This banana cupcake recipe is packed with banana flavor! Sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting is the perfect pairing to these delicious cupcakes. One of the best ways to use overripe bananas!
Ingredients for Banana Cupcakes
Banana cupcakes
- All-purpose flour – Be sure to fluff the flour and level your measuring cups.
- Granulated sugar – For sweetness.
- Baking powder – Leavening agent to help the cupcakes rise.
- Salt – To enhance the flavor of the cupcakes and contrast the sweetness.
- Milk – Room temperature.
- Vegetable oil – You can also use canola oil.
- Egg – Large egg, room temperature.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract enhances the banana flavor.
- Banana – Bananas come in different sizes. You will need 2/3 cup mashed banana which is about 1-2 average sized bananas. Use ripe bananas with brown spots for the best banana flavor.
Cream cheese frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature for easy creaming.
- Cream cheese – Also at room temperature to combine easily with the butter.
- Powdered sugar – No need to sift unless the powdered sugar is lumpy.
- Salt – For a bit of contrast to the sweetness.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract adds amazing flavor to the cream cheese frosting.
Tools & Supplies for Making Banana Cupcakes
How to Make Banana Cupcakes
Banana cupcakes are super easy to make and require just a mixing bowl and a whisk.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
- Whisk together all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add in milk, egg, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and mashed banana to the flour mixture.
- Whisk the dry and wet ingredients together until combined and smooth. Do not overmix.
- Portion the batter into cupcake liners using a large cookie scoop about 3/4 full.
- Bake for approximately 20 minutes until the cupcakes bounce back when gently touched or an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting
For the cream cheese frosting, you will need a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or an electric hand mixer. There are only five ingredients and the frosting only takes a few minutes to make.
- Whip the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined.
- Add in the vanilla extract and salt.
- Turn the mixer to medium-high and whip for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
For these cupcakes, I used a Wilton 1M piping tip to swirl on the cream cheese frosting. Starting in the middle, swirl the buttercream outward and then upward to create an “ice cream cone swirl”. Add a banana chip to each cupcake for a little extra flair.
Banana Cupcakes Recipe Tips
Bake perfect cupcakes
Check out my baking tips blog post on 10 Tips for Baking Perfect Cupcakes for simple ideas to make your banana cupcakes the best they can be!
Mashed bananas
My preferred method of mashing bananas is with a fork or potato masher. This allows for the bananas to have tiny chunks. If you prefer for your bananas to be completely smooth, I recommend using an immersion blender after you mash with a fork. Bananas are all different sizes, but 2/3 cup of mashed banana is typically 1 to 2 bananas. For the best flavor, use overripe bananas with a lot of brown spots!
Decorating the cupcakes
To frost the cupcakes as pictured, use a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip. Swirl the cream cheese frosting to create an “ice cream swirl” and add a banana chip. Check out this video on how to do it!
Storing and serving
The banana cupcakes can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To serve, bring to room temperature for the cream cheese frosting to soften. I recommend removing the cupcakes from the refrigerator about an hour before serving.
Banana Cupcakes
Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
Ingredients
Banana Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup milk room temperature
- 1 egg room temperature
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- â…” cup mashed banana
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
Garnish
- 12 banana chips optional
Instructions
Banana Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add in milk, egg, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and mashed bananas and whisk until the wet and dry ingredients are well combined. Do not overmix the batter.
- Use a large cookie scoop to portion the cupcake batter into cupcake liners ¾ full.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes bounce back slightly when touched.
- Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, whip butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer until light and creamy.
- Add powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined.
- Add vanilla extract and salt while mixing on low speed.
- Turn the mixer on high speed and whip for approximately 3 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are well combined.
- Spread or pipe the cream cheese frosting onto cupcakes. For these cupcakes, I used a Wilton 1M piping tip. If desired, garnish with banana chips.
Notes
Made This Recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
I made these today and they were so moist that I didn’t even need the frosting. I had some over ripe bananas but didn’t want banana bread. The cupcakes were exactly what I wanted. This website is now my go to for desserts!
I am thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you so much for the positive review and for the comment! I’m excited for you to try some of my other recipes! 🙂