Banana Cupcakes
If you have ripe bananas in your kitchen, skip the banana bread and make these banana cupcakes for dessert! The cupcakes are moist, tender, and have delicious banana flavor and are swirled in cream cheese frosting. The best banana cupcake recipe!
Ingredients for Banana Cupcakes
Banana Cupcakes
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Banana – Mashed, ripe banana. For this recipe, you will need about 1 to 2 bananas.
- Milk – Room temperature.
- Vegetable oil – Use your favorite neutral baking oil.
- Egg – Large egg, room temperature.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Cream cheese – Room temperature. Use full fat cream cheese for the best results.
- Powdered sugar – Confectioners’ sugar/icing sugar.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract adds amazing vanilla flavor.
- Salt – A pinch of salt enhances the flavor and provides some contrast to the sweetness.
Additional Ingredients
- Banana chips – For decoration.
How to Make Banana Cupcakes
- Prep and preheat: Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
- Make the cupcake batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt). Add in the wet ingredients (mashed banana, milk, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract) and whisk until combined and smooth.
- Bake the cupcakes: Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners using a large cookie scoop (about 3/4 full). Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the cream cheese frosting: Whip the butter and cream cheese for 5 minutes until light and creamy. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and mix until combined. Turn the mixer to medium and whip the frosting for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble the cupcakes: Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip with the cream cheese frosting. Pipe a generous swirl of buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes and decorate with banana chips.
Recipe Tips
- Check out my baking tips posts on 10 Tips for Baking Perfect Cupcakes and 10 Tips for Making Perfect Buttercream to learn simple tips and tricks to make the most out of this recipe.
- If you want to learn more about my favorite cupcake baking and decorating supplies, be sure to check out this post for more information.
- Learn how to frost cupcakes and my favorite piping tips for frosting cupcakes.
- Use super ripe bananas for the best and sweetest banana flavor. I like to use a fork to mash the bananas until they are smooth.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I store the cupcakes?
- Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve the cupcakes at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
Can I turn this recipe into a cake?
- This recipe is specifically formulated for cupcakes, but I encourage you to check out my banana cake recipe!
Can I use a different type of frosting?
- Yes! You could use whatever flavor frosting you would like. Some favorite flavors are vanilla buttercream, chocolate buttercream, peanut butter frosting, or salted caramel frosting!
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Banana Cupcakes
Yield: 12 cupcakes
If you have ripe bananas in your kitchen, skip the banana bread and make these banana cupcakes for dessert! The cupcakes are moist, tender, and have delicious banana flavor and are swirled in cream cheese frosting. The best banana cupcake recipe!
Equipment
Ingredients
Banana Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cup (156 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tsp (1.5 tsp) baking powder
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- ⅔ cup (100 g) mashed ripe banana 1-2 bananas
- ½ cup (120 ml) milk room temperature
- ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 (1) large egg room temperature
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese room temperature
- 3 ½ cups (420 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
Additional Ingredients
- 12 (12) banana chips
Instructions
Banana Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add in the mashed banana, milk, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract and whisk until the cupcake batter is combined and smooth.
- Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners using a large cookie scoop (about 3/4 full). Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes until the tops of the cupcakes bounce back when gently touched. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the room temperature unsalted butter and cream cheese for 5 minutes until it is light, pale, and creamy.
- Add in half of the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined. Add in the remaining half of the powdered sugar and continue to mix on low speed until fully combined with the butter and cream cheese. Add in the vanilla extract and salt and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Turn the mixer to medium speed and whip the frosting for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally, until the frosting is smooth and creamy. Mix the cream cheese frosting on low speed for several minutes to remove any air bubbles and to smooth out the frosting.
Assembling the Cupcakes
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip with the cream cheese frosting. Pipe a generous swirl of the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and decorate with banana chips.
Notes
- Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
Made This Recipe?
Please leave a comment with a star rating to let me know how you enjoyed the recipe!
About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
This banana cupcake recipe sounds incredible! Packed with delicious banana flavor and topped with sweet, tangy cream cheese frosting, it’s a match made in heaven. What a perfect way to use up those overripe bananas—I’m excited to bake these and enjoy every bite!
It definitely is a great flavor combination!
Best banana cupcake recipe!! Everyone devoured and asked for more!
So thrilled to hear! Thanks for trying out the recipe!
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! 🙂
can i use buttermilk?