Paleo Pineapple Upside Down Cake (Gluten-Free)

In the first episode of Cooking With Chef Christy, you’ll learn how to make pineapple upside-down cake with a few twists!

Instead of white flour, Christy uses coconut flour which contains more fiber and is great for those avoiding wheat. She also uses coconut sugar rather than white table sugar which has a slightly lower glycemic index.

Because of those swaps, this version of pineapple upside-down cake has fewer calories and carbohydrates and higher fiber and protein than its more traditional counterpart. Another cool thing, this recipe comes together much quicker than a traditional upside-down cake.

Is coconut sugar healthier than white sugar?

No. Not really. While coconut sugar is a more natural alternative to white table sugar that contains small amounts of minerals and a slightly lower glycemic index score, in the end we recommend you treat coconut sugar the same as any other caloric sweetener.

Fun facts about coconut sugar:

• The calorie and sugar content of cococunt sugar is identical to regular table sugar.
• It comes from the sap of a coconut palm tree and is less processed than white table sugar.
• It has a lower glycemic index than table sugar. Table sugar = 58, Coconut sugar = 54
• It contains small amounts of naturally-occurring minerals (iron, zinc, calcium and potassium), which makes it a tiny bit more nutritious than white sugar. 
• It contains a small amount of a soluble fiber called inulin that may make a blood sugar spike less likely to happen (if eaten in reasonable amounts).

Is coconut flour healthier than white flour?

• Coconut flour is higher in fiber. In fact 1/4 cup serving contains 10 grams of fiber.
• It’s fiber content makes it a blood sugar friendly option.
• Great for people following a wheat-free or gluten-free diet.
• A 1/4-cup serving contains:
  • 120 calories
  • 18 grams of carbohydrates
    • 6 grams of sugar
    • 10 grams of fiber
  • 6 grams of protein
  • 4 grams of fat
  • 20% of the daily value (DV) of iron

Fun facts about coconut flour:

• It absorbs a lot of liquid during baking. Your dough will often be much thicker when baking with coconut flour.

What are Chef Christy’s thoughts on baking with alternative sweeteners, like coconut sugar?

Proceed with caution, and stick with natural, less-refined sweeteners when possible. Choose recipes from sources that have tested their recipes. 

Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Chef Christy

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Paleo Pineapple Upside Down Cake (Gluten-Free)

This paleo version of pineapple upside-down cake has fewer calories and carbohydrates and a higher fiber and protein content than its more traditional counterpart. Another cool thing, this recipe comes together much quicker than a traditional upside-down cake.

Servings 6 pieces

Author Well Balanced Nutrition

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
• 1 cup almond flour blanched
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 slices pineapple cut into rings
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 cup raspberries or cranberries

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Melt coconut oil and set aside to cool.
• Line the bottom of an 8" springform pan with parchment paper [this facilitates a clean inversion of the cake] Note a 9-inch pie/cake pan will work also.
• Spray parchment lined pan with oil.
• Whisk together dry ingredients - flours, baking powder, and sugar.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla, and cooled coconut oil.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until combined and you have a smooth batter.
• Arrange pineapples rings in a single layer in your pan.
• Add raspberries [or cranberries] to fill holes.
• Drizzle the maple syrup on top of the pineapples.
• Gently press the batter into the cake pan.
• Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes.
• Remove from oven a let stand for at least 10 minutes before releasing from pan.
• Invert onto a plate and serve.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Nutrition Comparison

Paleo vs Traditional from Betty Crocker
<All values listed per serving>
Calories: 279 vs 390 (~110 less)
Fat: 15 total, 9 saturated vs 14 total, 6 saturated (1 and 3 g higher respectively)
Cholesterol: 69 vs 40 (29g higher)
Carbohydrates: 32 vs 62 (30g lower)
Fiber: 4 vs 1 (3g higher)
Protein: 7 vs 4 (3g higher)

In summary, this paleo version has fewer calories and carbohydrates, higher fat and
cholesterol, and higher fiber and protein than its more traditional counterpart.