Mini Gluten-Free Pineapple Upside Down Cakes (with 9-Inch Round Cake Option)

These outstanding Mini Gluten-Free Pineapple Upside-Down Cakes are one of my dear friend Kim’s very favorite recipes! And her recipe comes with a very sweet origin story as well—no pun intended.

Food memories are certainly some of our most powerful and most poignant memories. I’ll turn it over to Kim to share the memory that goes with this recipe in a second.

National Pineapple Upside Down Cake Day is not until April 20. But I’m not waiting until then. And neither should you! I really think these Mini Gluten-Free Pineapple Upside-Down Cakes could add some “sunshine” to our cold winter days.

Let’s face it, it’s cold ALL OVER right now. Okay, it’s been a little bit warmer the last few days but turning on the oven is still a huge benefit at the moment. Plus, you’ll end up with delicious petite versions of Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Kim also tells you how to make a 9-inch single layer Pineapple Upside Down Cake using a variation of this recipe—so, please read on if that interests you.

Anyway, what’s not to love when it comes to Pineapple Upside Down Cake? I mean some of us may disagree on whether pineapple goes on pizza but in cake? Oh, yeah, I’m in! How about you?

I’m sure you remember Kim from her stellar recipes and informational posts on her former site (and app), Cook IT Allergy Free. Kim stays very busy with her family’s assisted living center these days but you can still find some of her wisdom on her current website, Healing the Gut (as well as the accompanying Facebook page).

Back to Kim’s Mini Gluten-Free Pineapple Upside-Down Cakes

In Kim’s words:

 “The gluten-filled version of this cake was a regular staple in my grandma’s baking repertoire. I remember her making it for so many wonderful food-filled family gatherings.

I also remember picking off all of the pineappley, buttery, brown sugary caramelized topping when no one was looking and then trying to smooth it over to make it look like my fingers had not yet found all of that deliciousness.

My grandma always knew…but she never got mad. After all, this is the same lady that would spend twenty minutes hand-stirring my bowl of strawberry ice-cream until it was the perfect soft-serve consistency. She liked her grandbabies happy. And one of the best ways she knew how to make us happy was with the attentive love she put into all of our food.

When I converted her recipe to a gluten-free, and slightly healthier, version, I also changed it so that it was actually baked in individual ramekin dishes. It was easier to control myself when I knew I had a specific serving size…as long as I could control myself to only one per sitting.

This recipe is for four 8-ounce ramekin dishes. Actually there is just enough batter to squeeze out enough to fill five ramekins. I only have four left amongst my kitchen supplies. Because I use these versatile little gems for so many different things…ice cream bowls, condiment holders, mise en place containers…my supply has started to dwindle. (Somehow, I manage to break these more often than I break my wine glasses, which says a lot considering how regularly I tend to use those as well.)

But, if you happen to be a bit more careful with your kitchen supplies than I, then feel free to just double this recipe to fit your nice collection of eight ramekins.”

I love all that! First, Kim’s sweet memories of her grandmother and being able to re-create her recipe to work for her gluten-free family. And second, the fact that while she made the recipe work for four ramekins because that’s how many she had left in her own collection. Yes, breakage happens for most of us!

However, Kim has stated that you can double the recipe and fill eight ramekins—the typical number of ramekins in a set—if you prefer. I’ll add here that she also noted in her discussions with readers that if you double the recipe, you can choose to fill a 9-inch cake pan rather than ramekins.

She replied to one reader: “You could totally double this recipe and then make it in a 9-inch round cake pan as well! I have done that and it worked perfectly. It took about 45 -50 minutes to bake at 350F, but I would definitely keep a watch on it.”

Another reader said that she used canned and drained pineapple chunks instead of fresh pineapple and that worked beautifully. Be sure to read even more reader comments and feedback in the notes section of the recipe. Personally, I plan to make the 9-inch cake version of this recipe very soon. I’ll come back and share a photo when I do! Need more pineapple upside down cake recipes? Perhaps more traditional-sized cakes, cupcakes, pancakes, or even a Pineapple Upside Down Martini? See my full collection of featured recipes here.  

More Fun and Delicious Gluten-Free Mini Recipes

~ Allergy-Friendly Mini Muffins for Kids (of All Ages)

~ Gluten-Free Chip and Guacamole Bites

~ Gluten-Free Crustless Mini Pecan Pies

~ Gluten-Free Sausage and Egg Mini Quiches

~ Mini Gluten-Free Cheesecakes

~ Mini Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Nutella Cookie Cups

~ Mini Gluten-Free Plum Crumbles

Mini Gluten-Free Pineapple Upside Down Cakes Recipe

Yield: 4 minis (in ramekins)

Mini Gluten-Free Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

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Mini gluten-free cakes with pineappley, buttery, brown sugary caramelized topping. What could possibly be better?

