These best ever banana pudding cupcakes combine a moist banana cupcake base with a creamy vanilla pudding and fluffy whipped cream frosting. Top them off with a Nilla wafer for looks + crunch and you'll be left with a dessert so much better than the original!
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Banana bread? Banana muffins? Banana cupcakes with cream cheese frosting? Lame. Boring. Done to death.
Banana pudding cupcakes, on the other hand, are way more fun and exciting. Vanilla pudding filling, whipped cream frosting, and Nilla wafers. You get creamy, you get crunchy, and you get soft, moist cake. If you want do make something DIFFERENT with your overripe bananas, make this. 10/10!
For more banana recipes, try my one bowl banana nutella muffins and my ("done to death" albeit delicious) small batch banana bread muffins.
Ingredients
For the Banana Cupcake Batter:
- Bleached cake flour: Bleached cake flour, as opposed to all-purpose flour, unbleached cake flour, or cake flour substitutes, keeps the cupcakes light and fluffy. This is especially important in banana cupcakes because mashed bananas can weigh the batter down and make the cupcakes overly dense.
- Granulated sugar & dark brown sugar: A mix of the two provides flavor without weighing down the cupcakes.
- Baking powder & baking soda: Provides lift.
- Vanilla, cinnamon, & salt: For flavor.
- Buttermilk: The next best substitutes would be sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.
- Mashed banana: Make sure your bananas are EXTRA ripe for this recipe!
- Vegetable or canola oil: Since bananas provide so much flavor, you won't miss out on butter. Using all oil instead creates softer, moister cupcakes, even when refrigerated (butter-based cakes tend to dry out in the fridge!).
- Egg: Unlike my vanilla cupcakes, you don't need an extra egg white for this batter.
Left image contains ingredients for banana cupcakes, right image contains ingredients for the vanilla pudding and whipped cream frosting.
For the Vanilla Pudding:
- Whole milk: Full-fat milk helps to make the pudding thick and creamy, but a lower-fat milk can be subbed in a pinch.
- Heavy whipping cream: A splash of cream adds richness and creaminess.
- Sugar: For sweetness (obviously).
- Vanilla & salt: For flavor.
- Egg yolks: Provide thickness as well as richness and flavor. Use the extra egg whites to make a half batch of meringue cookies or a double batch of my moist vanilla cupcakes.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the pudding.
- Butter: Adds flavor and richness.
For the Whipped Cream Frosting:
- Cream cheese: Stabilizes the frosting- regular whipped cream without a stabilizer like cream cheese or gelatin is too soft and won't hold any piping designs. The frosting doesn't taste overly cream cheesy, it just has a slight tang.
- Powdered sugar: Sift before using for an extra smooth frosting.
- Vanilla: For flavor.
- Heavy whipping cream: Make sure it's straight from the fridge or the frosting won't whip up stiff.
Step By Step Instructions
First, make the pudding...
STEP 1: Add the milk, cream, sugar, and salt to a large pot. Whisk to combine and heat over medium, bringing the mixture to a simmer.
STEP 2: Whisk the egg yolks and cornstarch. Add the egg yolks and cornstarch to a medium bowl. Whisk until they lighten in color while the milk mixture is heating to a simmer.
STEP 3: Temper the egg yolks. Once the milk mixture is simmering, slowly stream about ½-1 cup of it into the egg yolks, whisking the egg yolks constantly as you pour. Once combined, pour the egg yolk and milk mixture back into the pot.
STEP 4: Cook the pudding. Continue to heat the pudding over medium, whisking constantly, until the pudding starts to bubble. Once this happens, set a 30-second timer and continue to heat while whisking.
STEP 5: Add butter and vanilla. Take the pudding off the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla until combined.
STEP 6: Strain. Strain the pudding through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl or container.
STEP 7: Cool & chill. Press plastic wrap against the surface of the pudding. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate as you make the cupcakes.
Make the cupcakes:
Before making the batter, preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners. If you haven't a second muffin pan, line it with another 2 liners because this recipe yields 14 cupcakes. If you only have one muffin pan, bake 12 cupcakes, then rinse off the pan and bake the remaining 2 after.
STEP 1: Whisk the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
STEP 2: Whisk the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the mashed bananas, dark brown sugar, white sugar, buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla until combined.
STEP 3: Combine the dry and wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until combined. The batter will be slightly thick and lumpy.
STEP 4: Scoop batter into tins. Divide the batter between the liners, filling ¾ of the way to the top. Using a large cookie scoop makes this easy!
STEP 5: Bake. Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist (not wet!) crumbs.
STEP 6: Cool. Set the pan over a wire rack. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then use a knife to remove them from the pan. Let the cupcakes cool out of the pan over the wire rack completely to room temperature before frosting.
Fill, frost, & decorate:
STEP 1: Fill the cupcakes. Cut out a hole in the center of each cupcake. You can do this using a cupcake corer, a knife, or a large round piping tip. Whichever is easiest for you!
Then, fill each cupcake core with the chilled vanilla pudding. Again, you've got options here for how you wanna do this- I like to pipe it in, but you can also use a spoon or a squeeze bottle.
Feel free to discard (or snack on!) the cupcake cores you cut out and immediately frost the cupcakes. Or, if you wanna eliminate waste, you can push them back on top of the cupcakes, as seen pictured below.
STEP 2: Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Beat for 3-4 minutes on high speed using the whisk attachment until light and fluffy.
STEP 3: Add heavy whipping cream. Keep the mixer running on low speed while slowly pouring in the cream. Once all of the cream is combined, increase the speed to high and continue whipping until the frosting is stiff. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl periodically.
STEP 4: Frost the cupcakes. I used 18-inch piping bags and a 1M piping tip to pipe the tall swirls on the pictured cupcakes. You can also decorate them by swirling the frosting on with a knife, or scooping it on using a large cookie scoop to create a rounded design.
STEP 5: Top with garnishes. To decorate the cupcakes as pictured, drizzle them with salted caramel and then top with a mini Nilla wafer and more crushed Nilla wafers. Other fun garnishes would be banana slices (coated in lemon juice so they don't brown) or crushed walnuts or pecans.
STEP 5: Serve. Serve cupcakes immediately, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
FAQ
These cupcakes would be delicious with a vanilla cupcake base instead of a banana cupcake base! Use my best ever vanilla cupcakes and fill them with pudding and top with whipped cream and Nilla wafers as directed. Make sure to garnish them with a banana slice too so you don't miss the banana flavor!
If you don't have buttermilk, you can use full-fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt instead.
If your bananas are yellow or green, follow this guide to quickly ripen them.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2-3 days or freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw frozen cupcakes in the refrigerator overnight.
Expert Baking Tips
- Use overripe bananas: Overripe bananas make your cupcakes way more sweet & flavorful. Yellow or green bananas will result in bland cupcakes. For tips on how to quickly ripen your bananas, see the FAQ above.
- Use cake flour: Bananas tend to weigh down cake/cupcake batter, so cake flour ensures the cupcakes aren't overly dense.
- Don't overbake: A few moist crumbs on the toothpick are okay! Start checking on the cupcakes after 16 minutes and keep a close eye on them at the end.
More Cake & Cupcake Recipes You'll Love
Leave a STAR REVIEW below if you try this recipe! Tag me on Instagram @treatsbytalija and for more ideas, check out the other desserts on my blog!
PrintQuick & Easy Banana Pudding Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 14 cupcakes 1x
- Category: cakes & cupcakes
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Banana Cupcakes:
- 150 g bleached cake flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 250 g mashed bananas
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 100 g dark brown sugar (or light brown)
- 125 g buttermilk, at room temperature
- 75 g vegetable or canola oil
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Vanilla Pudding:
- 200 g whole milk
- 50 g heavy whipping cream
- 50 g granulated sugar
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 2 large egg yolks
- 10 g cornstarch
- 20 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Whipped Cream:
- 150 g cream cheese, straight from the fridge
- 75 g powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 300 g heavy whipping cream, straight from the fridge
For Garnish:
- 12 mini Nilla wafers
- Crushed Nilla wafers, optional
- Salted caramel for drizzling, optional
Instructions
Make the Vanilla Pudding:
- Add the milk, cream, sugar, and salt to a large pot. Heat over medium, whisking often, and bring to a simmer.
- While the milk mixture is heating to a simmer, combine the egg yolks and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Whisk vigorously until the mixture lightens in color.
- Slowly stream the milk mixture into the egg yolks while whisking the egg yolks constantly to prevent them from scrambling. Add about ½-1 cup of the milk mixture in total to the egg yolks. Whisk to combine, then pour the egg yolk and milk mixture back into the pot.
- Whisk the pudding constantly. Once it starts to bubble, set a 30 second timer and continue to whisk as it cooks.
- Take the pudding off the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla, then pour it through a sieve and into a large bowl or container.
- Press plastic wrap against the surface of the pudding. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate while you make the cupcakes.
Make the Banana Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners. If you have a second muffin pan, line it with another 2 liners because this recipe makes 14 cupcakes. If you only have one muffin pan, you can just bake the first 12 cupcakes, rinse off the pan, and then bake the last 2 after.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the mashed banana, brown sugar, and white sugar. Once combined, whisk in the buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until combined.
- Divide the batter between the 14 liners, filling ⅔-3/4 of the way to the top. A large cookie scoop makes this easy.
- Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist (but not wet) crumbs.
- Set the pan over a wire rack and allow the cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the pan and allowing them to cool completely.
Make the Whipped Cream & Decorate:
- Add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip using a whisk attachment on high speed for 5 minutes.
- Reduce speed to medium-low and slowly pour in the heavy cream. Once all of the cream has been added, increase the speed to high and whip until the mixture forms stiff peaks. Stop and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl periodically to make sure all of the cream cheese combines with the heavy cream.
- Remove the centers of each cupcake using a large round piping tip, a knife, or a cupcake corer. Fill with the chilled pudding. I like to pipe the pudding inside, but using a spoon or squeeze bottle instead also work.
- Decorate the filled cupcakes as desired using the whipped cream. You can either spread it on with a knife or fill it into a large piping bag and pipe it on. I used 18-inch piping bags and a Wilton 1M piping tip to decorate the pictured cupcakes.
- Top each cupcake with a Nilla wafer, additional crushed Nilla wafers, and a drizzle of salted caramel if desired.
- Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Notes
- Quickly bring ingredients to room temp: Microwave buttermilk in 5-10 second increments. Place egg in a bowl with warm water for 10 minutes. Slice butter into very thin slices.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 368
- Sugar: 28.7 g
- Sodium: 161.3 mg
- Fat: 21.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 41.6 g
- Protein: 4.4 g
- Cholesterol: 83.1 mg
Keywords: banana pudding cupcakes, banana pudding cupcakes with vanilla wafers, banana cupcakes recipe easy
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