Moist pineapple muffins are packed with a full cup of crushed pineapple in this delicious homemade muffin recipe!

The best pineapple muffins you’ll try

Soft, fluffy texture. One bite of these buttery pineapple muffins and you will immediately want to stock up on more pineapple to make a second batch.

Tastes like pineapple cake. Imagine a slice of sweet summer pineapple upside down cake, in the convenient form of a muffin. They taste so rich and decadent, no one can ever believe the healthy ingredients!

Easy to prepare. It’s a great breakfast or snack option with simple ingredients. And leftover muffins freeze well, so the recipe is perfect for meal prep.

A great way to use up canned pineapple. Whenever I add pineapple to a recipe, I always find myself wondering Why do I not bake with pineapple more often?

After whipping up a batch for the first time, this recipe quickly went into our monthly rotation at my house, and I hope your family will love it too.

Also try this Pineapple Dole Whip

Step by step recipe video

Easy pineapple muffin ingredients

The recipe calls for crushed pineapple, vanilla extract, milk of choice, vinegar, flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, sugar, and optional oil.

No eggs are required for the naturally vegan pineapple muffins, which can also be soy free, added sugar free, and gluten free.

Flour – I love whole grain spelt flour, because it gives you extra fiber and yields a lighter texture than using whole wheat flour. Loosely measured all purpose white flour, oat flour, or all purpose gluten free flour are all good options for the muffins.

If you prefer baking with almond flour, I recommend this recipe for Almond Flour Muffins.

Milk of choice – Choose any milk in your refrigerator, including high protein soymilk, skim milk, dairy free oat milk, or low calorie almond milk. For an incredibly soft texture and rich flavor, coconut milk makes the muffins taste amazing.

Sweetener – This can be traditional white sugar, unrefined sugar (turbinado or raw cane sugar), or sugar free xylitol or granulated erythritol. I have never tried substituting pure maple syrup or honey so cannot vouch for that swap.

Baking soda, baking powder, and salt – The baking powder gives lift and a tender crumb to the eggless muffins, while baking soda encourages caramelization and a golden brown hue. Salt adds depth of flavor.

Pure vanilla extract – One and a half teaspoons of pure vanilla extract compliments the natural sweetness of the pineapple.

Vinegar – White vinegar or apple cider vinegar will react with the baking soda to promote a higher rise and weaken the development of the gluten, resulting in softer muffins.

Oil – Coconut oil is my preference, because the flavor profile pairs so well with pineapple. You can use vegetable oil, avocado oil, or unsalted butter if you wish. Or omit the oil and add three tablespoons of extra crushed pineapple to make up the difference. The oil free muffins are surprisingly tasty!

What type of pineapple do you use for pineapple muffins?

Fresh or canned pineapple both work well here.

If using crushed pineapple, I like to buy pineapple in 100% pineapple juice at the grocery store, because it is a healthier option than pineapple in heavy syrup.

Or make your own crushed fruit from a fresh, ripe pineapple. The easiest way to crush fresh pineapple is to chop the tropical fruit into cubes, discarding the tough outer skin. Then pulse in a food processor.

Add leftover pineapple to a Piña Colada Smoothie

Katie’s favorite variations

Tropical Piña Colada Muffins: Use coconut milk as the milk, and stir half a cup of shredded coconut into the batter for pineapple coconut muffins. Add a teaspoon of lime zest if desired.

Pineapple Orange Muffins: Swap the two tablespoons milk for three tablespoons of orange juice. Omit the vinegar since OJ is already acidic. Stir the zest of one orange into the batter.

Pineapple Banana Bread Muffins: Substitute half a cup of crushed pineapple with an equal amount of ripe mashed banana. They are absolutely fantastic this way! In fact, I might love the banana version even more than the original.

Blueberry or Strawberry: Toss up to a fourth cup of diced fresh strawberries or small blueberries with a teaspoon of flour. Just before transferring to the pan, gently fold berries into the muffin batter with a spoon.

Pineapple Cake: Want to be super fancy? Serve each muffin topped with a slice of hot grilled pineapple, and place a maraschino cherry into the centers of the slices.

Other flavors: Try adding a pinch of ground ginger or chopped fresh mint, or replace the milk with shredded zucchini or carrot. Or press a spoonful of cream cheese into the centers before baking for bakery worthy stuffed cream cheese pineapple muffins.

The healthy pineapple muffins are perfectly sweet enough to serve unfrosted. Or spread on a layer of softened cream cheese or Coconut Butter.

How to make pineapple muffins at home

1. In a medium or large mixing bowl, whisk the crushed pineapple, milk of choice, vinegar, vanilla extract, and optional oil.
2. Set this bowl aside for about ten minutes, or cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit or 176° Celsius. Line a standard, large, or mini muffin tin with liners, or grease very well. Alternatively, you may use silicone muffin cups.
4. Stir the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and sugar into the wet ingredients until just evenly mixed. Tip: to avoid dense, gummy muffins, do not overmix the batter.
5. Using a spoon or cookie scoop, portion the batter evenly into the prepared muffin tin.
6. Place the pan on the center rack of the preheated oven. Bake twenty minutes, or until the pineapple muffins are domed and light gold in color. A toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin should come out mostly clean.
7. Let cool, then serve and enjoy. Or if you can wait, I recommend very loosely covering the pan and letting the muffins sit overnight (either on the counter or in the refrigerator). The taste and texture are even better the next day, and liners peel off easily as well.
8. Store any leftovers after a day in a covered container in the refrigerator or freezer. Thaw frozen muffins before serving.

More healthy muffin recipes

Oatmeal Muffins

Applesauce Muffins 

Flourless Blender Muffins

Banana Muffins

Peanut Butter Muffins

Bran Muffins

Healthy Blueberry Muffins

The recipe was adapted from my Healthy Banana Bread and this Pineapple Bread.

Simple healthy snack ideas

Frappuccino Recipe

Chocolate Banana Bread

Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Black Bean Brownies

Lemon Energy Balls