Amazing Healthy Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes with a high protein pineapple cupcake and a sugar-free top! A delicious high protein, low fat, low calorie and low sugar cupcake recipe!

Okay so I found this Pineapplesauce at Sprouts the other weekend and really really wanted to make something of a pineapple cake. The large size pineapple upside down cake seemed a little daunting, so I ended up making these cupcakes instead.

Turned out they were super easy to make, and actually turned out delicious!

Ingredients for Healthy Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

This healthy upside down pineapple cupcake recipe is made with clean and wholesome ingredients, so you can have no guilt as you go for a second one!

For the Pineapple Proten Cupcake:

Unsweetened Pineapplesauce like this one from Golden Farms.
Alternatively, you can make your own pineapple sauce using this recipe, but don’t add any sugar or cinnamon.
Vanilla Protein Powder: For a pineapple cupcake with no sugar;
I recommend whey-casein Quest Nutrition Vanilla and whey Dymatize protein powder.
Unflavored Protein Powder to replace some of the flour (and carbs) in the recipe. I used a whey-casein blend from Quest Nutrition.
Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
Coconut Flour
Hot Water
A bit of Melted Butter
Lemon Juice
Baking Soda

For the Pineapple Base:

Melted Butter
1:1 Sugar Free Brown Sugar Replacement: I used Lakanto brown monk fruit sweetener
Fresh sliced Pineapple

How to make Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes with Protein Powder

I thought this recipe would be super complicated, but this protein powder pineapple upside down cupcakes are super easy to make!

Prep the Pan & Oven:

Preheat:

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Grease:

Grease 12-cavity muffin pan with oil spray.

Pineapple Bottom:

Mix melted butter and brown sweetener in a bowl.
Spread on bottom of muffin pan cavities.

Divide pineapple slices among pans (use thin slices!).

Make the Batter:

Mix Dry Ingredients:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, vanilla protein powder, unflavored protein powder, coconut flour and baking soda until well combined.

Combine Wet Ingredients:

In another bowl, mix together the hot tea, applesauce, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Use hot water since it’s required for the right reactions in the baking chemistry.
Use melted Butter so that it mixes well into the healthy cupcake batter.

Make the Batter:

Gently whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until a thick batter forms.
Don’t over-mix the batter!

Taste the batter and see if you need some extra sweetener. I’d recommend using stevia powder to maintain the consistency of the batter and have sugar free and healthy cupcake.

Bake the cupcakes!

Bake to Perfection:

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Don’t let the batter sit out too long; Pour immediately into baking pan and bake.
This is to avoid any reactions between the ingredients.
Don’t over-bake or your cupcakes might get tough; Remove when the tester/knife comes out just dry; Little moisture is okay.

How to Store Pineapple Upside Down Protein Cupcakes

To store these pineapple upside down protein cupcakes, place in an airtight container and keep on the countertop for 2-3 hours, fridge for 5 days or freezer for 2-3 months.

To defrost frozen protein powder pineapple upside down cupcakes, leave them on the countertop or place them in the fridge overnight. I would not recommend using the microwave, unless its for just 10-12 seconds.

Alternatives for the best Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

This recipe as is makes the best pineapple upside down cupcakes, but here’s some options if you don’t have everything listed:

Whole Wheat Pastry Flour: Use All purpose flour or 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour in the same amount by weight not cups.
Unflavored Protein Powder: Use 2 Tbsp flour
Unsweetened Pineapplesauce: This is really needed for the extra pineapple flavor, but you can use unsweetened applesauce instead.
Melted Butter: Melted Coconut Oil or Dairy Free Butter

For the base:

Zero Calorie Brown Sugar: Regular brown sugar or coconut sugar (this recipe won’t be sugar free though, and also higher in calories)

To make Upsidedown Pineapple Protein Cupcake Vegan:

Use a plant based protein powder and dairy free butter as alternate ingredients to turn these protein upside down pineapple cupcake recipe Vegan!

Some more Healthy Vanilla-y Protein Cupcake Recipes

Or Fruity High Protein Recipes: