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Easy Homemade Banana Cupcakes

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Banana cupcakes are soft and delicious.  They are easy to make and are a perfect way to use up ripe bananas. Plus they are perfect with so many different frosting options!

Banana cupcake with swirl of banana buttercream on top with a slice of banana on top.

These cupcakes are moist and delicious.  They are easy enough to make with a mixing bowl and spoon, no fancy equipment required. Plus they are a fabulous way to use up ripe or frozen bananas.

I originally shared this cupcake recipe with you back in 2016.  I made them for Little Dude’s birthday treat for daycare.

monkey cupcakes with chocolate frosting, vanilla wafers and candy eyes.

I love throwing themed parties, I always have.  So for as long as he’ll let me, we do a big theme party for his birthday.

We tend to get really into the theme and I start planning quite a bit in advance.  It is a lot of fun, but sometimes it is nice to get a break from the theme.

mixing bowl full of banana cake batter.

So his daycare treats normally are completely different than his big birthday theme.  The year we did these banana cupcakes, we topped them with chocolate sweetened condensed milk frosting and decorated the cupcakes like monkeys.

This time around though, I thought it would be fun to top them with peanut butter buttercream.  In fact I made these banana cupcakes again just to have an excuse to make the frosting.

That shouldn’t surprise most of you!

banana cupcake batter being scooped into cupcake liners to be baked.

I forgot how good these cupcakes are.  Plus they are so easy to make, no mixer, no folding ingredients in, nothing fancy… just really good cupcakes!

Tips and tricks for making banana cupcakes:

This is a great way to use up bananas that are a little too soft to eat otherwise.

If you don’t want to make them now, stick those ripe bananas in a freezer bag and just let them defrost when you are ready to bake with them. They will let off some liquid as they defrost, just stir it in when you are mashing them up. 

golden brown banana cupcakes on cooling rack.

You could easily sub in 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour for 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour and still get a moist cupcake. 

The cupcakes will still look moist when they are done, but they should be lightly golden on top.

Cupcakes freeze well before they are frosted. Just toss them in a freezer bag and place in the freezer. Pull them out a couple of hours before you want to frost them.

If you want to put a slice of banana on the frosting like I did, wait until you are about ready to serve. Otherwise they will get a bit mushy. You could use a banana chip instead if you want to put it in ahead of time.

looking down on freshly baked banana cupcakes on cooling rack.

More great banana recipes:

  • Di’s Banana Cake (with caramel frosting!) was the recipe that made me fall in love with banana cake.  The baking temperature and cooling instructions are different than most cakes and it turns out fabulous every time!
  • Banana Oat Muffins are a great way to wake up to something tasty. They freeze well and heat up in a few seconds for an instant breakfast!
  • Chocolate Banana Cupcakes are perfect for chocolate lovers.  Both the chocolate and the banana flavors really come through!
Banana cupcake with swirl of banana buttercream on top with a slice of banana on top.

Easy Homemade Banana Cupcakes

Carlee
Banana cupcakes are soft and delicious. They are easy to make and are a perfect way to use up ripe bananas. Plus they are perfect with so many different frosting options!
4.67 from 18 ratings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 19 minutes
Total Time 34 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 Servings
Calories 188 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 4 bananas mashed
  • ¼ cup cooking oil
  • 1 large egg lightly beaten

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Put a paper liner in each of 12 wells in a cupcake pan.
  • In a mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
    1½ cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
  • In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, banana, oil and egg.
    ¾ cup granulated sugar, 4 bananas, ¼ cup cooking oil, 1 large egg
  • Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
  • Scoop evenly into each paper lined cupcake well (an ice cream or large cookie scoop works well for this)
  • Bake for 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick tests mostly clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Notes

Use a neutral flavored oil like vegetable, canola, or avocado.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 188kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 3gFat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 201mgFiber: 1gSugar: 17g
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Recipe Rating




Jenny@Cookiescoffeeandcrafts

Monday 5th of August 2019

We love cupcakes and these look so good. Banana cupcakes are a brilliant idea.

Julia

Wednesday 24th of July 2019

I don't think it is fair how you always have me drooling all over my keyboard with these yummy recipes (tee hee hee)!

Carlee

Monday 5th of August 2019

Ha! I can send you a bib ;-)

Amy

Wednesday 17th of July 2019

These cupcakes turned out so pretty. I like the peanut butter frosting idea!

Carlee

Thursday 18th of July 2019

Thank you! The peanut butter and banana go so well together!

Andrea Nine

Monday 15th of July 2019

Banana always makes me so happy! Especially in cake form of any kind! These look delicious xo

Carlee

Thursday 18th of July 2019

Banana baked goods are the best! Thank you!

Frugal Hausfrau

Tuesday 24th of May 2016

These are just loaded with bananas! Looks delish, Carlee!

Carlee

Tuesday 24th of May 2016

Thanks, Mollie! They were really good!