These coconut pineapple muffins are a lightened up treat made with whole wheat flour, coconut milk and fresh pineapple. An easy snack or breakfast option!
Muffins are a breakfast classic, but have you ever had a pineapple muffin? These muffins incorporate tropical flavors for a fun twist on a standard recipe.
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So now that we’re a little over a week into the new year, who is still going strong with their resolutions? I am not really a resolution kind of person; rather, I feel like it’s better to incorporate little changes over time rather than trying to make a major change in one fell swoop. Like everyone else, I am looking to incorporate healthier eating habits into my life. Instead of giving up all of my favorite foods at once, I’ve been swapping out ingredients in my recipes to create healthier alternatives.
One of my favorite afternoon rituals is a cup of tea and a pastry. Rather than giving up sweet treats altogether, I’ve created a healthier coconut pineapple muffin that satisfies my sweet tooth with less sugar and fat.
How do you make coconut pineapple muffins?
To make these muffins a little lighter, I omitted the butter entirely and added back in a little bit of heart healthy oil. I also reduced the amount of sugar in the recipe and swapped out part of the white flour for whole wheat flour. The glaze is optional, but you really only need a teaspoon per muffin so it doesn’t add much in the way of sugar or calories.
You can use fresh or canned pineapple for these muffins. The trick is to cut the pineapple into small pieces so that you get a little bit in every bite. The muffins get a double dose of coconut with the addition of both flaked coconut and coconut milk. If you’re a pina colada lover, you’re sure to love these muffins.
More breakfast recipes you’ll love
Coconut Pineapple Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour I prefer white whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups light coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 cup fresh or canned pineapple coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup coconut flakes
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- cooking spray
- For the glaze:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons light coconut milk
- slices pineapple and shaved coconut for garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Combine both flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine coconut milk, oil and egg in a bowl; add to flour mixture. Stir just until moist. Gently fold in pineapple and coconut flakes. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups lined with paper wrappers.
- Bake at 400° for 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove muffins from pan; cool on a wire rack. After the muffins have cooled, combine powdered sugar and coconut milk in a bowl. Drizzle the glaze over the muffins. Garnish with pineapple slices and coconut shavings if desired.
Mary says
Canola oil is NOT heart healthy. Please do some research. It is a highly refined and processed oil that goes through 168 discrete steps between seed and bottle, including exposure to hexane and bleach. I know it’s an easy error to make if we just believe what we’re told. But again, please do some research. There have been so many recent discoveries about Canola and other oils and the damage they do to our health.
K says
Thank you for this recipe! I made a few changes and absolutely love it.
I used 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of oatmeal, used honey instead of sugar, used full fat coconut milk, and substituted the oil with 2 tablespoons of Greek yoghurt. The muffins are super moist and not too sweet. Loved the taste of the pineapple! And the moisture that the coconut milk gives is perfect – so happy for your idea!
It’ll be my basic recipe for other muffins (without the pineapple and coconut flakes).
Mercy B . says
Is it ok to substitute coconut milk for coconut water ?
Sara says
I think it would probably work, although the muffins might be a bit drier since the coconut milk adds more fat to the recipe which makes for a moister muffin.
bigmike says
Is there a decent substitute for the coconut milk or is it necessary for the flavor? Live rural it could be hard to find.
Sara says
Check your ethnic foods aisle, if not buttermilk would be a great substitute!
Diane says
can I use white flour instead of the wheat
Sara says
Yes, you can definitely use all white flour!
Evonne Rowse says
I like your recipe, but you should use olive oil or coconut oil rather than canola oil. Canola
oil is not that healthy
Sara says
Great suggestion, you should be able to substitute either of those oils with no problems!
kristy @ the wicked noodle says
I love, love, love this idea! A hot cup of tea in the afternoon is such a simple pleasure, especially when it’s sooo cold outside. I’m going to add both your muffins and the tea to my shopping list!
JanetGoingCrazy says
I always have a cup of tea beside me when I’m working to keep me warm and motivated. I think I need one of these muffins next time, too, to keep my belly from rumbling. [client]
Kristina says
I love adding pineapple to baked foods – these sound perfect!
Debbie says
I love the lighter recipes!
Chrisy @ Homemade Hooplah says
Such a great flavor combination! Wish I had one of these muffins and a tea right now 🙂
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
Those look fantastic and so easy to make. Love that you use pineapple and coconut milk.
Greg says
Those muffins look great! I love the coconut on top!
Manila Spoon says
Love the tropical flavors you added here! These muffins look delicious and perfect with a cuppa!
Marye says
These muffins sound so delicious, I wish I had some this morning for breakfast!
Ali @ Home & Plate says
Your pineapple muffins are the perfect snack to have with a cup of tea. I find myself drinking it a lot more now that the weather has turned colder and the snow is not melting. Perfect pairing!
Christie says
I’ve been having a cup of tea in the afternoon when I feel like eating an unhealthy snack. It really is curbing my cravings for potato chips. I am sure these muffins would help too.