Banana Pudding Cupcakes
Soft banana cupcakes filled with creamy homemade banana pudding and topped with silky cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Made from scratch with ripe bananas, sour cream, and buttermilk for a genuinely tender crumb. The pudding filling is a surprise in every bite.
Equipment
- Standard 12-cup muffin tin × 2
- Large mixing bowl
- Hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Medium mixing bowl (for dry ingredients)
- Cupcake corer or small paring knife
- Piping bags × 2 (one for filling, one for frosting)
- Large star piping tip (1M or 2D)
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
WET INGREDIENTS
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1¼ cups 328g ripe bananas, mashed (about 2–3 large bananas)
- ½ cup 113g unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup 110g light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup 100g granulated white sugar
- ¼ cup 60g full-fat sour cream, room temperature
- ½ cup 120ml whole buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 tsp 5ml pure vanilla extract
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups 240g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp fine salt
BANANA PUDDING FILLING
- 1 cup prepared banana pudding cold and fully set
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- ½ cup 113g unsalted butter, softened
- 8 oz 226g full-fat cream cheese, brick-style, softened
- 3 cups 360g powdered sugar
- 1 tsp 5ml pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp fine salt
GARNISH
- 17–18 dehydrated banana chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two standard muffin tins with paper liners.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with a hand or stand mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds between each. Mix in the mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk in 2 additions (flour → milk → flour → milk → flour). Mix on low speed until just combined after each addition. Do not overmix.
- Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners, filling each ¾ full (about ¼ cup per cupcake).
- Bake for 18–20 minutes, until the tops spring back and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely for at least 45 minutes before filling or frosting.
- Make the frosting: Beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the salt and cinnamon. Gradually add the powdered sugar on low speed. Add the vanilla, then beat on medium-high for 2 minutes until silky and pipeable.
- Core each cooled cupcake using a cupcake corer or small knife, about ¾ inch wide and ¾ inch deep.
- Fill each cupcake with cold banana pudding using a piping bag until level with the cupcake surface.
- Frost with cream cheese frosting using a large star tip. Top each cupcake with a dehydrated banana chip.
- Refrigerate for 20 minutes before serving to let everything set.
Notes
Note 1 — Storage: Store filled and frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let sit at room temperature 20–30 minutes before serving. To freeze: freeze unfilled, unfrosted cupcake bases only (up to 2 months). Thaw overnight in the fridge, then fill and frost day-of.
Note 2 — Buttermilk substitute: No buttermilk? Add 1 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice to ½ cup whole milk. Stir and let sit 5 minutes before using.
Note 3 — Cream cheese: Use full-fat brick-style cream cheese only — the spreadable tub variety has too much moisture and will make the frosting runny. Philadelphia is the most reliable brand tested in this recipe.