Posted Aug 07, 2023, Updated May 11, 2024 The next time you have some overripe bananas, consider trying something new (don’t worry banana bread, I still love you), and make these banana cupcakes! They’re just as yummy as banana cake only in single-serving portions, making them perfect to serve at a party or brunch!
Banana Cupcakes: Ingredients & Substitutions
All-purpose flour. Cake flour can be used in place of all-purpose flour for a slightly lighter texture. Salted butter. Unsalted butter works well. You can also substitute up to half of the butter with canola oil or applesauce. Granulated sugar. regular white or organic cane sugar both work well. Light brown sugar. for a bolder molasses taste use dark brown sugar. Sour Cream. full-fat Greek yogurt or regular plain yogurt work well in place of sour cream. Whole Milk. 2% milk or half and half are good substitutes for whole milk.
How to Make Banana Cupcakes
In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, sea salt and cinnamon. Set aside. Then, mash the bananas in a large bowl. I prefer to do this first to ensure I mash them well and don’t leave any large lumps. Next, add the melted butter, vanilla granulated sugar and brown sugar and stir or whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Next, add the eggs, sour cream and milk and stir or whisk until combined. Then, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until the mixture is homogenous (uniform throughout). Make sure there are no pockets of dry ingredients sneakily hiding in the wet mixture.
Bake & Cool
Once the batter is finished, pour ¼ cup into each lined well of the prepared muffin tins, spacing them out so you will have 9 per tin. Note: I prefer to bake this recipe in two muffin tins. Spreading out the banana cupcakes while baking helps them rise better. So, I recommend using 2 muffin tins and baking 9 in each pan. This recipe makes 18 cupcakes. Bake the banana cupcakes in the preheated oven for 13-16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops lightly spring back when touched. Then, remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the pans for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frost & Serve
Once cool, frost these banana cupcakes with your favorite frosting and serve. Here are some suggestions:
Homemade cream cheese frosting (my top suggestion)! Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Vanilla frosting (great for decorating) Chocolate buttercream frosting
Once frosted, transfer the banana cupcakes to a serving plate and chill them in the refrigerator until ready to serve. They are best served slightly chilled.
How to store banana cupcakes
Store these cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
To Freeze
To freeze, follow the recipe and let the banana cupcakes cool completely. Then transfer the unfrosted cupcakes to an airtight container and freeze in a single layer until you’re ready to frost and serve. Thaw them at room temperature (do not microwave or heat in the oven). If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
