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This easy recipe for Gluten Free Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes is perfect when you don’t need a whole cake. It makes just two servings of the classic dessert, each baked in a ramekin. Made with simple ingredients and sweetened with a bit of honey, it’s a healthier treat with the sweet flavor you love, making it one of your favorite gluten free spring desserts.
Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes – Two Individual Gluten Free Desserts!
Pineapple Upside Down Cake is a classic spring dessert. It is light and sweet with a bright flavor. And even the color makes you think of springtime, whether it reminds you of the shining sun or a vibrant flower.
However, you may not need an entire cake around the house. That’s what makes these the perfect little sweet treat. And since they are made with wholesome ingredients and sweetened with just a little honey, you can even feel good about giving them to the kids as a special after-school snack.
Yes, they are gluten free, but that shouldn’t stop anyone from making these wee bitty mini pineapple upside down cakes. There isn’t a huge list of gluten free ingredients. In fact, they are made with just almond flour and oat flour (which is really just oats ground in a blender). And this gives them a nice, moist, cakey texture.
Ingredients
Even if you aren’t gluten free, you still might already have everything you need to make these tasty little cakes. The full amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Honey: Some will be used for the glaze on the cakes and the rest in the batter.
- Butter: Unsalted is preferred. You will be melting it, so it is not necessary to be at room temperature.
- Pineapple slices: Use the canned rings in juice so that you don’t add excess sugar from those packed in syrup.
- Almond flour
- Oat flour: You can buy this, or just pulse oats in your blender or food processor until you have a powder. Use certified gluten free oats, if necessary
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Vanilla
- Egg
How to Make Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes
It’s really simple. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease your two ramekins. Now, let’s get started!
- Make the topping: Melt honey and butter, and divide between the ramekins. Place one pineapple slice in the bottom of each ramekin.
- Make the batter: Mix the dry ingredients together, then stir in the vanilla, egg, and remaining honey until combined.
- Bake the cakes: Divide the batter between the ramekins and bake for 16-18 minutes or until set in the middle and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool and flip: Let cool for 5-10 minutes before running a knife around the edge and flipping the cakes out of the ramekins onto a plate.
Tips for Success
Make your own oat flour. You don’t have to spend money on another gluten free flour. You can pulse oats in a blender or food processor to form a powder.
Make it maple. If you are making these for the winter holidays, replacing the honey with maple syrup will make it even more festive.
Add a cherry. If you just can’t have pineapple upside down cake without a cherry in the middle of the pineapple ring, feel free to add a frozen or maraschino cherry before you pour in the batter.
Common Questions
Can you make Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes in advance?
You can make them the night before or even keep them wrapped in the refrigerator for a day or two. I would not recommend freezing them, though. The pineapple, once frozen and thawed, will get mushy and not have an appealing texture.
Can you double the recipe?
Want cake for the family? Each person can have half a cake with a scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt. Or simply double or triple the recipe and use additional ramekins. It doesn’t take any longer to make and you can each still have your own cake.
What Ramekins Do I Need?
The most common question I get is what size ramekins to make these mini cakes in. I use 6 oz. ramekins like these. They are the perfect size to fit the pineapple ring. And the batter is just the right amount to bake to a lovely golden brown on the outside while being cooked through but not dry in the middle.
Gluten Free Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes for Two
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons honey divided
- 1/2 Tablespoon butter
- 2 Dole Pineapple Slices
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup oat flour see Note, certified gluten-free, if necessary
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease two 6 oz. ramekins.
- Melt 1 Tablespoon honey and the butter in a small bowl in the microwave or a small saucepan on the stove. Divide the honey-butter mixture between the ramekins and place one pineapple slice in the bottom of each ramekin.
- In a small bowl, mix together the almond flour, oat flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the vanilla, egg, and remaining 2 Tablespoons of honey and stir until combined.
- Divide the batter between the ramekins. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until set in the middle and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes before running a knife around the edge and flipping the cakes out of the ramekins onto a plate.
Notes
Did you make this?
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Just made these for my boyfriend and I ! They were scrumptious and amazingly easy too. Thanks for sharing such yummy recipe
Can you provide a link to the recipe? I can’t seem to find it, thank you!
It’s right there in the bottom of the post.
I’m not seeing the post, just the comments. I’m sure it’s right here in front of my eyes, but not seeing it.
Do you use an ad blocker on your browser? This was a sponsored post, and sometimes ad blockers pick up on certain words and then block out the entire post. If there is a setting that says something similar to “hide placeholders of blocked elements”, you would need to uncheck it.
Oh yes, I do use it, I’ll check that out this afternoon after lunch, TY!
Back before I reacted to gluten, I always liked the carmelized aspect of pineapple upside down cakes. I don’t think honey carmelizes as well…the photos make the pineapple look kind of “raw”… Maybe starting the pineapple/honey part 10 minutes ahead would help. If it doesn’t, I’m resorting to brown sugar next time, since the sweetener has nothing to do with the gluten.
Can you use regular flour or what about coconut flour?
Joy, you can use an equal amount of all-purpose flour in place of the almond flour and/or the oat flour, but bear in mind that if you do that, the recipe will no longer be gluten-free. Coconut flour is very different from any other type of flour, because it absorbs so much moisture, so I don’t know how much to tell you to use.
You’re right, this after winter, warmish weather is the worst. I hope everything is okay with you now?
I don’t have much experience with non-gluten cooking, but I really love pineapples and I will definitely try this recipe out. It sounds delicious and super easy to make too.
Heloise
Thank you, Heloise!
My son likes pineapple very much and this is a great recipe to make a pineapple cake, I am sure he will love it. The ingredients are easy to buy and the instructions is very clear to make. I will recommend my friends this recipe, easy to make. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you, Jennifer. I hope you and your son enjoy the pineapple cake!
Oooh, this is such a great little treat! I love it!
Such pretty little cakes! I never grew up with pineapple upside down cake, but whenever I have it as an adult, I say that I should make it. I love the individual portions in this recipe.
These are so cute my boys would go crazy for them!
LOVE that these are cakes for two! Plus, almond flour is my latest obsession, so I love these!