Banana Cupcakes

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Packed with cinnamon and brown sugar, these tender banana cupcakes will become your favorite sweet treat. They are packed full of bananas and topped with cinnamon cream cheese frosting!

Why You’ll Love These Banana Cupcakes

These banana cupcakes are truly addictive and have been a work in progress for some time. They are very similar to the banana cake used for my Chocolate Chip Banana Cake, with some updates. I ramped up the moisture and banana flavor even more in these. We are BIG banana fans in this house, so the more banana flavor, the better. These cupcakes also have a lovely hint of cinnamon spice, which warms up the flavors and compliments the banana even more.

It’s always been important for me that banana cake and cupcakes have more of a cake-y texture, rather than being too much like banana bread. Cake should be cake and quick breads should be quick breads. So you’ll find that these cupcakes aren’t nearly as dense as banana bread. That said, I packed lots of flavor and moisture into them, so they aren’t super fluffy either. They land somewhere in between so that you get the best of both flavor and texture. And no banana cupcake is complete without cream cheese frosting, so these are topped with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting for a little extra warmth and spice.

What You’ll Need

Bananas, cinnamon, and light brown sugar are the most important ingredients. With those on hand, you’re pretty much ready to get started. Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact ingredient amounts.

For the Banana Cupcakes

• All-purpose flour – Be sure to use a food scale, for complete accuracy, or use the spoon and level method.
• Baking powder and Baking soda – The combination gives the ideal cupcake texture for these cupcakes. Using some baking powder and not just all baking soda also gives them a lighter color.
• Ground cinnamon – For great flavor to compliment the banana.
• Salt
• Unsalted butter – Salted butter works too if you leave out the rest of the salt in the recipe.
• Vegetable oil – For extra moisture.
• Sugar – Using both regular and brown sugar gives you amazing flavor and some extra moisture from the brown sugar.
• Eggs – These bind your ingredients together.
• Vanilla extract – For additional flavor
• Bananas – Make sure they’re overripe for the best flavor. They should have plenty of brown spots, but not be completely brown and nearly falling apart. If they don’t hold together anymore, they are probably too ripe and your cupcakes may not turn out the same.
• Milk – I use 2%, but whole milk would work as well.

For the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

• Cream cheese – Use full fat, brick-style cream cheese. The kind that comes in a tub is too soft. Low fat cream cheese also tends to be softer.
• Unsalted butter
• Powdered sugar – Also called confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar. This adds sweetness and volume to your frosting. If you reduce it, you’re frosting won’t be a thick for piping onto your cupcakes.
• Vanilla extract and ground cinnamon – For flavor.
• Banana chips – For decoration. Feel free to leave them off or use something else.

Can I Use Frozen Bananas?

Yes! Sliced or whole, just make sure to defrost them and drain the excess liquid before mashing and incorporating them into the batter. If you don’t drain the liquid, you could end up with too much extra moisture in your cupcakes, which would make them more dense.

How to Make Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

These banana cupcakes are simple to make and use the creaming method. Let’s get started!

To Make the Banana Cupcakes

• Prepare the cupcake tray. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line your cupcake tray with liners. Set it aside.
• Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set it aside.
• Cream the butter. Add the butter, oil, and sugars to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat for 2-4 minutes over high speed until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs. Add the vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time. Continue to mix over medium speed until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Stop the stand mixer.

• Incorporate the dry ingredients. Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Use a silicone spatula to gently mix everything together.
• Add the bananas. Pour in the milk and add the mashed bananas. Mix well. Don’t worry if the batter looks slightly separated. Add the remaining dry ingredients and fold them in until just combined.
• Fill the liners. Scoop batter into the cupcake liners until they’re 3/4 full.

• Bake. Pop the tray into the oven for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set the cupcakes on a wire rack and let them cool completely before frosting.

To Make the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

• Beat the cream cheese. Add the butter and cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat over high speed for 2-4 minutes or until light and fluffy.
• Add the cinnamon. Add half of the powdered sugar and continue to mix. Add the vanilla extract and cinnamon. Beat for another 2-3 minutes or until well combined.
• Add the sugar. Add the remaining powdered sugar and continue beating until you get a smooth mixture.
• Decorate. Transfer the frosting into a piping bag and decorate the cupcakes however you like. You can also top them with a banana chip.

Tips for Success

Follow these easy tips for the perfect banana cupcakes:

• Don’t over-mix. Mix the batter until the flour is just combined with the mixture. Over-mixing can over develop gluten and result in dense, rubbery cupcakes.
• Mash the bananas. Mashing them properly is a crucial step for good banana bread cupcakes because the flavor will be well distributed throughout the batter. You don’t want lots of big chunks. I use a muddler to mash my bananas, but you can also use a fork or even your mixer.
• Let them cool: Be sure to let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting, otherwise the frosting can melt right off your cupcakes.

How to Store Homemade Banana Cupcakes

Refrigerate fully cooled and frosted banana cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Bring them to room temperature before serving for ideal taste and texture.

Can I Freeze These?

Absolutely! I recommend freezing them unfrosted for the best results. Pop your unfrosted cupcakes into the freezer for 1 hour and then transfer them to a freezer-friendly bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Set them in the fridge to thaw overnight and then prepare the frosting. Decorate as usual when you’re ready to serve them.

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More Easy Cupcake Recipes

• Pecan Pie Cupcakes
• Marble Cupcakes
• Blueberry Coconut Cupcakes
• Peanut Butter Cupcakes
• Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes

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