Today’s Banana Cupcakes are soft, delicious, full of sweet banana flavor and a little cinnamon in every bite. They taste like banana bread, but lighter, and they are topped with a creamy cinnamon cream cheese frosting that makes these cupcakes taste PHENOMENAL!
What makes this recipe stand out is the whipped egg whites. Folding them in keeps the cupcakes light and airy, even with all those mashed bananas. And with the rich and smooth frosting on top, they just can’t be beat!! They are perfect for birthdays, brunches, bake sales, or anytime you have ripe bananas to use up.
If you love banana desserts like this, you should also try Banana Bread, Banana Pudding and Banana Pudding Poke Cake.
Why you’ll love it + Why it works:
- Great for Ripe Bananas. A perfect way to use up bananas sitting on your counter.
- Family Favorite Dessert. The sweet banana flavor and creamy frosting make these a hit every time.
- Whipped Egg Whites. Folding them in creates a light and airy texture.
- Moist Banana Base. Mashed bananas keep the cupcakes soft and flavorful.
Banana Cupcake Ingredients
- Eggs (4 large): Separates into whites and yolks to create structure and a light, airy texture when whipped.
- Butter (½ cup, softened): Adds richness and keeps the cupcakes tender and flavorful.
- Mashed Bananas (1 ½ cups): Provides natural sweetness and moisture, making the cupcakes soft and full of banana flavor.
- Vanilla Extract (½ teaspoon): Enhances the overall flavor and adds a warm, sweet note.
- Cake Flour (1 ½ cups): Creates a softer, lighter crumb. All-purpose flour works but will be slightly denser. To make cake flour; add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into a 1-cup measuring cup. Fill it the rest of the way up with all-purpose flour. Level the top. Dump the contents of the measuring cup into a bowl and use a whisk to sift them together.
- Granulated Sugar (¾ cup): Sweetens the cupcakes and helps with structure.
- Baking Powder (2 teaspoons): Helps the cupcakes rise and become fluffy.
- Baking Soda (½ teaspoon): Reacts with the bananas to give extra lift and softness.
- Salt (¼ teaspoon): Balances the sweetness and enhances flavor.
- Cinnamon (1 teaspoon): Adds warmth and pairs perfectly with the banana flavor.
- Butter (6 tablespoons, softened): Forms the base of the frosting and adds richness.
- Cream Cheese (4 ounces, softened): Makes the frosting creamy with a slight tang that balances the sweetness.
- Powdered Sugar (2 cups): Sweetens and thickens the frosting so it holds its shape.
- Vanilla Extract (½ teaspoon): Adds flavor depth to the frosting.
- Cinnamon (1 ½ teaspoons): Gives the frosting a warm, spiced flavor that complements the cupcakes.
How to Make Banana Cupcakes
PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare two muffin tins by lining them with paper liners.
EGG WHITES. Separate the eggs and beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then set aside.
WET INGREDIENTS. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the mashed bananas, egg yolks, and vanilla, and mix until smooth. Gently fold in ⅓ of the egg white mixture.
DRY INGREDIENTS. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
COMBINE. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites.
BAKE. Fill paper baking cups half full and bake 11-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove and let cool completely.
FROSTING. Beat together the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar slowly and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and cinnamon.
If necessary, add more powdered sugar until the frosting is firm enough to hold its shape but still light and fluffy. Frost the cooled cupcakes and enjoy!
Pipe the frosting on using an actual piping bag and tip, or cut a corner off a Ziploc bag and use it as a piping bag. Of course, spreading it on with a knife works just fine, too.
Pro Tip: Ripen Bananas Quickly
Place them in a brown paper bag along with an apple. Store it on the counter. To ripen even faster, bake them. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and place the bananas, peel on, on the sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes. The peel will turn black and the bananas will become soft to the touch.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Use Very Ripe Bananas: The darker the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your cupcakes will be.
- Don’t Overfill Liners: Fill only halfway to prevent overflow and ensure even baking.
- “Stiff peak” egg whites: As they thicken, lift the whisk out of the whites. A peak should form. If the peak melts back into the whites, keep whipping it. If the peak holds its shape, it is ready to use.
- Frosting alternative: Try Vanilla Buttercream, Strawberry Frosting, or Chocolate Buttercream.
