I love the Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate Premium Brownie Mix that I’ve been buying from Costco. You can easily buy a box of pre-packaged mix whenever you run out yet set it aside in the cupboard until you need it. We always have eggs, oil, and water on hand so we can easily mix up a batch anytime. Both last year for Ada’s birthday and this year for Zoey’s the kids wanted a brownie cake so I whipped up a birthday batch by adding several types of candy to the dough before cooking it (like M&Ms and Rolos) and then added whipped cream to each serving.

This year for Ada’s birthday party I half expected the same cake yet when I asked her what kind of cake she wanted she requested a pineapple cake. She was remembering a batch of pineapple carrot muffins (aptly called cupcakes) we made before but her requested slowly morphed. After confirming with her we settled on experimenting to see if pineapple brownies would taste good for her birthday party. The test was a resounding success and the day of the party we topped the pineapple brownie slices with whipped cream.

Going into the experiments I wasn’t sure if I should just use the pineapple or also include the pineapple juice. We had both chunked and sliced canned pineapple in our pantry so I had Ada choose which can and so chunky was used. With the paddle attachment on the stand mixer we ended up with different sized pineapple throughout the brownies.

To better decide if we’d like this I decided to make two batches of pineapple brownie cake. I decided to start by separating the canned pineapple so the first batch would just use the chunked pineapple (about two thirds of the can) while the second batch had all the pineapple liquid and the remaining third of the pineapple.

For the first batch we followed the directions of the brownie mix exactly. We mixed the single egg, oil, and water together. We then added the brownie powder, mixed it up, then added the pineapple, and then mixing again to combine and break up the pineapple. I used the paddle attachment as I didn’t want the whisk to get bent with the pineapple and the paddle attachment applied more force against the pineapple chunks.

The second batch used the pineapple liquid so I wasn’t sure how much liquid to remove from the recipe. I ended up measuring the pineapple liquid and realized we had more than the amount of water called for so I didn’t add any water. I mixed together the two eggs, oil, pineapple liquid, and one third of the pineapple chunks before adding the brownie mix and mixing it together again. All we removed from the recipe on the box was the water.

Both batters went into their own casserole dishes before being baked according to the directions.

The end result was fantastic. Both pineapple brownie cakes tasted amazing. The brownie with the pineapple liquid ended up tasting pineapple-y throughout each bite while the other one only tasted pineapple-y if you got a chunk in your piece. Overall the pineapple lightened up the chocolate, moistened the cake, and ended up tasting amazing.

For Ada’s birthday party we doubled the brownie mix, didn’t add any water, added an entire can of chunky pineapple including the liquid, and then the called for eggs and oil. I baked the brownies according to the directions on the box and after it cooled pre-cut it the night before. Looking back I wish I let it cool completely before cutting as it was rather crumbly. I had decided to cut it up as the previous candy filled brownies ended up being rock hard when put in the fridge and I wanted to streamline the cutting and dishing process during the party this time.

Update: If you want to see a direct comparison between adding pineapples to your brownies or leaving it as is you can check out my Halloween-themed brownie cupcakes. There I made one batch with pineapple and one with only the addition of coconut and more chocolate chips.

Ada wanted pineapple cake for her 4th birthday party so we changed up the Ghirardelli brownies to include canned pineapple making the finished cake moist and delicious. We topped each cut brownie square with some homemade whipped cream.

If you want your pineapple brownies to be less pineapple-y you could always leave out the pineapple liquid and include the water called for on the box mix.

Ingredients

• 2 pouches Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate Brownie Mix Costco or many other grocery stores
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can chunked pineapple

Hardware Used

• Stand Mixer with paddle attachment
• 13" by 9" casserole dish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325*F. Prepare baking pan by lightly spraying it with a non-stick cooking spray.
2. Place oil, eggs, and canned pineapple (with liquid) in your bowl and fully mix it together.
3. Add your two pouches of brownie mix and stire until well blended.
4. Pour and spread in 13 by 9 inch casserole dish.`
5. Bake for an hour or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. You may have to test more than once if you insert the toothpick into a chocolate chip or pineapple chunk.
6. Let cool before cutting. I found it a bit difficult to cut when it was only partially cooled as it was extremely crumbly.

I hope you enjoy this pineapple version of the Ghirardelli brownies. Feel free to share your brownie creations or, especially, how you change up your brownies. I'd love to hear from you in the comments below (at SimplyKyra.com), on my Facebook page (SimplyKyra), or through Instagram (@simplyartsykyra). Hope you have a great day.