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Cherry pineapple cupcakes are my homage to Betty Crocker. Back in the 1970s, the Betty Crocker cherry pineapple dump cake was a favorite at my house. I loved that cake but my hubby’s heart and my waistline can no longer accommodate the several sticks of butter in the recipe.
This recipe uses a sugar free yellow cake mix, no sugar added cherry pie filling, crushed pineapple, egg whites and plain non fat yogurt to substantially lower the fat, sugar and calories. These cupcakes are moist with the rich flavor of cherry and pineapple in every bite that is reminiscent of the original dump cake dessert.
A cherry pineapple cupcake topped with some Reddi-wip or Cool Whip is a great way to end a meal. They are perfect for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up with a cup of hot coffee or a glass if lemonade or iced tea. A platter of these cupcakes and fresh berries are a great addition to a summer barbecue or buffet. They are easy to transport and would be a welcome addition to a potluck dinner with family and friends or a church social.
This re-engineered recipe is a favorite of mine. It satisfies my sweet tooth and brings back good memories from my childhood.
Please see the recipe card below for exact amounts and directions.
Ingredient Round Up
- Pillsbury Sugar Free Yellow Cake Mix
- Plain fat free yogurt
- Egg whites
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract
- Can of no sugar added cherry pie filling
- Small can of crushed pineapple
- Water
Making the Cupcakes
- Place the can of pineapple in a strainer and drain away all the juice. Set aside.
- Open the can of cherry pie filling. Use a fork to pick out all the cherries and place in a bowl. A fair amount of the thickened juice will cling to the cherries. Set aside. Using the entire can of cherries plus all the thickened juice results in gooey cupcakes that are nasty. So use just the cherries and the juice that clings to them and toss the rest of the juice.
- Place the cake mix in a mixing bowl. Add the plain non fat yogurt, egg whites, vanilla extract, almond extract, drained pineapple and cherries from the pie filling to the cake mix.
- Begin to mix with a hand mixer. Then add the water to the mixing bowl and continue to mix with the hand mixer until you have a uniform cake batter.
- Use a large cookie scooper and portion out the cake batter into cupcake tins.
- Bake until the top springs back when lightly pressed or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven when done.
- Transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack.
- Once the cupcakes are cooled garnish with a dollop of Reddi-wip or Cool Whip, serve and enjoy. Freeze or refrigerate leftover cupcakes.
Serving Ideas
- Cherry pineapple cupcakes are a great way to end a meal. You can garnish them with a dollop of Reddi-wip or Cool Whip or a light sprinkle of powdered sugar. Better yet serve them with a scoop of frozen vanilla, cherry or coconut yogurt.
- These cupcakes are great for a mid afternoon snack. They pair well with a hot cup of coffee or tea or a glass of iced hibiscus herbal tea.
- For special occasions you can frost the cupcakes with a plain or pineapple cream cheese frosting. Even better, warm some cream cheese frosting in the microwave to thin it out. Use it to glaze the cupcakes or just drizzle it over the tops – either way you get that great cream cheese frosting taste for a fraction of the calories and points.
- A platter of these cupcakes surrounded with raspberries and sliced strawberries are perfect for a summer barbecue or buffet.
WW 2 pt per cupcake, makes 21 cupcakes
Servings: 21 cupcakes
Calories: 84.4kcal
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- measuring cup and spoons
- cupcake tins
- foil cupcake liners
- hand mixer
- large cookie scooper
- spatula
- strainer
- 2 bowl for strainer and for cherries
Ingredients
- 1 box Pillsbury Sugar Free Yellow Cake mix
- 1 can no sugar added cherry pie filling, used Lucky Leaf
- 1 small can crushed pineapple in juice
- ¼ c plain non fat yogurt
- 2 egg whites OR 1 whole egg
- ¼ c water
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Place the foil cupcake liners into the cupcake wells in the cupcake tins and set aside.
- Open and drain a small can of crushed pineapple. Place the pineapple in a strainer set inside of bowl and let it sit and continue to drain until you are ready to use it.
- Open the can of no sugar added cherry pie filling. Use a fork and pick out the cherries from the can and place them into a small bowl. When you are finish you will have a bowl of cherries that are coated with the thickened filling juice and about a third of a can of just the thickened filling juice. Toss the extra juice. (see note below)
- Place the Pillsbury sugar free yellow cake mix into a large mixing bowl. Add the egg whites, plain non fat yogurt, vanilla extract, almond extract, drained crushed pineapple and cherries to the cake mix.
- Begin to mix all the ingredients together with a hand mixer and add the ¼ c water plus 1 tbsp of water to the bowl and continue to mix until you have a uniform cake batter.
- Place a large scooper full of batter into each foil lines cupcake well in the tin.
- Place the cupcakes into a preheated oven and bake at 350℉ for 20 - 23 min depending on your oven. I checked mine at 20 min and let them bake for an additional 2 min and then checked them again. They are done when the top springs back when lightly pressed or when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. I baked mine for a total of 22 min.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven. Let them sit for 10 min and then transfer them to a cooling rack.
- Serve them when they are completely cooled. You can serve then plain or garnish them as you wish. They freeze well.
Notes
The very first time I made these cupcakes, I dumped in an entire can of no sugar added cherry pie filling. The cupcakes were incredibly gooey in the middle regardless of how long I cooked them. While they tasted good the texture was very off putting. After trial and error I came up with the current recipe that produced cupcakes that were tasty and had the texture of a traditional cupcake.
The key is to limit the thicken juice (goo) that the cherries are packed in. Pick out the cherries with a fork and whatever goo is coating them. Leave the remaining goo in the can and toss unless you have another use for it. Every time I have made this recipe using this method, I had about a third or slightly less of goo left in the can.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cucake | Calories: 84.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 21.1g | Protein: 1.5g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 170mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2.4g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
