Low Carb Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes (2024)

Keto Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes– a low-carb version of your favorite cake in cupcake form. Made with a delicious buttery cake, pineapple, and complete with a cherry on top!

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If you close your eyes while eating these Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes, you might just begin to hear the sweet sounds of a ukulele playing in the background. Something about the flavor of sweet pineapple and cherries, makes me feel like I am sitting on a tropical beach somewhere, completely carefree. It's like a vacation all wrapped up in one little cake.

These keto cupcakes are perfect to serve at summer parties and barbecues alongside your favorite grilled kabobs, burgers, salads, or your other delicious low-carb desserts!

Ingredients and Substitutions

I wasn't really sure how to make this cake low carb since pineapple and cherries pack a pretty big carb punch from all the natural sugar. Luckily, I found that by using fresh pineapple and subbing frozen cherries for the sugar-laden maraschinos, I was able to get a TON of flavor with far fewer carbs.

• Pineapple - Best to stick with fresh or frozen pineapple. This allows you to get more flavor while using less fruit.
• Brown Sugar Substitute - I have made this recipe with Swerve brown sugar substitute, Sukrin Gold, and Lakanto Golden (affiliate). My favorite is Lakanto Golden. The texture isn't similar to real brown sugar, but I find it has the best flavor.
• Cherries - Be sure to use fresh or frozen pitted sweet cherries. Maraschino cherries have lots of added sugar which won't work well for low-carb or keto macros.
• Almond Flour - For nut-free I suggest swapping the almond flour with sunflower seed flour (affiliate) it swaps evenly and has a taste and texture most similar to almond flour. If you prefer to use coconut flour I suggest following this recipe instead.
• Vanilla Whey Protein Powder - I use Isopure (affiliate) which has zero carbs, but any brand you like should work fine.
• Butter, Salt, Baking Powder, and Vanilla Extract
• Unsweetened Almond Milk - Any milk or milk alternative will also work
• Optional - Pineapple Flavoring will increase the pineapple flavor in the cupcakes without adding any additional carbs,

Tips

• The first and most important step for getting the most pineapple flavor is to simmer the pineapple in butter. You will want to be careful that you don't let it get too hot though or the butter will burn.
• Don't be too worried if the butter separates from the pineapple sauce. The butter is holding on to all that delicious pineapple flavor and it will just soak right into the cake as it bakes.
• Skip the cupcake liners for this recipe. You will want to serve these cupcakes upside down and liners will ruin your presentation. Just be sure to thoroughly spray the muffin tin with nonstick spray. The butter in the pineapple sauce will also help to prevent sticking.
• Adding the whey protein with the almond flour gives this cake an amazing texture that should be just like a traditional cake. In a pinch, you can leave out the protein powder but be aware that the texture will suffer some.
• I find that keto cakes typically are best when baked at a low temperature for a bit longer as compared to the standard cake. The batter is denser and needs extra time to rise properly. If you bake it too quickly, it will still be delicious but the cake will be dense.
• Allow the cupcakes to cool fully before removing from the pan. If some of the pineapple sticks, just remove it with a spoon and spread it back onto the cupcake.

I also opted to make these into cupcakes instead of a traditional full-size cake. This makes sticking to one serving SO much easier. You could easily bake this in a 9" cake pan if you would rather have a traditional cake.

FAQs

Be sure to check out these other great recipes:

• Churro Cupcakes | Keto, Gluten Free
• Keto Snoball Cakes
• Low Carb Apple Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting
• Keto Coconut Chip Ice Cream
• Keto No Bake Creamsicle Cheesecake

📖 Recipe

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