Banana Cupcakes

At a glance

What stands out: Moist banana cupcakes topped with tangy chocolate cream cheese frosting—does it get any better?! Switch up your cupcake game with this straightforward from-scratch recipe.

How long it takes: 30 minutes, plus cooling time
Equipment you’ll need: cupcake pan and liners, mixing bowl
Servings: 24

100x Better Than Store-Bought

Cupcakes from scratch don’t need to be a big production. We keep it simple with these straightforward-to-make banana cupcakes, topped with a swirl of chocolate cream cheese frosting. And of course, that combination of chocolate and banana is always a classic! (we also love it in this lighter chocolate banana bread and triple chocolate banana muffins.)

Each element is made from scratch which makes the cupcakes extra rich, but don’t let the “from scratch” part intimidate you. While there’s a little more work involved than tearing open a box of cake mix, none of it is hard. This is totally a recipe beginning bakers can tackle!

What makes it special:

• A crowd-pleaser. Banana cupcakes are a guaranteed hit with any crowd. While store-bought chocolate and vanilla cupcakes are straightforward to pass up (we mean: yawn), no one can resist a from-scratch banana cupcake at a party.
• Supremely moist. No dry cupcakes here! Thanks to the combination of mashed bananas and buttermilk, these cupcakes have an incredibly moist, tender crumb.
• Straightforward to mix. This is a recipe that relies on a lot of pantry ingredients and is a great way to use overripe bananas. The cupcakes are almost as straightforward as a boxed mix and taste so much better. We usually spread the frosting with an offset spatula or table knife so we don’t have to stress about rosettes and swirls. Canned frosting is always an option, too. No judgment here!

Dee Said:

“These are AMAZING! Thank you — a real big hit with everyone!!”

See More Reader Reviews

What goes in

For the Cupcakes

• All-Purpose Flour: Be sure to lightly spoon the flour into your measuring cups, as opposed to scooping it. This ensures you’re not adding more flour than you need!
• Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt: The two leavening agents are combined to give the cupcakes an airy texture. Salt enhances the overall flavor of your baked goods. Don’t skip it; your cupcakes will taste flat without it.
• Butter: We recommend unsalted butter; let it soften so it’s straightforward to incorporate into the banana cupcake batter.
• Sugar: The bananas alone won’t add enough sweetness to these cupcakes, so sugar is essential.
• Bananas: Be sure to measure the bananas after mashing them. Three bananas can yield different volumes when mashed and you don’t want to add too much or too little, which can affect the texture and flavor of your finished cupcakes.
• Buttermilk: No buttermilk on hand? Here’s how to make buttermilk. (All you’ll need is milk and white vinegar.)
• Eggs: Let the eggs sit on the countertop with the milk so they come to room temperature. Room temperature eggs hold more air when beaten, giving your banana cupcakes a fluffier texture.
• Pure Vanilla Extract: We always recommend pure vanilla, not imitation!

Cooking Tip

Riper bananas aren’t just sweeter, they also add a more assertive banana flavor. Look for bananas that have lots of brown freckles. If they’re on the soft side, that’s reliable!

Be sure to take a look at our collection of 16 recipes that use ripe bananas.

For the Frosting (make a double batch for piping)

• Cream Cheese: Use the kind that comes in blocks, not a tub, and let it soften to room temperature.
• Unsalted Butter: Like the butter for the cake, this also needs to be softened.
• Milk: You can use any variety you have on hand for this recipe.
• Pure Vanilla Extract: Even though this is a chocolate frosting, vanilla will enhance the overall flavor.
• Cocoa Powder: Either Dutch process or natural cocoa powder will work here.
• Powdered Sugar: If your sugar seems lumpy, we recommend sifting it first. Your mixer will break up a lot of the lumps, but not all of them!

How it comes together

Scroll down for the complete recipe, including measurements! This is just an overview, with some helpful tips and substitution ideas.

Preheat oven, prep pans. Preheat your oven to 375°F, and line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

Mix dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Beat eggs and sugar. In a second mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy.

Add remaining wet ingredients. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla.

Combine. Beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, first at low speed, then increasing to medium. Beat the cake batter for 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl as needed.

Bake. Divide the batter into the cupcake liners. Bake the banana cupcakes for about 16 minutes, or until they’re lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool. Cool the cupcakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Wait until the cupcakes are completely cool before frosting them.

How it comes together

Beat ingredients. Beat the cream cheese and butter until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Add the cocoa, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon milk and beat until blended, then beat in the powdered sugar. Add more powdered sugar or milk, if needed, to reach the desired consistency.

Frost cupcakes. Use an offset spatula or butter knife to spread the frosting onto the cupcakes.

Piped frosting: If you prefer, make a double batch of frosting and use a piping bag to frost the cupcakes (as pictured).

Add A Little Extra To Your Cupcakes

• Mix-ins: Mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or peanut butter chips are a rich addition to your banana cupcakes. Be sure to take a look at our banana chocolate chip cake recipe.
• Fillings: Core the center of the cupcakes using a cupcake corer or a small knife and spoon in a dollop of frosting, caramel (or bourbon caramel sauce), chocolate ganache, or peanut butter.
• Garnishes: Sprinkles, chocolate shavings, chopped nuts, banana chips—any of these would be tasty!

Keeping leftovers

It’s best to refrigerate frosted banana cupcakes since they have cream cheese in the frosting. Store them in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days. They can be frozen unfrosted for up to 3 months.

• Yield: 24
• Prep: 15 minutes
• Cook: 16 minutes
• Total: 1 hour 33 minutes

Ingredients

FOR CUPCAKES:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup mashed)
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FOR FROSTING (Make a double batch to pipe frosting):

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 ½ teaspoons milk (add more as needed for the right consistency)
• 2 cups powdered sugar (add more as needed for the right consistency)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Add mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla; beat just until combined. Mixture may look somewhat curdled.
5. Add flour mixture, beat on low until combined, then increase speed to medium. Beat for 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl as needed.
6. Divide batter evenly, filling cupcake liners about ½ full. Bake 16 minutes or until lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Cool cupcakes in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely before frosting, about 1 hour.
8. Meanwhile, prepare frosting. Beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy. Add cocoa, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon milk. Beat until blended. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth and light. Add more powdered sugar or milk, if needed, for the desired consistency.
9. Using an offset spatula or butter knife, spread the frosting on completely cooled cupcakes.For piped frosting (as pictured), use a piping bag and your choice of tip. You may need to beat in extra powdered sugar for a firmer consistency to pipe.
10. Serve cupcakes immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

Bananas: The riper the bananas, the sweeter the cupcakes will be. Since bananas vary widely in size, it’s best to measure the mashed bananas so you have the correct amount.

Frosting options: Feel free to use your favorite frosting. The post has additional from-scratch frosting recipe links. Canned frosting is just fine, too. The bananas are so rich and moist, they’re great without frosting, too!