These banana pudding cupcakes are made with a banana cupcake base, filled with a banana pudding filling, and topped with whipped cream.
The cupcakes begin with a banana cupcake base, incorporating ripe bananas into the batter to ensure a moist texture.
Once baked and cooled, these cupcakes are filled with a creamy banana pudding filling that adds a layer of richness and banana taste.
Finally, they are frosted with stabilized whipped cream and topped with a Nilla wafer to finish it off.
They are perfect for events or special occasions and are perfect when you have lots of ripe bananas to use up. Make these for a banana pudding lover to make their day!
For more banana recipes, check out our banana upside down cake, banana chocolate chip cake, Nutella banana muffins, banana coffee cake, and blueberry banana muffins.
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Why this recipe works
- Flavor- these cupcakes are loaded with all the flavors of banana pudding from the fresh banana to the vanilla pudding to the Nilla wafer on top!
- Texture- the texture of these cupcakes is moist, light, and fluffy, and simply melt in your mouth deliciously.
- Ease- these cupcakes come together in just one bowl and are made with super simple ingredients.
- Way to use ripe banana- if you have ripe bananas sitting on your counter, this cake is an excellent way to put them to good use and make an incredible dessert.
- Filling- the cupcakes are filled with a super easy 3 ingredient banana pudding filling.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Ripe bananas- use ripe bananas for this recipe! Ripe bananas are sweeter, moister, and easier to mash into a pudding consistency.
If you don’t have ripe bananas, bake regular bananas in a 200c (400f) preheated oven for 10 minutes, this will soften the bananas and make them into a ripe banana texture.
Flour– I used all-purpose flour for this recipe, self-rising flour and cake flour will work great as well.
Baking soda and baking powder – baking soda and baking powder help the cake to rise. Make sure they aren't expired.
Butter- use unsalted butter for this recipe. Only butter will work for this recipe, no margarine, and no coconut oil. Margarine has a weird taste and can ruin the flavor of this cupcake.
You will need to melt the butter and let it chill until it's not too hot.
Greek yogurt- get your Greek yogurt to room temperature. Any percent of fat will work for this recipe. If you don't have Greek yogurt, you can use sour cream instead.
Sugar- I used granulated sugar for this recipe. You can use caster sugar as well.
Brown sugar- you can use either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar for this. I prefer light brown sugar for this recipe.
Cinnamon- using cinnamon is optional, but we love the flavor it gives to these cupcakes!
Buttermilk– gives the cupcake extra moisture. You can make your own buttermilk if you don’t have one on hand. Simply mix a cup of milk with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice and let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
Eggs- you will need 2 large eggs for this recipe. Make sure that your eggs are at room temperature.
Vanilla extract- adds extra flavor. You can use vanilla bean extract or pure vanilla extract for better flavor!
Kosher salt- you will need about ½ teaspoon of kosher salt for this recipe.
For the banana pudding filling
Instant vanilla pudding mix- use your favorite brand of instant vanilla pudding mix.
Mashed banana- choose your ripest banana and mash it very well with a fork into a pudding consistency.
For the whipped cream
Heavy cream- make sure that your heavy cream is cold. Cold heavy cream whips better and quicker.
Powder sugar- you will need powdered sugar for this recipe. you don’t have to buy powdered sugar, you can make it at home by blending granulated sugar in a blender or food processor.
Nilla wafers- top these cupcakes with a Nilla wafer for a signature banana pudding look!
Instructions
Preheat an oven to 350f (180c) and prep a cupcake pan with liners.
Into a large mixing bowl, add the cooled melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, buttermilk, brown sugar, kosher salt, mashed bananas cinnamon, and Greek yogurt, and mix with a whisk until well combined.
Add the flour and baking soda and mix until just combined and there are no lumps of flour visible. Do not overmix.
Use an ice cream scoop to fill out the cupcake ⅔ full (do not overfill) and bake in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool the cupcakes for 10 minutes and transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely (don’t frost warm cupcakes)
Make the banana pudding filling: In a medium mixing bowl, add the vanilla pudding, mashed banana, and whole milk and mix until well combined. Let it sit for 20-30 minutes until it thickens.
Make a small hole in the middle of each cupcake. We used a knife to do so, you can also use a cupcake corer.
Fill the hole with the banana pudding until just full.
Make the whipped cream: Into a big mixing bowl, add the heavy cream, instant vanilla pudding, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Mix with an electric hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag with a star tip and pipe the cupcakes with the frosting. Top them with a nilla wafer and serve!
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs and butter. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- Choose ripe bananas. Use bananas that are ripe with brown spots. They’re sweeter and mash easily, adding moisture to the cake.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have a moist cupcake and not a dense and dry cupcake.
- Use cupcake liners to prevent the cupcakes from sticking to the pan, making them easier to remove and creating a more professional appearance.
- Don't overbake the cupcakes. Keep an eye on the cupcakes as they bake and remove them from the oven as soon as a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with the back of a knife.
- Be patient! I know it’s extremely tempting to eat and frost these cupcakes as they are pulled out of the oven, but let these cupcakes cool for at least 1 hour to prevent the frosting from melting.
