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Three pina colada cupcakes lined up on a white marble surface.
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3 from 3 votes

Pina Colada Cupcakes Recipe

Bring the island vibes to your kitchen with these tropically delicious Pina Colada cupcakes! This recipe stars my super easy and moist pineapple cupcakes - packed with crushed pineapple - and topped with a creamy rum-infused coconut frosting. They are perfect for any summer party, tropical-themed gathering, or whenever you’re craving a little island-inspired indulgence.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time18 minutes
Total Time43 minutes
Course: Cupcakes, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Author: Trang

Equipment

Ingredients

For the pineapple cupcakes

  • 3 oz oil vegetable or canola, 6 tablespoons, 74 g
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ⅔ cup brown sugar light or dark brown, packed, 132 g
  • 1 cup crushed pineapple with juice, 238 g
  • 1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour 180 g
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

For the rum infused coconut buttercream

  • 8 oz unsalted butter 2 sticks, 227 g, room temperature
  • 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar 150 g
  • Two pinch of kosher salt
  • ½ cup coconut milk or coconut cream, canned, 118 g
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoon Malibu rum
  • Sweetened coconut flakes toasted, for topping

Instructions

  • Make the cupcakes: Add 3 ounces (or 6 tablespoons) of vegetable or canola oil to a large mixing bowl along with 1 large egg and ½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. Beat with a whisk until thoroughly combined.
    Mixing egg, oil and vanilla in a glass mixing bowl.
  • Add ⅔ cup of brown sugar and 1 cup of canned crushed pineapple (don’t drain the pineapple), beat again to fully combine.
    Adding brown sugar and pineapple to the wet ingredient mixure.
  • In a smaller mixing bowl, sift together 1 ⅓ cup of all-purpose flour along with 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Add ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt and stir until distributed evenly. Note: I don’t sift the salt with the flour and baking powder because kosher salt has larger grains that won’t go through a fine mesh sieve.
  • Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredient mixture and mix lightly with a whisk or fold with a spatula until just combined, take care not to over mix.
    Combining flour mixture with wet ingredient to make pineapple cupcake batter.
  • Let the batter rest while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a standard size muffin pan with cupcake liner.
  • When the oven is ready, divide the batter with a large cookie scoop into 12 muffin cavities and bake in the middle rack for 17-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean with just a few crumbs attached.
    Dividing the pineapple cupcake batter with a cookie scoop and bake.
  • Remove the muffin pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool to the touch, about 10-15 minutes. Then remove the cupcakes from the pan, and set them on a wire rack to cool completely before adding frosting on top.
  • Make the frosting: Cream 8 oz of softened butter in your stand mixer bowl on medium to medium high speed until it is light and creamy.
    Creaming butter in a stand mixer to make coconut cream frosting.
  • Add 1 ¼ cup of powdered sugar, along with two pinches of kosher salt. Stir first to combine to prevent the powdered sugar from puffing up. Then gradually increase mixer speed to medium high and beat until completely incorporated and creamy.
    Adding powdered sugar to make coconut milk frosting.
  • Add ½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, and stream in ½ cup of coconut milk or coconut cream, followed by 2 tablespoons of Malibu rum, while beating at medium low or medium speed to incorporate. Then continue beating on medium high until the frosting is light and fluffy, an extra 5 to 10 minutes.
    Adding coconut milk to make coconut buttercream frosting.
  • Decorate the cupcakes: Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a 1M tip and pipe frosting on top of cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle toasted coconut flakes on top, and serve at room temperature.
    Piping frosting on a cupcake.

Notes

  • Rum substitutions: If you don’t want to use Malibu rum, you can substitute a different type of rum and add a splash of coconut extract to amp up the coconut flavor in the frosting.
  • Make it kid friendly: Simply skip the rum and add half a teaspoon of coconut extract.
  • Other frosting options: Homemade whipped cream infused with Malibu rum (see additional notes within the post), or coconut whipped cream.
  • Storage: These cupcakes should last up to 3 days in the fridge, and up to 3 months in the freezer.

Nutrition

Serving: 101g | Calories: 384kcal
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