Pina Colada Cupcakes Recipe

By
Carrie Vasios Mullins
Carrie Vasios Mullins is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Carrie Vasios Mullins
Carrie Vasios Mullins is the former national editor at Serious Eats, with a focus on all things sweet.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated March 23, 2025
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Carrie Vasios

These fun, adult-only cupcakes have all the flavors of a pina colada: coconut, pineapple, and rum.

Recipe Details

Pina Colada Cupcakes Recipe

Prep 25 mins
Cook 25 mins
Active 30 mins
Total 50 mins
Makes 24 mini cupcakes
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Ingredients

For Cupcakes:

  • 1 cup all purpose flour

  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • 1 extra large egg

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 3 tablespoons rum

  • 1/4 cup cream of coconut, such as Coco Lopez

  • 8 ounces pineapple rings in juice, finely chopped, juice reserved

For Frosting:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

  • 2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon rum

  • 4 tablespoons cream of coconut

  • 1/3 cup sweetened coconut flakes

  • Unsweetened large coconut flakes for garnish (optional)

Directions

  1. Make Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line mini-muffin tin with wrappers.

  2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

  3. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined.

  4. Beat in 1/2 of flour mixture until combined. Add rum and cream of coconut and beat until combined. Beat in remaining flour mixture.

  5. Stir in pineapple and juice until evenly incorporated.

  6. Pour batter evenly among wrappers, filling each 3/4 full. Bake until cupcakes are golden and a tester comes out clean, about 22 minutes. Move to a wire baking rack and let cool.

  7. Make Frosting: In a large bowl, cream together cream cheese, butter, and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add salt, rum, and cream of coconut and beat until combined and frosting is smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes more.

  8. Fold in sweetened coconut flakes.

  9. Assembly: Place frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a medium tip. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Garnish each cupcake with a coconut flake, if desired.

Special equipment

mini cupcake pan, mini cupcake wrapper

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
4366Calories
210gFat
581gCarbs
40gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories4366
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 210g269%
Saturated Fat 136g680%
Cholesterol 708mg236%
Sodium 2076mg90%
Total Carbohydrate 581g211%
Dietary Fiber 10g34%
Total Sugars 461g
Protein 40g
Vitamin C 108mg542%
Calcium 682mg52%
Iron 9mg52%
Potassium 1059mg23%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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