Banana cupcakes with Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting and a Caramel Drizzle! A flavor-packed cupcake recipe with homey flavors you’ll love!
There is nothing like a homemade cupcake to make a day feel special.
Whether for a surprise or an easy dessert, this cupcake recipe gets people excited!
Homemade Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting and a caramel drizzle.
What’s not to love?!
Banana Cupcakes
We always seem to have bananas ripening faster than we can eat them.
As much as I love making banana bread, my family LOVES these banana cupcakes!
Banana cupcakes are a moist, delicious cupcake recipe with banana as the star.
Cinnamon and buttermilk give a homey flavor too.
It’s an easy recipe for a surprise dessert everybody loves!
Banana Cupcake Ingredients
The ingredients for this cupcake recipe are mainstream and easily available from any grocery store.
It’s easy to change them up to be gluten-free too.
- All-purpose flour (regular or gluten-free)
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Kosher salt
- Unsalted butter
- Vegetable oil
- Granulated White sugar
- Bananas
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Buttermilk
What Type of Bananas to Use
Banana Cupcakes are a great way to use up ripened bananas.
The deep sugar flavor of the over ripened bananas enhance the the sweet flavors in the cupcakes.
The bananas do not need to be over ripened or black.
They should be soft enough to mash easily with a fork.
How to Force Ripen Bananas: Roasted Bananas!
Don’t want to wait for the bananas to ripen? Roast them!
They have a more caramelized flavor that make these cupcakes even better. It’s a trick I use whenever I make Hummingbird Cake.
How to Roast Bananas:
STEP 1: Heat oven to 350 degrees.
STEP 2: Place bananas on a cookie sheet with peels left on.
STEP 3: Bake in the oven for 12 minutes until the skins are black (the bananas may leak which is fine).
STEP 4: Remove and let cool until they can be handled. Peel bananas, place in a small mixing bowl and mash. Set aside.
Make Gluten-Free Banana Cupcakes
Using a gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend swaps into this recipe for perfect gluten-free cupcakes.
All other ingredients are naturally gluten-free!
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
This frosting is the best of buttercream with a tangy addition of cream cheese!
The flavor is a perfect addition to the banana cupcakes.
Piping the frosting gives a fancy look but it can also be spread on.
If you like the Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting you’ll find it in these dessert recipes too:
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
When the ingredients are all at room temperature the frosting whips up to be light and fluffy!
- Unsalted butter
- Cream cheese
- Powdered (Confectioner’s) sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Kosher salt
Caramel Drizzle
The crowning touch on these cupcakes is the ooey gooey caramel drizzle on top of the frosting.
It’s a perfect flavor combination!
Store-bought caramel sauce can be used. Or if you have the time you can make caramel sauce too!
How to Make Banana Cupcakes – Step-by-Step
PRO TIPS
Room Temperature Ingredients
Be sure the ingredients specified in the recipe as ‘room temperature’ ARE room temperature.
This includes the unsalted butter and buttermilk for the banana cupcakes. For the Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting this includes the butter and cream cheese.
The temperature of these ingredients makes a different in the final texture of the cupcakes and frosting.
Do Not Overmix the Banana Cupcake batter
Overmixing will make a denser consistency banana cupcake.
Following the instructions for mixing together the dry ingredients and buttermilk for the best results.
For a detailed printable recipe refer to the recipe card at the end of the blog post.
STEP 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 20 muffin tins with cupcake liners.
STEP 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
STEP 3: Using a standing mixer with paddle attachment, cream together butter, oil, and sugar (photo 1) until light and fluffy. NOTE: a handheld mixer may also be used.
STEP 4: Add mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla extract, and beat until smooth (3-4 additional minutes) (photo 2).
STEP 5: Add the buttermilk and the dry ingredients. Start and end with the flour mixture. Gradually combine adding a small amount of each at a time. DO NOT OVERMIX (photo 3).
STEP 6: Scoop batter into the cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full (photo 4).
STEP 7: Bake cupcakes for 15-17 minutes. Or until a toothpick is inserted into the center of a cupcake and comes out clean.
STEP 8: Remove from oven and cool completely.
Making the Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
Cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt; beat until smooth.
Spoon frosting into a large pastry bag fitted with a large star frosting tip. Frost cooled cupcakes.
Caramel Drizzle
Right before serving, drizzle frosting with caramel sauce and garnish with dried banana chip.
How to Store Banana Cupcakes
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Due to the dairy frosting the frosted banana cupcakes must be refrigerator.
Can you Freeze Banana Cupcakes?
Yes, before they are frosted.
Put the cupcakes in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months for best flavor.
Thaw in the refrigerator.
More Banana Recipes You’ll Love
- Homemade Banana Pudding
- Banana Coffee Cake
- Pumpkin Roasted-Banana Quick Bread
- Bananas Foster
- Roasted Banana Chia Pudding Breakfast Bowl
Try These Dessert Recipes Too!
- Lime Cheesecake in the Instant Pot
- Shortcut Margarita Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Lime Frosting
- Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes
- Ginger Pear Pie
- Soft Shelled Creme Tart
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Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
Moist banana cupcakes are topped with a tangy cream cheese buttercream frosting and caramel drizzle. A rich creamy cupcake that is unforgettable.
Ingredients
Banana Cupcakes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour regular or gluten-free measure-for-measure blend
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 medium-sized bananas mashed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
Topping
- ½ cup caramel sauce store-bought or homemade
- Dried banana chips
Instructions
Banana Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 muffin tins with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
- In the bowl of your mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla extract, and whip for an additional 3-4 minutes or until smooth and airy.
Gradually alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the banana mixture in 3 additions. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Mix only until just combined.
- Scoop batter into the cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full.
- Bake cupcakes for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted into the center of a cupcake and comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely.
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
Cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt; beat until smooth.
- Spoon frosting into a large pastry bag fitted with a large star frosting tip. Frost cooled cupcakes.
- Right before serving, drizzle frosting with caramel sauce and garnish with dried banana chip.
Michelle L says
These are DELICIOUS! Thank you!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
These Banana cupcakes would disappear in our house!
wilhelmina says
My banana obsessed husband was in heaven eating these cupcakes! He requested them again for his birthday next week!
Claudia says
What a great recipe! I’ve added it to our Thanksgiving brunch!
Pamela Frost says
We are constantly making banana bread for the kids to have before school. I love the idea of making cupcakes and then thank you so much for sharing how to roast the bananas to make them ripen faster!
I also appreciate the gluten free recipe so I can also make them to enjoy myself!
Rachel says
These look so good. I just want to eat them immediately.
jill nunn says
These look totally yummy! So rich and decadent! my family would love these so much!
Nancy at Whispered Inspirations says
Oh my word, these look absolutely amazing. I am all about banana. So this is right up my alley. The inclusion of the caramel and the crispy banana chip. You got me.
annie says
My family loved this!! That icing is so delish!
Lisa Joy Thompson says
I absolutely love banana bread, but I’ve never made banana cupcakes. I totally need to try this! I bet my family would love it.
Ruth I says
I am so inlove with this cupcake. Everything in it is mouth watering, the flavors and the presentation is just so perfect. I can’t wait to have this.
Catalina says
Oh my goodness! I am in heaven! These cupcakes look divine! A must try recipe!