While these could be made any time of the year, piña colada cupcakes just scream summertime and sitting by a pool with a refreshing drink in your hand. If you’re looking for a taste of the tropics, or a fun cupcake to make for a summer get together, this recipe is for you.
Unlike muffins, cupcakes are a little more festive and are great for parties, and these piña colada cupcakes are perfect for a summer get together. While this recipe is alcohol-free, you can easily modify them for a boozy, adults only themed party as well.
Putting together the flavors of pineapple and coconut, these cupcakes taste like a baked version of the drink itself. This recipe uses pineapple and coconut flavors in the cupcakes themselves, with a modified vanilla buttercream frosting that just pops with coconut flavor.
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🥘 Ingredients
Like muffins, most of the ingredients for cupcakes should be pantry staples, but you will need to get a bit more for these pina colada cupcakes since most people don’t keep pineapple and coconut things on hand.
Flour – For cupcakes I tend to prefer cake flour, but all-purpose is fine as well if you don’t keep cake flour on hand or wish to buy it.
Leaveners – A little bit of baking soda and baking powder help give these cupcakes their rise.
Butter – Use a ½ cup of unsalted butter at room temperature here and another ¾ cup for the buttercream frosting.
Sugar – Like most of my baking, I prefer to use a combination of white granulated sugar and brown sugar here. You’ll also need some powdered sugar for the buttercream.
Eggs – Use a whole egg and an extra egg yolk at room temperature for added tenderness to the cupcake.
Coconut – A mix of coconut milk and shredded coconut add flavor and texture here. Use coconut milk, and NOT coconut cream as that is much thicker than the milk. You’ll need some of both for both the cupcakes and the coconut buttercream.
Pineapple – Use both crushed pineapple and pineapple juice for the cupcakes. You can get the juice from a can of crushed pineapple. Be sure to buy the version packed in 100% pineapple juice and not the version packed in syrup.
Extracts – This can be switched around if you don’t have or wish to buy these extracts. I like using rum extract in the cupcake and coconut extract in the coconut buttercream for a pop of flavor.
🔪 How to Make
Preheat your oven to 350°F / 220°C and line a 12-count muffin pan with liners.
In a mixing bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and whisk together. Set it aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer, add the softened butter and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add both sugars and mix again on medium speed until fluffy and fully creamed, about 2-3 minutes longer
Now add the egg and egg yolk, one at a time, and mix until fully incorporated. Finally, add the coconut milk, pineapple juice, and rum extract and mix until combined.
Now add the dry ingredients, about ⅓ at a time, and mix until just combined. Toss in the shredded coconut and crushed pineapple and fold them into the batter.
Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan, about ¾ full, and bake for 20-24 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs. Allow to cool in the pan about 5 minutes before removing the cupcakes to a cooling rack.
While the cupcakes are cooling, make the coconut buttercream. While the oven is still hot, you can (optionally) toast the shredded coconut. Place the coconut on a quarter sheet pan, or whatever you have, and toast for 6-9 minutes. Shake the pan occasionally, until browned nicely and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat the softened butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the coconut milk, coconut extract, and a pinch of salt and mix to combine. Now add the powdered sugar, and, starting on low speed, mix to combine, slowly increasing the speed.
Once fully whipped together, place the bowl in the refrigerator to chill while the cupcakes finish cooling completely. If the buttercream seems too thin, add more sugar, and if it seems too thick to pipe, and some more coconut milk.
Once the cupcakes have fully cooled, frost the cupcakes with a knife or pipe the frosting (I used a Wilton 6B piping tip) on top. Use the toasted or untoasted coconut to decorate, along with optional toppings like sliced pineapple wedges, cherries, and cocktail umbrellas.
📖 Variations
While these cupcakes are great just the way they are, not everyone loves pineapple or coconut, and some people would enjoy a boozier option.
No Pineapple – If you want to remove the pineapple from the cupcakes, replace the juice and crushed pineapple by changing the ⅓ cup coconut milk to ½ cup, and add a ½ cup of full-fat sour cream or yogurt.
No Coconut – If you’re not a fan of coconut, you can remove the coconut milk and shredded coconut and increase the ⅓ cup pineapple juice to ½ cup and the ¾ cup crushed pineapple to 1 cup. In the frosting, replace the coconut milk with heavy cream and the coconut extract with either rum or pineapple extract.
