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Since it’s been raining throughout most of the planet for the past month (OK, slight exaggeration), I thought everyone might want a bit of cheer today. This pineapple upside down cake is super cute and super good! The cool thing is that it doesn’t take any expensive, hard-to-find flours.
Before I go any further, let me say that yes, I am aware that there is a single-serve pineapple upside down recipe on page 274 of the gorgeous new THM cookbook. It gave me quite a little bloggy dilemma, too. See, before I left for Ohio this summer (where I spent 2 1/2 months working), I made a whole bunch of recipes ahead of time so I could keep posting all summer long despite not having a kitchen. This recipe was one of those recipes.  I actually made it on the same day I made my famous mock Frosted Lemonade, and I posted on Facebook about both of these recipes and everyone got all excited. Due to the number of recipes I make and the limited number of recipes I post per week, I end up with quite a queue of recipes that have to wait awhile to be posted. This particular cake has been waiting in the archives since April 17th. So you see, this cake was made long before I ever saw the new cookbook, and I didn’t mean to copy their idea at all!
For all you Trim Healthy Mamas who are out there wondering, yes, a small amount of pineapple is approved in an E setting. Just be sure to add some lean protein with it. In fact, you should probably add a little low fat cottage cheese or Greek yogurt on the side of this cake if you’re having it on its own for a snack. Or you could just tack it on as dessert to an E or FP meal (just be aware of your 45 gram net carb limit for a THM:E meal).
This cake uses oat flour (which you can make by just grinding up oats in your blender). The slight stickiness of oat flour works perfectly for an ooey-gooey pineapple upside down cake!
Amy Senecal, one of my awesome readers, emailed me a larger-size Cranberry Apple Upside Down Cake recipe that she made using this basic recipe. She gave me permission to share it with all of you!
Cranberry Apple Upside Down Cake
4 medium apples, peeled and chopped
2 c. cranberries, slightly chopped
*Combine apples and berries with 1-2 Tablespoons of Xylitol and 1 tsp. cinnamon.
Spread in bottom of 8×11 pan. {Note: If you don’t have a pan this size, you might try using an 8×8 pan and baking it longer for a thicker cake.}
2 cups + 2 T. oat flour (You can make your own by grounding oats in a blender.)
1 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. xylitol
shake or pinch of Stevia powder
1/3 c. plain Greek yogurt
1/3 c. almond milk
3/4 c. egg whites (I used the kind in the carton.)
Mix dry ingredients. Stir in wet ingredients. Spread over fruit, completely covering it.
Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Cut into squares (I cut 8 large pieces) and flip them upside down to serve. Top with Fat-free Reddiwip if desired.
For more E desserts, click here!
You can find this recipe in my cookbook, Necessary Food.

- ¼ cup pineapple tidbits canned in their own juice, drained
- 3 T oat flour (use gluten free if necessary)
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- Dash of salt
- Cinnamon to taste
- 3 doonks THM Pure Stevia Extract Powder (a doonk is 1/32 tsp.)
- 1 T low-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 T egg whites (the carton kind works great)
- 1 T water
- Fresh cranberries for topping, optional (or you could put some in with the pineapple before baking)
- Spray a glass 2-cup Pyrex bowl or other small oven-safe bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place the pineapple in the bottom.
- Stir together the rest of the ingredients and pour over the top of the pineapple. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Take the cake out of the oven and let it sit for a few minutes. Run a knife around the outside of the cake and invert onto a plate. Top with fresh cranberries if desired and enjoy!
Suggested products:
THM Pure Stevia Extract Powder and other great products can be purchased from the Trim Healthy Mama online store.
How much pineapple is allowed in an E ? I have not found anywhere a certain amount with thm plan …
Hmm…I don’t know the answer to that right off hand, and I loaned my plan book out to someone (not sure if the answer is in there or not). Maybe you could ask in the main THM Facebook group or check the THM Food Analyzer app to see if it has a serving size listed? I know it’s pretty high in natural sugars so I’m guessing you probably shouldn’t eat more than a cup, but I don’t know what the official stance is.
I don’t have just eggs whites, and I could separate them, but then what to do with the yolk? Can I just use an entire egg?
Hi Veronica! I try to keep carbs and fats separated in my recipes because I follow a healthy eating plan called Trim Healthy Mama. Egg yolks are a fatty ingredient, so I use only egg whites in my carb-centered recipes (marked THM:E). In this recipe, a whole egg would probably make the recipe too “eggy”; the recipe only calls for 2 T egg whites and a whole egg would give you 3-4 T plus the yolk.
Here is a list of my recipes that use egg yolks if you’re interested: https://www.briana-thomas.com/indexes/fuel-type-allergy-info-theme/egg-yolk-uses
Hi! Could this be microwaved instead of baked in oven? If so, how much time! Thanks!
You’re welcome to try that, but I prefer the texture when baked. 🙂 Just microwave it until the top appears to be done.