit, Avocado, and Feta Salad
- Fruit Pizza
- Snickers Apple Salad
- Apple Crisp Pizza
OTHER CUPCAKE RECIPES:
- Rainbow Cupcakes
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cupcakes
- Strawberry Puffcakes
- Strawberry Colada Cupcakes
- Strawberry Milkshake Cupcakes
- Funfetti Cupcakes
Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 24 maraschino cherries
- 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple (reserve juice)
- 1 (15.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix, (and vegetable oil and eggs called for on the package)
- 1 1/3 cups pineapple juice, (you just need as much pineapple juice as water called for on the cake mix package - see note)
- confectioners' sugar for dusting
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray 24 muffin cups with cooking spray.
- Line a work surface with parchment or waxed paper.
- Spoon 1 teaspoon melted butter into the bottom of the pan of each sprayed muffin cup.
- Spoon 1 tablespoon brown sugar in each muffin cup.
- Press a maraschino cherry into the center of the brown sugar in each muffin cup.
- Spoon a heaping tablespoon of crushed pineapple over the cherry and compact it with the back of a spoon into an even layer.
- Mix cake mix according to the package directions, substitute pineapple juice for the water in the recipe. This may vary according to which cake mixture you use. In large bowl with electric mixer on low speed until moistened, about 30 seconds. Turn mixer speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes.
- Pour pineapple cake batter into the muffin cups, filling them almost to the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven on the middle rack until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
- Allow cupcakes to cool at least 5 minutes before inverting muffin cups onto the waxed paper to release. Serve with pineapple and cherry sides up. Sprinkle cupcakes lightly with confectioners' sugar if desired.
Notes
*Some people like the look of pineapple tidbits better for this recipe. I tried both and the crushed pineapple has a lot more flavor and looked prettier.
Source: Allrecipes - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pineapple-upside-down-cupcakes/detail.aspx?mxt=t06dda
None of them cooked all the way through. The tops all came off. Followed the recipe completely. Was really excited too. Next time I’ll have to try a different way.
Sounds like you need to bake longer? Definitely should be cooked all the way through
These are good but a little too sweet for me. If I make them again I will decrease the amount of brown sugar.
These turned out perfect!! I used the non stick cupcake liners and nothing stuck to the bottom of them after I flipped them. The liners slid right off. Also since I filled them to the top they grew over and once I flipped them they looked more like little person size cakes. Super great recipe, everyone loved them!
Thank you!
DELICIOUS!!! I made them for my book club and everyone loved them. I used dark brown sugar and the flavor was amazing; however, it does get rather dark during baking. Light brown sugar would probably be a better choice. I will most definitely make these again!
Thanks for the tips!
These were delicious! Flavorful and a perfect size. Use the crushed pineapple! Also, I served these with whipping cream.
Awesome to hear!
I wonder if foil liners will work?
Came out perfect. I just need to add the pineapple next time. Lol.
Oh my gosh
The topping stuck in the pan, but it was pretty easy to scrape out and plop back on the top of the cupcake. Girls at bunco raved about them and 10 yr old grandson loved them so much he thinks these will be better than a birthday cake next year.
I wonder if I can make these ahead and freeze them? I need to make several types of cupcakes for my daughter’s wedding in August.
YEs! You can!
The cupcakes taste good but, like many people, I had problems with the good stuff on the bottom sticking to the pan when I took the cupcakes out. And I sprayed well and even used extra butter. And I waited exactly 5 minutes before turning the muffin pans upside down to get the cupcakes out. Not sure I would make this recipe again.
Made these used the cupcake papers just sprayed them on the sides so along with butter mixture they came off almost perfectly little bit came off but smoothed back on with a knife. Granted papers were quite wet but did not soak into the cake. Cake mix I used was only 13.25 so only able to scrape out 20 cupcakes. Also had to cut the tops because to pointy to sit flat. Will probably stick with the cake version though.
Made this though the brown sugar and pinapple stuck to the bottom! Disappointed
I didn’t have enough pineapple juice, so I added the grenadine syrup from the maraschino cherries. It gave a little bit of a pep and added a little bit of color.
I have been doing it for years. Had to make upside down pineapple cupcakes for Mr. Tom at church for his 90th birthday!!! Miss Terry said that this way, he doesn’t eat too much at once and she can pop them in the freezer! ❤️
I make these in the mini muffin pan so they are little bite size treats. I just use 1/2 teaspoon butter, 1/T butter and pineapple and cut the cherries in half. Cook them for 13min. So freaking cute and delicious. Thank you for posting.
Edit* 1/2 Tablespoon brown sugar and 1/2 Tablespoon pineapple 😅🍍
You’re welcome!
As with other comments, the pineapple stuck in the pan. Taste was good. I tried the ring, it was too thick and had little cake, also came out wetter. The crushed was better but will try the parchment circles next time
Super disappointed. I followed the directions exactly and like other comments, the top (brown sugar and crushed pineapple stayed in the pan and did not release with the cupcakes. Groceries are very expensive and I do not like wasting them. I was making them for a church event and now need to research other options.
I’m sorry!
This sounds so good. My mom always made Upside down cake! The store I use does not sell 18 oz cake mix ~ only 15 oz. How do I made adjustments to the recipe using the 15 oz mix?
You don’t need to adjust anything. The cake mix is just made according to the package directions.
These are delicious! I cut small parchment circles for each muffin to help with sticking. I still had to run a toothpick around the sides for them to release after cooling for a while. But once they released, they were perfect.
**Should these be stored in the fridge?**
I do not store them in the fridge but if leaving out for a while then probably is a good idea
Going try these in a silicone cupcake dish. See if they come out better than a pan.
Did it work with the silicone cupcake dish. Very curious for out summer luau.
These were absolutely perfect for my daughters Moana themed party. Everyone loved them-they were delicious, a total hit!
So glad you liked it!
Made these and they were a hit with my family and neighbors. So much so my daughter wants me to make this as a double layer cake for her birthday. Any suggestion as to how long to bake it in a standard round pan?
Shoot I would go with what it says on the back of the box you are using.
Great recipe! Two adjustments I made.
1 After spraying the pans I had cut the bottoms off cupcake liners and put in the bottom to prevent sticking.
2 After they cooled I ran a sharp paring knife around the side.
The cupcakes stayed together and came out with no problems
the bottom didn’t cook on mine. they came out all loose and moist on the bottom
18.25 oz cake mixes aren’t generally available any longer. Another site suggests adding 1/3 cup of flour. And they now only call for one cup of liquid for the 15.25 oz size. I also used parchment circles in the pans after seeing the comments about sticking.
Proportions are off. All cup tins were overfilled if i followed this.. And what about a heads up to use pineapple juice BEFORE the mixing of batter per box…
The recipe said to see the notes about the pineapple juice.
Delicious, picture prefect!
Clear, easy directions on the recipe.
Was a joy to make!😊
Thank you!
Has anyone ever made large cupcakes in a six muffin tin? If yes, how long did you bake them?
Followed recipe exactly as written. They came out perfect! They taste and look beautiful.
Thank you!
I made a double batch for a luau-themed meal. I didn’t taste one but my husband did and said they were delicious. I used a Duncan Hines Pineapple cake mix, and used the liquid from the crushed pineapple.
I sprayed the pans a ton to help prevent the toppings from sticking, sadly it still stuck. I also only had dark brown sugar on hand, I don’t recommend this – they looked burnt. I squeezed the extra liquid from the crushed pineapple, maybe leaving some of that liquid would have helped the sticking. I’ll try that next time.