Alcohol – For a boozy option, decrease the ⅓ cup coconut milk and pineapple juice to ¼ cup of each, and add a ¼ cup of coconut or pineapple rum. In the frosting, add 2 tablespoons of coconut or pineapple rum and adjust the powdered sugar until you have the right consistency you want.
I do not suggest replacing the coconut milk or extract because you’ll lose the creaminess in the frosting and that sharp pop of coconut flavor from the extract.
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
You can make most cupcakes 1-2 days in advance. After baking and fully cooling, you can store unfrosted cupcakes wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. Store the frosting covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
For longer storage, you can freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before frosting.
Storing cupcakes in the fridge will dry them out faster, but also extend their shelf-life. Depending on fillings and frostings, some cupcakes need to be refrigerated however, especially curd filled or cream cheese frosted cupcakes.
🍽 Equipment
While most equipment is standard kitchen tools, I wanted to point out just a handful of items I prefer to use here.
Whisk – Danish dough whisks are perfect anytime you need to fold in ingredients like the crushed pineapple and shredded coconut here.
Muffin Pans – In the photos I use a hand-me-down set of muffin tins, but if you need to buy new ones, I recommend this 12-count muffin pan from USA Pans.
Cocktail Umbrellas – Definitely not necessary as a decoration, especially if being made for just your family, but these little cocktail umbrellas are cheap and plentiful and make a really cute decoration if you’re making these pina colada cupcakes for a party.
Piping Tips – If you wish to pipe the frosting onto these cupcakes, I used the Wilton 6B piping tip here. Don't forget some piping bags as well.
❄️ How to Store
Cupcakes can typically be stored at room temperature for about 2 days. If you store them in an airtight container, they’ll last 5 days or so in the refrigerator.
For longer storage, you can store unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2-3 months as well. Thaw overnight in the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature before frosting.
📋 Recipe
Piña Colada Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1 ⅔ cups cake flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup full-fat coconut milk
- ⅓ cup pineapple juice
- 1 teaspoon rum extract
- ¾ cup crushed pineapple
- ¼ cup shredded coconut, packed
Coconut Buttercream Frosting:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons full-fat coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For Decoration:
- ¾ cup shredded coconut, toasted
- Cherries
- Pineapple wedges
- Cocktail umbrellas
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F / 220°C and line a 12-count muffin pan with liners.
- In a mixing bowl, add 1 ⅔ cup cake flour, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt and whisk together. Set it aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer, add the ½ cup softened butter and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the ½ cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup brown sugar and mix again on medium speed until fluffy and fully creamed, about 2-3 minutes longer.
- Now add the egg and egg yolk, one at a time, and mix until fully incorporated. Finally, add the ⅓ cup coconut milk, ⅓ cup pineapple juice, and 1 teaspoon rum extract and mix until combined.
- Now add the dry ingredients, about ⅓ at a time, and mix until just combined. Toss in the ¼ cup shredded coconut and ¾ cup crushed pineapple and fold them into the batter. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan, about ¾ full, and bake for 20-24 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs. Allow to cool in the pan about 5 minutes before removing the cupcakes to a cooling rack.
- While the cupcakes are cooling, make the coconut buttercream. While the oven is still hot, you can (optionally) toast the shredded coconut. Place the coconut on a quarter sheet pan, or whatever you have, and toast for 6-9 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until browned nicely and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat the ¾ cup softened butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add two tablespoons coconut milk, 1 teaspoon coconut extract, and a ¼ teaspoon salt and mix to combine. Now add 3 cups of powdered sugar, and, starting on low speed, mix to combine, slowly increasing the speed.
- Once fully whipped together, place the bowl in the refrigerator to chill while the cupcakes finish cooling completely. If the buttercream seems too thin, add more sugar, and if it seems too thick to pipe, and some more coconut milk.
- Once the cupcakes have fully cooled, frost the cupcakes with a knife or pipe the frosting (I used a Wilton 6B tip) on top. Use the toasted or untoasted coconut to decorate, along with optional toppings like sliced pineapple wedges, cherries, and cocktail umbrellas.
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