Faq's
If you want to make this banana cupcake but don’t have ripe bananas, don’t worry! Bake regular bananas in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) for 10-15 minutes. This will soften them and give them a ripe banana texture.
The secret to moist cupcakes is balancing ingredients and baking techniques. Use buttermilk or sour cream for moisture, avoid overmixing the batter, and watch the baking time to prevent dryness.
Adding a simple syrup or glaze after baking can also lock in moisture and enhance flavor.
When it comes to baking with bananas, the best choice is overripe bananas that have turned brown or spotted.
These bananas are softer and sweeter, making them ideal for adding natural sweetness and moisture to baked goods like banana bread or muffins.
Storing
These cupcakes will last up to 4 days in the fridge (dairy needs to be stored in the fridge). Cover them with plastic wrap or foil to prevent them from drying out.
Freezing
Freezing whole cupcakes- Freeze these cupcakes after they cooled completely in an airtight freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months.
My tip is not to freeze it decorated or covered with frosting, because it can ruin the decorating of the cupcake, we suggest freezing the cupcake and decorating it when you defrost it.
Freezing the cupcake base- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely, and don't frost them, Transfer them to an airtight freezer-friendly container and freeze for up to 2 months.
When you are ready to use, thaw them at room temperature for a few hours until completely thawed, make the frosting, and follow the rest of the instructions as written.
Substitutions
Gluten-free - if you want to make this recipe gluten-free, simply replace the flour with gluten-free flour.
Dairy-free- you can make this cupcake recipe dairy-free by replacing the butter with vegan butter replacing the filling with vegan banana pudding and topping these with vegan whipped cream.
Variations
Frosting- You can use any kind of your favorite frosting on these cupcakes, these are very versatile so you can turn them into whatever you want!
You can use dark chocolate frosting, mascarpone whipped cream, vanilla frosting, caramel frosting, etc.
Topping- top a dollop of each cupcake with a slice of banana instead of a nilla wafer, or a dried banana chip.
Chocolate chips- You can use your favorite type of chocolate chips for this recipe like milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, etc.
Equipment
- Mixing bowls- best glass mixing bowls.
- Whisk set- our favorite copper whisk set.
- Cupcakes tins- our favorite Wilton cupcake tins.
- Open star piping tip- our favorite Wilton piping tip for cupcake decoration.
- Electric hand mixer
More cupcakes recipes
Nutella cupcakes- These Nutella cupcakes are made with delicious chocolate Nutella cupcakes, filled with Nutella, and topped with Nutella buttercream and chopped hazelnuts!
Strawberry filled cupcakes- These strawberry filled cupcakes are made with vanilla fresh strawberry cupcakes, filled with chopped ripe strawberries, and topped with strawberry buttercream frosting.
Pumpkin cupcakes- These super moist pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are soft, and delicious, and stay moist for 3 days.
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to leave a rating and a comment below. We love hearing from you.
If you liked this recipe
📖 Recipe
Moist Banana Pudding Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 stick Butter melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 Eggs
- ½ cup Granulated sugar
- ½ cup Brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups Bananas
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ cup Buttermilk
- 2 cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
Banana pudding filling
- 1 Banana mashed ripe banana
- 50 g Vanilla pudding
- 1 cup Milk
Stabilized whipped cream
- 2 cups Heavy cream cold
- ⅓ cup Powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon Vanilla instant pudding
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350f (180c) and prep a cupcake pan with liners.
- Into a large mixing bowl, add the cooled melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, buttermilk, brown sugar, kosher salt, mashed bananas cinnamon, and Greek yogurt, and mix with a whisk until well combined.
- Add the flour and baking soda and mix until just combined and there are no lumps of flour visible. Do not overmix.
- Use an ice cream scoop to fill out the cupcake ⅔ full (do not overfill) and bake in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the cupcakes for 10 minutes and transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely (don’t frost warm cupcakes)
- Make the banana pudding filling: In a medium mixing bowl, add the vanilla pudding, mashed banana, and whole milk and mix until well combined. Let it sit for 20-30 minutes until it thickens.
- Make a small hole in the middle of each cupcake. We used a knife to do so, you can also use a cupcake corer.
- Fill the hole with the banana pudding until just full.
- Make the whipped cream: Into a big mixing bowl, add the heavy cream, instant vanilla pudding, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Mix with an electric hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag with a star tip and pipe the cupcakes with the frosting. Top them with a nilla wafer and serve!
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs and butter. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- Choose ripe bananas. Use bananas that are ripe with brown spots. They’re sweeter and mash easily, adding moisture to the cake.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have a moist cupcake and not a dense and dry cupcake.
- Use cupcake liners to prevent the cupcakes from sticking to the pan, making them easier to remove and creating a more professional appearance.
- Don't overbake the cupcakes. Keep an eye on the cupcakes as they bake and remove them from the oven as soon as a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with the back of a knife.
- Be patient! I know it’s extremely tempting to eat and frost these cupcakes as they are pulled out of the oven, but let these cupcakes cool for at least 1 hour to prevent the frosting from melting.
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