Slow Cooker Pineapple Coconut Spoon Cake
51 Comments Apr 17, 2023
Updated Nov 30, 2024
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Pineapple coconut spoon cake in the slow cooker? Yes, please! Pantry staples come together to create the most incredible-tasting dessert that everyone is sure to love.
Warm desserts are the best! Spoon cake is a must in the slow cooker, we also make German Chocolate Spoon Cake, Pumpkin Spoon Cake and Butterfinger Cake.
Why this recipe works
This cake has such a great flavor combination. Have you ever had pineapple fluff? It’s a mixture of pineapple, coconut, marshmallows, and whipped cream. Well, that is what this cake tastes like to me!
Not to mention, anyone on the receiving end of a piece of this cake will think you made it from scratch. But in reality, it’s a simple dump and go process with a two-hour cooking time. This is definitely a dessert to make for the holidays, a family gathering, or a potluck. We also make slow cooker rice pudding when we are in the mood for dessert!
Recipe Ingredients
- Cake Mix: I use Pillsbury Yellow Cake Mix, though a white cake mix can be used.
- Crushed Pineapple: To make this cake and glaze, you will need a 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple. Read the directions carefully below in my recipe and don’t throw away any of the pineapple or juices. Part of the pineapple and juices go into the sweet buttery glaze that gets put on the cake at the end of the cooking time.
- Salted Butter: I learned this trick from Paula Dean to use butter in place of oil in cake mix recipes, this is life-changing!
- Coconut: No need to toast this, just toss it in.
- Pecans: Adding these add texture to the cake.
- Glaze: The glaze is a warm buttery topping made from powdered sugar, pineapple juice, melted butter, coconut, and pecans. It soaks into the cake and is drool-worthy.
Step One – Add the cake ingredients into a large bowl. and whisk until the batter just comes together, do not over mix, some little lumps of cake mix are fine.
Step Two – Whisk the ingredients together until the batter just comes together. (Do not over-mix, some little lumps of cake mix are fine.)
Step Three – Pour the batter into the prepared crock pot and smooth it out with a spatula.
Step Four – Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours. (Do not remove the lid during cooking time.)
Step Five – Combine the glaze ingredients – powdered sugar, pineapple juice, melted butter, coconut, and pecans – in a small mixing bowl.
Step Six – Mix the ingredients together until well combined.
Step Seven – Pour the glaze mix over the hot cake.
How to serve pineapple spoon cake
- You can’t go wrong by serving this as is. It has everything you need to enjoy a sweet treat.
- If you want to serve it with something, try a scoop of vanilla or vanilla pecan ice cream. It also tastes great served with additional fresh fruit such as pineapple chunks and chopped strawberries.
- When it comes to toppings, whipped cream and a cherry on top is the popular choice.
Recipe FAQs
This cake is too gooey to be taken out of the slow cooker unless it was refrigerated. I recommend serving this warm right out of the slow cooker.
Yes! Bake as directed on the box for the size of the cake pan you are using. Add the glaze on top of the cake when the cake is hot out of the oven.
You can’t tell from the pictures, but this cake sets up very well. The glaze makes it look like it hasn’t but rest assured there is cake texture under all that glaze. You can watch the video to see what the cake looks like inside.
Store any remaining cake in an airtight container. It does not have to be put in the fridge, but it should be eaten within 4 days (although I doubt it will last that long).
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Slow Cooker Pineapple Coconut Spoon Cake
How to Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For the cake
- 15.25 oz yellow cake mix
- 1 cup water
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup butter, (1 stick); melted
- 20 oz crushed pineapple , divided; 1 cup drained; save all the juices and remaining pineapple for the glaze
- 1 cup coconut
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
For the glaze:
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- reserved crush pineapple, measures out to be about a cup
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup coconut
- 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
Instructions
- Add the cake ingredients into a large bowl and whisk until the batter just comes together, do not over mix, some little lumps of cake mix are fine.
- Spray the slow cooker with non-stick spray and add the batter to the slow cooker. Smooth out the batter with a spatula.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours, keep the lid on THE ENTIRE TIME.
- When the cooking time is done, turn off the slow cooker.
Glaze
- Add the powdered sugar, remaining pineapple, melted butter, coconut and chopped pecans to a bowl.
- Whisk until a sauce forms.
- Pour this mixture over the warm cake.
- Let the cake sit for 5 minutes with the glaze on top, covered.
- Spoon out servings into bowls and serve with whipped cream if desired.
Sarah’s Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
My other favorite Dessert Recipes:
- Slow Cooker White Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake
- Slow Cooker Chocolate Lava Cake
- Slow Cooker Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Slow Cooker Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
- Slow Cooker Pecan Pie
- Slow Cooker Cherry Chip Cake
- Slow Cooker Coconut Bread Pudding
- Slow Cooker Candy Bar Fondue
- Slow Cooker Crustless Pumpkin Pie
- Slow Cooker Apple Crisp
- Slow Cooker Better than Sex Cake
I’m curious if oil could be used in place of butter for the glaze…probably not though….oil probably wouldn’t set the glaze properly :-/
Oil could probably be used in the cake part though…..was just wondering because one lady at the potluck I went to last night couldn’t have dairy so had to pass on the delicious Chocolate Lava Cake 🙁
And I was wondering if this recipe could be made non-dairy somehow
Have you or anyone else that can please answer ever made this without the coconut and if so did it change the cooking time or other ingredients in any way?
The cooking time will remain the same 🙂
Do you have any suggestions on how to make this dairy free? My niece can no longer have any dairy products and we are all scrambling to figure out changes.
Same here. For the cake part you could probably just use oil. Not sure what to substitute for the butter in the glaze though as I doubt straight up oil would work…..but I’m thinking Olivio coconut oil spread which is vegan might work 🙂 (not sure if they still make it though)
Can you double this and cook in high for longer time period? Or would it be better to double and cook on low for 4 hours?
Doubling cause in the slow cooker doors y work well. They tend to burn in the edges before cooking in the center.
I’m making this for the second time. Can’t go wrong with pineapple, pecans and coconut!! All my husbands favorites!!❤️♥️
This was so good. Five stars. Can’t believe is was made in a crock pot. Will be making it again
Can this be made without coconut?