Experience the wonderful blend of tropical tastes with our Pina Colada Cupcakes. These treats capture the essence of a piña colada cocktail in a sweet and enjoyable dessert.
Featuring a moist yellow cake, a touch of coconut, and a burst of pineapple, these cupcakes are like a tasty journey to a sunny beach with each delicious bite.
🩷 Why you'll love this recipe
- Quick and Easy: Ready in just 15 minutes, these cupcakes are a breeze to whip up.
- Burst of Tropical Flavors: The combination of cream of coconut, coconut rum, and crushed pineapple creates a harmonious tropical medley.
- Versatile: Perfect for any occasion, from summer parties to weekend indulgences.
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🥘 Ingredients
- Yellow Cake Mix (Duncan Hines works great)
- Eggs
- Vegetable oil
- Water
- Cream of coconut
- Coconut rum
- Crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
Frosting:
- Vanilla frosting
- Coconut rum
- Shredded coconut
- Maraschino cherries
See recipe card for quantities. (link to jump)
🥣 Step by step instructions
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with 24 cupcake liners.
Step 2:
In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, add the cake mix, eggs, oil, water, cream of coconut, 1 teaspoon of the coconut rum, and crushed pineapple. Beat on high for 3 minutes.
Step 3:
Pour batter into each cupcake liner until it's about two-thirds full. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
Step 3:
Cool cupcakes for 1-2 hours. To prepare the frosting, add the frosting and remaining 1 teaspoon of coconut rum to a bowl and beat for 2 minutes.
Step 4:
Add frosting to a piping bag equipped with the 1A tip, and squeeze frosting into the center of each of the cupcakes. Top with a maraschino cherry and sprinkle of coconut.
🧂Substitutions and variations
- Non-alcoholic - for a non-alcoholic version, replace coconut rum with coconut extract.
- Frosting - experiment with different flavored frostings like cream cheese or pineapple coconut.
- Get toasty - toast the shredded coconut for added texture and flavor.
- Coconut cream - you can use coconut cream istead of cream of coconut. You will just need to add some simple syrup to replace the sweetness.
🍽 Equipment used
🥡 Storage
To keep leftover cupcakes fresh, store them in a sealed container at room temperature for 1-2 days. For longer shelf life, refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 4–5 days. For longer storage, freeze cupcakes individually, wrapped in plastic. Place them in a container or bag safe for the freezer, and they'll stay fresh for 2-3 months.
To defrost frozen cupcakes, leave them in the refrigerator overnight and let them come to room temperature before serving.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Dust cupcakes with powdered sugar for an elegant touch.
- Try adding a teaspoon of rum extract for an intensified flavor.
💭 FAQ
Absolutely! These cupcakes can be baked and frosted a day in advance for convenience.
For extra flavor and fluffiness, add another egg yolk. If you're looking for alternatives, consider using yogurt or sour cream to enhance richness and moisture.
Coconut cream is thicker than cream of coconut, and it's not as sweet. Cream of coconut is sweeter and has a syrupy texture. The original piña colada recipe typically uses cream of coconut, but in certain versions, you may come across recipes using coconut cream and simple syrup instead.
Yes, instead of the cupcake tin, just pour the batter into a 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Check doneness with a toothpick. You may need to adjust the cooking time for a full cake.
♨️ Related Recipes
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📋 Recipe
Pina Colada Cupcakes
Equipment
- 2 Cupcake pans 12 cupcakes per pan
- 1 Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
Ingredients
- 1 15.25 oz box Yellow Cake Mix We used gluten free
- 3 eggs
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup cream of coconut
- 1 teaspoon coconut rum We used Bacardi
- 4 oz crushed pineapple in juice undrained
Frosting
- 1 container vanilla frosting
- 1 teaspoon coconut rum We used Bacardi
- ½ cup shredded coconut
- 24 maraschino cherries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a cupcake pan with 24 cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, add the cake mix, eggs, oil, water, cream of coconut, 1 teaspoon of the coconut rum, and crushed pineapple. Beat on high for 3 minutes.
- Fill each of the cupcake liners ⅔ full with batter, transfer the pan to the oven, and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Cool cupcakes for 1-2 hours.
- To prepare the frosting, add the frosting and remaining 1 teaspoon of coconut rum to a bowl and beat for 2 minutes.
- Add frosting to a piping bag equipped with the 1A tip, and squeeze frosting into the center of each of the cupcakes.
- Top with a maraschino cherry and sprinkle of coconut.
Notes
- Dust cupcakes with powdered sugar for an elegant touch.
- Try adding a teaspoon of rum extract for an intensified flavor.
Jessica says
Experience the wonderful blend of tropical tastes with our Pina Colada Cupcakes. These treats capture the essence of a piña colada cocktail in a sweet and enjoyable dessert!