Carrot-Pineapple Mini Bundt Cakes

Name: Carrot-Pineapple Mini Bundt Cakes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour* (can sub with GF 1:1 baking mix ); 1/3 cup packed brown sugar; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp ground ginger; 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 cup finely grated carrots (approx. 2 large carrots); 1 cup crushed pineapple in 100% juice (partially drained); 2 eggs (room temp); 2/3 cup coconut oil (can sub with avocado oil); 2 tsp vanilla extract; favorite vanilla frosting, if desired

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Give the Easter bunny just what he's wishing for! These Carrot-Pineapple Mini Bundt Cakes are light, fluffy, and make the perfect springtime treat!

Overhead shot of cooling rack with Carrot-Pineapple Mini Bundt Cakes — Carrot-Pineapple Mini Bundt Cakes are a delicious springtime favorite!

For us, carrot cake will always be synonymous with spring and the Easter season. From the classic cake to oats and crescent rolls, there's no wrong way to spread that carrot cake love. Today we're sharing a tasty twist on the popular combo with these Carrot-Pineapple Mini Bundt Cakes. Fun, fruity, and the perfect size for springtime gatherings, we're sure you'll love these little cakes!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

The ultimate, upgraded Easter treat!
A twist on a classic carrot cake, we upped the fruits and veggies and decreased added sugar without compromising flavor or satisfaction. Whether you're enjoying with family, brunching with friends, or sharing with the "Easter bunny", we're sure everyone will love them.

A pinch a make.
Simply mix, pour, and bake! These mini cakes are simple enough for little hands and beginner bakers to make and use a handful of everyday items. They freeze well and are perfect for parties and entertaining.

Bursting with fruity flavor!
Juicy pineapple, tropical coconut, and natural sweetness from carrots lend a tasty trio to these mini cakes. You can enjoy them plain or dress them up with frosting, chopped nuts, extra carrots, and candied ginger.

What You'll Need

Flour
We've made these cakes with both wheat and gluten free 1:1 baking flour. Gluten free cakes come out with a slightly softer texture, but you'll hear no complaints from us!

Carrots
You can't have carrot cake without carrots! Carrots bring color, moisture, and a touch of sweetness to the mix.

Pineapple
Pineapple adds the perfect sweetness and fruity flavor to these cakes. Using canned pineapple helps add a touch more moisture to the mix.

Coconut Oil
Coconut oil adds moisture to our cakes as well as a delicious, tropical flavor, which pairs perfectly with the natural flavor of our carrots and pineapple.

Eggs
Eggs are important for binding our mixture and giving the cakes structure.

Baking Soda & Powder
Baking soda and baking powder help give lift and that golden touch to our cakes.

Brown Sugar
We add just a touch of brown sugar for sweetness, moisture, and color to round out our cakes. You can replace with your favorite dry alternative. For a sweeter, more traditional cake, you can increase up to a ½ cup.

Salt, Ginger, and Cinnamon
Salt and a touch of spice help round out the flavor of these cakes without being overpowering.

How To Make These Bundt Cakes

Step 1
To start, we prepare our dry ingredient mixture.

Overhead side-by-side shot of mixing bowl with dry ingredients — We've successfully made these cakes with both wheat and gluten free flours. Use whichever best fits your needs!

Step 2
Next, we shred the carrots. We recommend finely grating or thinly shredding your carrots from fresh, which retains more moisture than store bought.

Overhead shot of finely grated carrots next to a grater on a cutting board — Grating carrots at home (versus store bought) helps retain moisture, resulting in a more tender cake.

Step 3
Next, we combine our carrots with the rest of our wet ingredients.

Side-by-side shot of wet cake ingredients in a mixing bowl, then mixed. — Only have diced pineapple? Just give it an extra chop or run through the food processor to break the chunks into smaller pieces.

Step 4
Now, we combine our wet and dry ingredients together.

Close-up shot of wet ingredients being poured into dry ingredient bowl. — Carrots and pineapple add such a colorful pop to this batter!

It's important not to over mix your batter - especially when working with wheat flour - as this can create a tough batter and heavy, dense final cake.

Overhead shot of mixed ingredients for Carrot-Pineapple Mini Bundt Cakes — It's important, especially when using wheat flour, not to overman your batter. This can result in hard, dense cakes.

Step 5
It's time to add the batter to the bundt molds. You can use individual molds or a tray, like this convenient silicone option. Greasing molds ahead of time helps prevent sticking.

Close-up shot of cake batter being spooned into a bundt mold — We love a bundt shape for this recipe but you can also use a standard muffin tray as well!

Step 6
Off to the oven they go!

Overhead shot of Carrot-Pineapple Mini Bundt Cakes in bundt mold. — Molds should be filled ¾ of the way up. For extra mini (donut-like) bundts, fill ½ of the way. These extra minis can be filled with frosting for cake sandwiches!

Cakes are done when golden and toothpick clean. The only question left to answer is: straight up or with frosting?

Overhead shot of baked Carrot-Pineapple Mini Bundt Cakes — Whether you opt for straight from the oven or topped with frosting, you can't go wrong!

Frequently Asked Questions

Eek! I'm out of crushed pineapple. Are there any substitutions?

Fear not! Canned rings and diced pieces will also work. We recommend roughly chopping or placing into a food processor for a quick whirl to break pieces apart. Fresh pineapple also works, but doesn't provide the same moisture as canned. We recommend adding 1 tablespoon pineapple juice or preferred milk with ¾ cup finely diced pieces.

I'm not a fan of coconut. Can I use another oil?

Absolutely! If a coconutty flavor is not your favorite, swap out for avocado, walnut, or another neutral tasting oil.

Can this be made gluten free?

Yes! In fact we typically make these GF at home. The texture tends to be a little lighter and more crumbly than a wheat flour but we're not complaining! There are a number of great gluten free 1:1 mixes available so use your favorite. We've had great success with Trader Joe's and Bob's Red Mill mixes.

I don't own a mini bundt pan...

Not to worry! This recipe yields 12 muffins in a standard tray. During our home tests baking time was the same, but check your muffins around the 18-20 minute mark just to be safe!

Are these best served plain or with a topping?

Yes and yes 😂 We love these little cakes plain and with vanilla frosting. When we're feeling really fancy we'll throw on some chopped walnuts. There truly is no wrong way to love them.

Overhead shot of Carrot-Pineapple Mini Bundt Cakes on a cooling rack

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5 from 7 votes