Easy Gluten-Free Pineapple Upside-Down Cake (6 Ingredients)

Indulge in a luscious classic dessert. Every bite delivers a perfectly dense, golden vanilla crumb that is completely gluten-free and egg-free. Simple to bake and slice in a single dish, this gooey, caramelized treat is a mouthwatering triumph!

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When I was 9 years old, I spent the entire summer with my grandparents. It was so much fun, with horseback riding, swimming, and every Sunday my grandpa made pineapple upside-down muffins. I loved them. But I haven’t eaten them in years, not since I went gluten-free in 2004.

Lately I’ve been craving them. I tried to convert Grandpa’s from-scratch recipe, but I remembered how long it used to take him to make a batch. I like quick and easy recipes, and that’s when it dawned on me to use a cake mix. Also, to save my energy, instead of filling individual muffin tins, I spread everything into one 8″ x 8″ glass baking dish.

The result tastes delicious. You can’t even tell it’s gluten-free. My family, who eats food with gluten, was impressed.

Why This Gluten-Free Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Works for MS

Old-fashioned pineapple upside-down cake can be a lot of work: separate batters, fussy flipping, a pile of dishes. This version skips most of that.

• A boxed mix does the heavy lifting. There’s no flour blend to measure and nothing to sift.
• One baking dish. There’s no muffin tin to fill, and you don’t have to flip anything onto a plate.
• No eggs. Flax eggs replace them. Eggs give me gut pain, so this is a recipe I can enjoy without worrying about that.

On days when energy is low, a treat that asks very little of you is worth having in your back pocket. It’s also nice to bake something that tastes like a childhood memory without spending the afternoon in the kitchen.

Why Every Ingredient Earns Its Place

Simple Mills Vanilla Cupcake & Cake Mix: This is the base of the cake, and it’s gluten-free. You can find it here on Amazon. I changed the batter slightly so it bakes up a little denser, closer to a muffin than a fluffy cake.

Crushed Pineapple: Crushed pineapple spreads into a flat, even layer, so every bite gets some. The one non-negotiable step is draining it. Press out as much liquid as you can through a fine-mesh strainer, then finish with a spoon or paper towels. A soggy pineapple layer makes a soggy cake. Save the juice, because you’ll need a tablespoon for the batter.

Pure Maple Syrup + Olive Oil: These go into the bottom of the dish under the pineapple, and they give the base its caramel-like flavor.

Flax Eggs: Ground flaxseed mixed with warm water thickens into a gel, and that gel replaces the eggs. It takes 10 minutes to set, so mix it first and let it sit while you do everything else.

An 8″ x 8″ Glass Baking Dish with Handles: I like a dish with handles because I get a better grip when I’m pulling a hot dish out of the oven. Here’s a similar one I use.

How to Make It

1. Make the flax eggs first. Stir 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal into 1/2 cup warm water and set it aside for 10 minutes until it turns thick and gel-like.

2. Prep the oven and dish. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease the inside walls of the dish with a tiny drop of olive oil.

3. Build the pineapple layer. Pour the maple syrup and olive oil into the bottom of the dish and spread them evenly. Add the well-drained pineapple, then press it down firmly with a spatula into a dense, even layer.

4. Mix the batter. In a medium bowl, whisk the thickened flax eggs, olive oil, water, and pineapple juice. Add the dry cake mix and stir until fully combined. The batter will be quite thick.

5. Spread it on top. Spoon the batter over the pineapple, then gently spread it to the edges with the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula. Rubber spatulas like these on Amazon work well.

6. Bake. Grip the dish handles firmly with oven mitts and slide it onto the center rack. Bake for 32 to 37 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Crushed pineapple takes a couple of minutes longer to bake through than tidbits do.

7. Cool completely, then slice. Let it cool right in the dish. Cut it into squares and use a spatula to lift the bars out, and serve pineapple side up.

Easy Ways to Make This Cake Your Own

Want it more cake-like? Grandpa’s were more muffin-like, so I made mine dense. If you’d like a lighter crumb, follow the directions on the box instead.

Muffin-style. You can bake the batter in a lined muffin tin, the way Grandpa did. Bake time will be shorter, so start checking early.

Serve it your way. Enjoy these pineapple upside-down cake bars warm or at room temperature. Sprinkle with unsweetened coconut flakes for a tropical touch, or add chopped pecans or walnuts for a little crunch. They’re delicious just as they are, too!

Common Questions

Why do I have to drain the pineapple so thoroughly? Extra liquid turns the bottom of the cake gummy and keeps it from baking through. Pressing it dry is the most important step in the recipe.

Can I use pineapple tidbits instead? Yes, but bake time will be a couple of minutes shorter. Crushed pineapple takes slightly longer to cook through.

Can I use a different gluten-free mix? I tested this recipe only with Simple Mills Vanilla Cupcake & Cake Mix, so I can’t promise the same results with another mix.

Why use flax eggs? I can’t tolerate eggs, so I use flax eggs to help bind these cake bars together. Ground flaxseeds also add fiber and ALA, a plant-based omega-3 fat. You can read more about flaxseeds and omega-3s in my post. Make your flax eggs first so they have about 10 minutes to thicken before you mix the batter.

How do I store leftovers?

To store your leftover pineapple cake, keep it in an airtight container or cover your glass dish tightly and place it in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days, which will actually help chill and stiffen the texture further. Some glass baking dishes come with a lid like this one.

For a long-term option, wrap individual sliced squares tightly in parchment paper or plastic wrap, seal them inside a freezer-safe bag, and freeze them for up to 3 months. When you are ready to eat a frozen slice, simply set it on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes to thaw safely back to room temperature. This makes it incredibly easy to pull out a single, low-energy snack whenever you want one!

To warm a single slice without it getting soggy, microwave it at 50% power for 15 to 20 seconds. Placing a paper towel underneath the slice will absorb any extra moisture from the pineapple layer. This keeps the cake warm while maintaining its stiff, sturdy structure!

If you try this gluten-free pineapple upside-down cake, I’d love to hear how it turns out. Leave a comment below. I read every single one.

Recipe

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