Pineapple juice can add a hint of tropical flair to just about any baked good, especially those with vanilla or fruit flavors. Baking with pineapple juice is also remarkably easy. The simplest ways to use pineapple juice while baking are by substituting it for another ingredient and by using it to create a glaze to put on top of your baked goods. Pineapple juice also packs a punch of vitamin C, manganese, and other beneficial nutrients.
Steps
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Use pineapple juice to make a cake from a boxed mix. Boxed cake mixes are easy enough for even the most novice bakers to make, so you can enjoy pineapple-flavored baked goods no matter what level your cooking skills are at. Simply replace the oil, milk, or water called for in the recipe with pineapple juice in equal proportions.
- A yellow or white cake works best, since the pineapple flavor could clash or get lost if you use chocolate or another flavor.
- Alternatively, you can use a fruit flavored boxed cake, like orange or strawberry. The pineapple juice will complement the flavor of the fruit already included in the cake mix.
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Substitute pineapple juice for oil in quick breads. A quick bread is any bread made with a leavening agent other than yeast, including baking soda and baking powder. Common examples include banana bread, biscuits, and muffins. If the recipe you use calls for oil, you can replace the oil with equal amounts of pineapple juice to create a sweet, moist bread.
- This substitution can taste especially good if the quick bread already has some hint of fruit flavor, such as banana bread or blueberry muffins.
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Replace water or milk in a recipe for pineapple juice. This works well for most cookie, cake, and bread recipes. Simply replace either the water or milk with pineapple juice in equal proportions.
- Note that if a recipe calls for multiple liquids, like milk and oil, you should only substitute the juice for one of the liquids.
- When making yeast bread, you generally warm the yeast in milk or water before adding it to the dry ingredients. Replace the water or milk with pineapple juice to create a simple pineapple bread. The pineapple taste may not be especially strong, but there will be a hint of fruitiness.
- Replace the milk in a simple pancake batter with pineapple juice. Your pancakes will immediately get a boost of tropical flavor. You can further accentuate this flavor by mixing shredded coconut into the batter, as well.
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Reduce the amount of sugar in a recipe when you use pineapple juice. Fruit contains a sugar called fructose, so any fruit juice will make a recipe sweeter than milk, water, or oil would. When you choose to replace one liquid in a recipe with pineapple juice, you may also want to consider reducing the amount of sugar you use in the recipe by 1/4 the original amount.
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Make a simple icing to drizzle over cookies, cakes, and other sweets. Mix 1 cup (225 grams) of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) of pineapple juice, beating them together with a whisk or fork until combined. The consistency should be fluid enough to drizzle but thick enough to hold its shape once it is on the baked good.
- Use this icing on biscuits, fruit cookies, pound cake, and sugar cookies.
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Create a glaze for cinnamon rolls, donuts, and other breads. Whisk together 1/2 cup (113.4 grams) of powdered sugar with 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 milliliters) of pineapple juice. The glaze should be spread onto your baked goods and should be too fluid to retain any form.
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Mix things up with a piña colada glaze. The flavor of coconut naturally mixes well with the taste of pineapple. Whisk 1/2 cup (113.4 grams) of powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) of pineapple juice, 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) of coconut extract, and 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) of rum extract. The glaze should be very fluid and should be spread on instead of drizzled.
- This tastes especially good on plain donuts and pound cake.
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Use a pineapple glaze to bake ham. Whisk together 1 cup (225 grams) brown sugar with 3/4 cup (177 milliliters) pineapple juice until the sugar dissolves. Spread this glaze over ham and bake as directed.
Expert Q&A
Video
Tips
Warnings
- Use fresh juice instead of canned juice when substituting it for milk or water in cakes and breads. Canned juice contains a substance called methyl silicone. This substance often prevents baked goods from rising completely.Thanks
Things You'll Need
- Whisk
- Bowl
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
References
About This Article
To give your baked goods a boost of tropical flavor, try replacing a liquid ingredient with pineapple juice. For example, switch out water, milk, or oil in a boxed cake mix for pineapple juice. It also works as a substitute for oil in most quick bread recipes, such as banana bread or blueberry muffins. If you’re making a recipe that calls for multiple liquids, such as milk and oil, choose just one and replace it with an equal amount of pineapple juice. Since pineapple juice packs a lot of sugary punch, reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe by about ¼.