A Sweet and Zesty Treat
These pineapple-lemon mini muffins are perfect for a mid-morning snack or a light, sweet finish to a boxed lunch. Studded with bits of pineapple and lemon zest, their zesty flavor and subtle sweetness make them a favorite for spring and summer baking.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
In addition to the standard baking ingredients you likely have on hand, here’s what you need to add to your shopping list to make these muffins.
- Fresh pineapple: Once chopped, the pineapple must be thoroughly drained so the muffin batter has the right consistency. We recommend using pineapple chunks instead of crushed pineapple because you can drain it well without mashing it.
- Lemon extract: In addition to vanilla, we always keep lemon, orange, and almond extracts on hand and occasionally use them in place of or combined with vanilla. We like the added lemon punch it gives to these muffins, but you can use all vanilla extract, or a combination.
- Lemon zest: In our opinion, nothing beats the citrusy tang fresh lemon zest adds to food, but if you want to whip up a batch of these muffins and you don’t have a fresh lemon in the house, you can skip it.
How to Make Pineapple Mini Muffins
This is an overview of how this dish is made. Detailed measurements, ingredients, instructions, and times are available in the printable version of the recipe below.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease the cups in a mini muffin tin.
- Chop the pineapple into 1/4 inch pieces, transfer to a fine-mesh strainer, and set the strainer over a bowl. Use a spoon to press out the juices and let the pineapple continue to drain while you prepare the muffin batter.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a larger mixing bowl, whisk the egg, milk, and sugar together until frothy, then stir in the melted butter, lemon extract, and lemon zest.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly blended, then stir in the pineapple. The batter will be rather thick.
- Divide the batter between the prepared muffin tins and bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin at the center of the pan comes out clean.
- Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely. See below for storage tips.
General Tips for Making Mini Muffins
Mini muffins are easy to make and the perfect size for snacking, but not every muffin recipe is ideally suited to this petite size. Read on for a few simple recipe conversion tips.
- Choose your mix-ins carefully: Opt for small bits like the finely chopped pineapple in this recipe. Other options include mini chocolate chips, finely chopped dried fruits (think apricots), or finely chopped nuts.
- Calculate your yield: A recipe that makes 12 standard-sized muffins will make approximately 24 mini-sized muffins. The quantity of batter is about 3 cups.
- Calculate your baking time: When converting a recipe for standard muffins, reduce the baking time, but not the temperature. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes and test by inserting a toothpick into the center of two or three individual muffins. When it comes out clean, they’re done.
How to Store and Freeze Muffins
Like all baked goods, muffins taste best on the day that they’re baked, but it’s likely you won’t eat them up that quickly. You can store them unrefrigerated for two to three days. First, make sure the muffins have cooled completely (very important), then line an airtight container with a paper towel, and add the muffins, leaving a little space between them. To freeze muffins, transfer them to a zip-top freezer bag and seal them tightly for up to two months. Thaw them at room temperature.
To reheat: Wrap mini muffins in aluminum foil and place them in a 350°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
Pineapple Lemon Mini Muffins
Flavored with bits of pineapple and fresh lemon zest, these tasty mini muffins are the perfect size for a mid-morning snack and only take about a half hour to mix and bake.
Ingredients
- 1 cup pineapple chunks, drained (see notes)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract, or vanilla
- 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease the cups in a mini muffin tin.
- Chop the pineapple into 1/4 inch pieces, transfer to a fine-mesh strainer, and set the strainer over a bowl. Use a spoon to press out the juices and let the pineapple continue to drain while you prepare the muffin batter.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a larger mixing bowl, whisk the egg, milk, and sugar together until frothy, then stir in the melted butter, lemon extract, and lemon zest.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly blended, then stir in the pineapple. The batter will be rather thick.
- Divide the batter between the prepared muffin tins and bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin at the center of the pan comes out clean.
- Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. See recipe notes for storage tips.
Recipe Notes
About the pineapple: Once chopped, the pineapple must be thoroughly drained so the muffin batter has the right consistency. We recommend using pineapple chunks instead of crushed pineapple because you can drain it well without mashing it.
Tips for Storing Muffins
Like all baked goods, muffins taste best on the day that they’re baked, but it’s likely you won’t eat them up that quickly. You can store them unrefrigerated for two to three days. First, make sure the muffins have cooled completely (very important), then line an airtight container with a paper towel, and add the muffins, leaving a little space between them. To freeze muffins, transfer them to a zip-top freezer bag and seal them tightly for up to two months. Thaw them at room temperature. To reheat: Wrap mini muffins in aluminum foil and place them in a 350°F oven for 6 to 8 minutes.Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Pineapple Lemon Mini Muffins
Amount per Serving
Calories
80
% Daily Value*
Fat
2
g
3
%
Saturated Fat
1
g
6
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
1
g
Cholesterol
13
mg
4
%
Sodium
91
mg
4
%
Potassium
30
mg
1
%
Carbohydrates
13
g
4
%
Fiber
0.4
g
2
%
Sugar
5
g
6
%
Protein
2
g
4
%
Trans Fat
0.1
g
Vitamin A
82
IU
2
%
Vitamin C
3
mg
4
%
Calcium
30
mg
3
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Have you tried this recipe?Did you add your own special touch? We’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment and a rating to share your thoughts with others.
Judy says
Delicious! I made a few tweaks: I replaced the butter by canola oil, the milk by Greek yogurt and used canned crushed pineapple.
Matthew Jennings says
Amazing. Extremely underrated!!
Pat says
Very dry – Think it needs another egg
Lynne Webb says
Hi Pat,
Sorry to hear the muffins turned out dry. I would add an extra 1/4 cup of milk as opposed to an egg for extra moisture. We cut back a little on the milk from a basic muffin recipe because fresh pineapple generally gives off a lot of liquid.
Chloe says
How do I adjust my baking time if I’m making regular sized muffins?
Lynne Webb says
Hi Chloe,
Increase the baking time to 14 to 16 minutes.
Sarah says
These look delish! Been looking for a pineapple based treat for a while 🙂
Any idea on the nutritional information per muffin?
Thanks, and great job!
Lynne Webb says
Thanks Sarah! I’ve added nutrition info to the recipe.
Dian says
How would I eliminate the egg and the oil or fall in line with my restrictions . Thanks sounds very good.
Lynne Webb says
Hi Dian,
I am sorry, but I don’t know how to adjust the recipe to eliminate those two ingredients.