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

Topping Ingredients:

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• 6 tsp coconut palm sugar (or light brown sugar)
• 2 tbsp butter, melted, divided (for dairy free: use coconut oil, room temperature)
• 1/4 cup fresh pineapple pieces, thinly sliced (or more, see notes)

Cake Ingredients:

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• 1/2 cup superfine brown rice flour (such as Authentic Foods brand; see notes for substitution options)
• 1/4 cup millet flour (or almond flour; see notes for additional substitution options)
• 3 tbsp arrowroot starch (see notes for substitution ideas)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 3 tbsp butter, softened at room temperature (for dairy free: use coconut oil)
• 3 tbsp coconut oil (if dairy free: just use a total of 6 tbsp coconut oil and NO butter)
• 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar (or granulated sugar)
• 1 egg (see notes for egg-free substitution options) 
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp buttermilk (for dairy free: use So Delicious Plain Cultured Coconut Milk Yogurt or full-fat coconut milk + 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice, let sit for 5 minutes)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Lightly grease four oven-safe 8-ounce ramekins with coconut oil. Sprinkle 1 1/2 tsp of coconut palm sugar (or light brown sugar) into the bottom of each ramekin. Then place pineapple pieces around the bottom (like above photo). 
2. Pour 1/2 tbsp of melted butter (or coconut oil in liquid form) into each ramekin. Place ramekins into oven for 5 minutes until butter starts to bubble. Carefully remove ramekins from oven.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together until airy: superfine brown rice flour, millet (or almond flour or other substitutions), arrowroot starch, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.
4. In bowl of stand mixer (or using a mixing bowl and hand mixer), add: softened butter, coconut oil, and sugar. Beat on medium-high for 3 minutes until mixture becomes light and fluffy. Add egg (or egg replacer) and vanilla extract. Stop to scrape down sides.
5. Add half of the flour mixture, then all of the buttermilk (or dairy-free substitute), then the rest of the flour mixture and mix until just blended.
6. Pour batter into hot ramekins, only filling 2/3 full (note, you may have a little extra batter---you could make a quick mug cake if you like!). Bake for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes, run knife around edges, then remove from mold and flip onto serving plate.
7. For an extra special treat, serve with your dairy-full or dairy-free choice of vanilla ice-cream.

Notes

You may want to use more pineapple than is shown in the photo. I was running low on fresh pineapple when I made these minis. I typically like a lot more pineapple pieces than I had on hand.

To substitute for the rice flour in this recipe, sorghum flour or fava bean flour would be closest in weight and protein structure to the rice flour. However, I believe that I would adjust the amount from 1/2 cup of rice flour to 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the flour replacement, if you are using one of those substitutions I mentioned (they are each slightly lighter in weight than brown rice flour). 

You can also substitute quinoa flour, certified gluten-free oat flour, or corn flour in place of the millet flour. All should work well in the same measurement amount.

For egg free: Mix together in small bowl: 1 1/2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce with 3/4 tsp additional baking powder with 1 tbsp warm water and with 3/4 tsp Ener G Egg Replacer. Use this mixture where you would add the eggs in the instructions.

As noted above, the recipe can be double to fill eight ramekins or to make a 9-inch round Pineapple Upside Down Cake. For the cake version, oven temperature is the same but baking time increases to 45 or 50 minutes. Kim cautions readers to watch the cake carefully to prevent overbaking.

Additional Reader Feedback:

One reader noted: “I found mini tube pans and made some gluten-free Pineapple Upside down cakes that way, but each one was definitely two servings. I also put pecans in the bottom, like pecan rolls have. Had to leave out the maraschino cherries to avoid corn derivatives.”

A couple of readers substituted mango for the pineapple. Their reviews:

“This is a fabulous recipe! Rice, eggs and pineapple are on our “don’t” list along with gluten and dairy so, I substituted fresh mango for the pineapple, buckwheat flour for the rice flour and 2T ground flax cooked with 5T water, until egg white consistency. Also, I didn’t have the coconut sugar so I subbed with maple flour. It’s delicious, doesn’t taste “healthy,” and only tastes a bit oily. Probably because I forgot the extra 2T flour that is recommended when replacing the rice flour.”

“We love these as mango upside down cakes. I’ve made this every week since we started our restrictive diet a month ago. Mango instead of pineapple. Maple syrup, 1/3 of the recipe, instead of sugar in the batter. The egg replacer you recommended minus the water plus, ground chia instead of Ener-G egg replacer.”

Another reader said she used: “Full-fat canned coconut milk with apple cider vinegar instead of the recommended yogurt with lemon juice and sorghum flour instead of rice flour.”

One reader reported: “I made these tonight and tweaked them just a little and cooked them as a doubled recipe in a muffin pan. They are BEAUTIFUL!!! Thank you so much for a recipe that works!”

Another said: “I made a couple of changes---subbed tapioca starch for arrowroot because it’s what’s in the cupboard 🙂 , subbed out a little of the almond milk soured with lemon juice for some pineapple juice for added pineapple flavor. I had to use canned crushed pineapple, drained, because it’s what was in the cupboard…lol

“I doubled the recipe since I used my Nordic Ware 6-cavity mini pineapple shaped baking pan. My only error was that they could have baked just a bit longer.”

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Originally published February 12, 2026.

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