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Soft and fluffy banana cupcakes, topped with a gorgeous brown sugar buttercream frosting. These two flavors were MADE for each other!
Oh my, you guys. OH. MY.
I had to call my mother about these and let her know the sad/wonderful news. These banana cupcakes are actually better than… um, my grandmother’s banana cake. I know, that’s QUITE a statement to make – and honestly, not one I can say lightly. But it’s TRUE!
I make these as a treat while cooking dinner, actually – they’re that easy.
Are you convinced yet? I can also get both of my kids to get dressed all the way to shoes, brush their teeth and to pick up their rooms … on the promise of a cupcake. At 6:30am.
Two bowls, no mixer needed. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl, wet in another, and mix together. Scoop into cupcake liners and bake. Ta-da!
About the Brown Sugar Buttercream
The cupcakes are soft and fluffy, not too dense, not at all dry – and perfect with or without the frosting.
Oh, but the brown sugar buttercream frosting? Ohhhhhh yes. I TOTALLY RECOMMEND it. So worth it. It’s actually a little strange when reading it – I was like, huh? Really? But, I promise. It works, and it’s amazing.
It takes a little time to get the texture right, but when it is the consistency of whipped cream – you know you have it perfect.
I’d never made frosting using flour before (I must have been living under a rock, apparently it’s common – who knew?). This doesn’t even contain confectioner’s sugar. Intriguing, right?
Do you love bananas? So do we! One of the most popular posts on Kylee cooks contains them. Try the Yummiest Banana Pancakes EVER or the tastiest Coconut Banana Bread.
Why this recipe works:
- Easy to make. Seriously, make this during a little downtime and reap the rewards!
- Fast. Mix them up, bake them and frost them in the space of about 30 minutes
- Delicious. Did I mention this? These are banana cupcakes from heaven.
Kylee’s Notes & FAQs
About the bananas.
MANY recipes call for overripe (brown) bananas. This recipe is best with ripe bananas. The banana flavor is definitely there but is lighter and more delicate than if you use brown bananas
Substitutions/Additions
Add some mini chocolate chips to the batter for a gooey, chocolatey treat.
Storing Banana Cupcakes
If you have frosted them, and actually have any left, keep them in the refrigerator.
Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored on the counter (covered).
Ingredients:
Full, printable recipe below – just scroll down to the recipe card!
For the cupcakes For the buttercream
How to make Banana Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, line muffin tin with wrappers, set aside.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In another bowl, mash the bananas then add oil, vanilla and egg.
Mix until well combined.
Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix until JUST combined (don’t overmix it)
Scoop batter into 12 cupcake liners. I used a large cookie scoop to do this, but aim for 2/3 full.
Bake for 18 minutes, or until they spring back when you touch them lightly (a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean).
Cool in the pan for a few minutes, then set on a wire cooling rack until completely cool. Frost (see below).
How to make Brown Sugar Buttercream
In a saucepan, whisk together the flour and milk and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously until thickened to a smooth paste.
Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and let cool to room temp.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the wire whisk, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. There should be no grittiness.
Add in the milk mixture and beat it on high speed until you get a whipped cream consistency.
Frost cupcakes, and sprinkle with raw sugar.
Some more of my favorite Banana recipes
- Banana Cream Cheesecake. a delicious hybrid of Banana Cream Pie and cheesecake, making this dessert a rich, creamy, pile of cheesecake-y banana deliciousness. It’s the perfect finale to any meal!
- Banana Pudding Parfaits. a super easy dessert with from-scratch pudding layered between whipped topping, with a dust of chocolate!
- Banana Oatmeal Energy Bites. These will get you through your day! Just mix, roll and enjoy this no-bake healthy snack.
If you have tried this recipe or any other recipe on Kylee Cooks, leave a comment and rating – I truly love to hear from you!
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Source: As seen on and only adapted slightly from This Silly Girl’s Kitchen
Banana Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Buttercream
Ingredients
Banana Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cup mashed bananas ((about 5 small, or 3 medium bananas))
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg ((lightly beaten))
Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup butter ((softened) (2 sticks))
- 1 cup dark brown sugar ((firmly packed))
- 1 Tbs raw sugar ((sugar in the raw) (optional))
Directions
Banana Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line muffin tin with wrappers, set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In another bowl, combine the bananas, oil, vanilla and egg.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix until JUST combined (don’t overmix it)
- Scoop batter into 12 cupcake liners. I used a large cookie scoop to do this, but aim for 2/3 full.
- Bake for 18 minutes, or until they spring back when you touch them lightly.
- Cool in the pan for a few minutes, then set on a wire cooling rack until completely cool. Frost.
Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting
- In a saucepan, whisk together the flour and milk and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously until thickened to a smooth paste.
- Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and let cool to room temp.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the wire whisk, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. There should be no grittiness.
- Add in the milk mixture and beat it on high speed until you get a whipped cream consistency.
- Frost cupcakes, and sprinkle with demerara sugar.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Update: This recipe was originally published in July of 2016. It was republished with updated photos in October of 2020.
Joy says
These were so good! I was skeptical about the frosting but it was delicious & a perfect topping for the banana flavor of the cupcakes.
Kristine says
Fabulous recipe! My son said they taste like pancakes with butter. Everyone loved them.
Cindy says
I was craving cupcakes and came across your recipe. It’s absolutely scrumptious and my family agrees. Thank you!
Madeleine Debelak says
Hello! Can I use light brown sugar rather than dark in this recipe?
Kylee says
Absolutely!
Brittanie says
Can I use melted butter instead of vegetable oil?
Kylee says
you sure can
Kathy Thompson says
We just made the frosting because we had already baked banana cupcakes. Amazing frosting! We only had heavy cream and it worked just fine. Pretty good actually!! Great flavor and light, perfect compliment to the banana.
Carolynn says
These are super yummy!!
Denita says
Would it be the same temperature for a batch of minis??
Kylee says
Yes, but you’d bake for a shorter time.
Jessica says
Cupcakes were delicious!
Linda says
My husband loves the cupcakes – but I had some trouble with the frosting. It was whipped and tasty but too thin for the cupcakes…maybe after they’re in the frig the frosting will solidify a bit. Thanks for posting the recipe!
Sarah says
How long do you have to cream the butter and sugar brown sugar to get rid of the gritty-ness? I can’t seem to get it smooth!
Stacey Fernandes says
Sounds delicious! Would I be able to make this into a layer cake (two 9″ pans)? Do you think it would hold up? Any suggestions on updating cooking time?
Looking forward to making this!
Kylee says
Stacey, I haven’t tried it as cakes vs cupcakes. I wonder if there’d be enough batter? You might have to double it. As for cooking time – I’d probably have to test/check. Start with the original time plus 10 minutes, and keep checking until they bounce back and are brown on top. Let me know what you discover!
Stacey Fernandes says
Thank you! I’m testing it out tomorrow, so I’ll let you know!
Jen Conner says
Feeding cupcakes to the boys before school? I am telling! I can’t wait for mine tomorrow:). Oh… and the lemon dessert you have had me thinking about all weekend!
Jan Forbes says
Oh my, oh wow, they DO live up to expectations. Made a batch, gone in 15 minutes. Family and visitors were VERY impressed. Thanks for sharing this with us.x
CourtneyLynne says
Ooooo these cupcakes sound amazing!!!!! I will definitely be giving your recipe a try! Yummy!