Inside Out Upside Down Pineapple Cupcakes

These Inside Out Upside Down Pineapple Cupcakes have been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #InsideOutEmotions #CollectiveBias

After first watching the preview to Disney's new movie, Inside Out, I was instantly hooked! Such a fun and cute movie about something so real - emotions. After seeing the movie I was totally inspired to make these Inside Out Upside Down Pineapple Cupcakes. Oh, I totally remember being a kid and sometimes just not feeling like myself {feeling inside out + upside down!}, but having no explanation for it. It's hard being young and trying to understand why you feel the way you do - but simply not having the knowledge or experience to figure it out. It's those memories of mine that have made it the utmost importance to me that I be in tune with my kiddo's emotions. Not only is it essential for me to teach them to identify their emotions, but also be able to cope and learn from them. One of my favorite ways to connect with my kiddos is in the kitchen, whipping up something delicious while spending special one-on-one time with each other. It's a no-holds-barred time for us, we can be candid with each other - so I like to use this time to discuss how the kids may be feeling about things going on in life. To make our most recent baking adventure Inside Out-themed, I picked up these absolutely adorable Inside Out plush toys from Walmart and brought them into the kitchen for a little baking action!

We seriously had too much with this baking mission! I had discussed with my son that we would be making these Inside Out Upside Down Pineapple Cupcakes in honor of our newest favorite Disney movie. What he didn't know was that I was going to have these fun Inside Out plushes waiting in the kitchen on baking day. Oh yeah, I was like the coolest mom in the world when he walked in the kitchen door, his jaw totally dropped. We were off to discussing the different characters of Inside Out and which one he felt like at the time - Joy, of course!

Then it was time to bake-up these delicious Inside Out Upside Down Pineapple Cupcakes! These cupcakes are miniature Upside Down Pineapple Cakes with the brown-sugar soaked pineapple chunks being on the inside instead of the top. Inside Out Upside Down, it's fun for the kids to say and delicious for everyone to eat. I asked my son if I should be in fear of the cupcakes not turning out right to which he replied, "No way! Be in joy!"

While we scooped out the centers of the cupcakes and filled them with the brown-sugar soaked pineapple chunks my son and I talked about feeling inside out, or upside down.  He related the cupcakes to feelings by comparing the part we scooped out as being sad and adding the pineapple as joy. Oh yes, I got all the feels on that one!

Although we will talk about emotions while whipping up something in the kitchen, it's not our only time to do so. We like to read. A lot. Books are also a great way for kids to learn emotions and to feel compassion for what someone else could be going through. After the cupcakes were ready to be eaten, we sat down and enjoyed a new Inside Out book I found at Walmart, while picking up the plushes. It was the perfect afternoon with the kiddos!

Inside Out Upside Down Cupcakes
{PRINTABLE RECIPE}
yields 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
¼ cup butter
⅔ cup light brown sugar
1 (16 oz) can pineapple chunks, drained {reserve juice}
⅓ cup butter
⅓ cup light brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup pineapple juice (from canned pineapple)
1 large egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
Directions
1 Heat oven to 350. Grease 12-cup cupcake pan.
2 In medium saucepan melt butter, stir in brown sugar. Add drained pineapples and stir until all pineapple chunks are evenly coated in butter/brown sugar mixture. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, set aside.
3 While the pineapple chunks are simmering, melt ⅓ cup butter and ⅓ cup brown sugar together. Stir well and evenly distribute into cupcake pan.
4 In stand mixer, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using paddle attachment to mix, add butter and pineapple juice until everything is well combined. Add egg and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Evenly distribute into cupcake pan.
5 Bake for 22-25 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Remove from heat.
6 Using a cookie scoop, or tablespoon measurement - scoop out the top of each cupcake, while still in the pan. Add about 4 chunks of pineapple into each cupcake. Place a baking rack, or baking pan, oven cupcake pan and flip over so that the cupcake are upside down.
7 Place each cupcake into a cupcake liner, top with whip cream and a cherry. Enjoy!

It seems like we haven't stopped playing with the Inside Out plushes since I brought them home!. They have been such a fun addition to our regular discussions about feelings and it seems their helping the younger kids identify with their different emotions. These awesome plushes are available exclusively at Walmart along with a variety of other Inside Out merchandise - such great toys, make sure to check them out!