- Garnish: Leave the garnish off, or add a fresh banana slice (right before serving, so they don’t get brown), banana chips (dried bananas), or chopped nuts.
- Make them mini: Use this recipe to make mini Banana Cupcakes. Use a mini cupcake tin and mini cupcake liners. Reduce the bake time to 8-11 minutes.
Banana Cupcakes Recipe
Video
Ingredients
Cupcake
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups mashed bananas, from 3-4 bananas
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups cake flour, (all-purpose flour can also be substituted)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Frosting
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar, (more as needed)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare two muffin tins by lining them with paper liners.
- Separate the eggs and beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then set aside.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the mashed bananas, egg yolks, and vanilla, and mix until smooth. Gently fold in ⅓ of the egg white mixture.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites.
- Fill paper baking cups half full and bake 11-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove and let cool completely.
- To make the frosting, beat together the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar slowly and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and cinnamon.
- If necessary, add more powdered sugar until the frosting is firm enough to hold its shape but still light and fluffy. Frost the cooled cupcakes and enjoy!
Notes
- Use Very Ripe Bananas: The darker the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your cupcakes will be.
- Fold Gently: Be careful not to overmix when adding egg whites to keep the texture light.
- Don’t Overfill Liners: Fill only halfway to prevent overflow and ensure even baking.
- Make them mini: Use this recipe to make mini Banana Cupcakes. Use a mini cupcake tin and mini cupcake liners. Reduce the bake time to 8-11 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Store at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. They taste even better after the flavors meld together!
Cool completely and put them in an airtight container or freezer storage bag for a couple of months. When you’re ready to use them, thaw in the fridge overnight. Frost them once they have thawed.
The frosting can be stored in a separate container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw before using.
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This recipe was first shared February, 2014.
It was absolutely delicious everybody loved them! I accidentally added a little much on the powdered sugar with the frosting so I added just a little bit of heavy whipping cream to thin it out and on top of the frosting I added toasted chopped pecans!😋
That was a perfect fix for the frosting. I’m happy they turned out so delicious!
These fluffy Banana Cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting sound absolutely delightful! The light and airy texture paired with that creamy, spiced frosting makes them simply irresistible. I can’t wait to try this combination—it sounds like a perfect sweet treat for any occasion!
Hi! I just made these for the first time but when I took them out of the oven, they were super soft and the tops sank in when they cooled. Please tell me what I did wrong?! They look so good!
Sometimes if the batter gets overmixed, the tops will sink in when cooling. So when mixing the cupcakes, you’ll want to mix the dry and wet ingredients together until just combined. Hopefully that helps. And hopefully they still tasted delicious!
Just made them today, and they were absolutely delicious! Tastes very good when you add chocolate chips to the batter.
I don’t know what was more delicious- the moist, flavorful cupcakes, or the to-die-for cinnamon cream cheese frosting! They both make for a dream pairing- even better the next day!
Couldn’t agree more! 😉 So happy to hear you enjoyed the cupcakes!
This is one of my favorite cupcake recipes! The frosting goes perfectly with the cake and is absolutely to die for.
Yay! So glad you love it!
these cupcakes are amazing, and the frosting is my new favorite flavor! thank you so much for sharing this recipe
You’re welcome! So glad you enjoyed the cupcakes!
These are the greatest!!!
I substituted cake flour for gluten free 1-1 baking flour and these were sooo good I had to make 5 batches and they lasted only a few hours each in my house!!!!
I made them for my 4 year old grandson Birthday everyone like time. Thumb up
I need them of my 4 year old grandson Birthday everyone like time. Thumb up
Yay! Glad to hear you enjoyed the cupcakes!
The banana cup cake batter would not get smooth. I’m baking anyway hoping they will turn out.
Mine looked like scrambled eggs, I’m still cooking it
It doesn’t need to be smooth …just mix for 4-5 min on high speed then bake, It’s just like banana bread you don’t need to worry about tiny chunks of Banana or butter in the batter because when it makes it becomes part of the cake and It all comes out smooth and perfect once they are done baking 😉
So many people say these are the BEST cupcakes they’ve ever eaten!!
I hope you think so 🙂
The icing is amazing but have tried the cupcake recipe twice and both times they come out sticky, greasy, and without much rise at all. Not great .
Hmm..I’m sorry! I wish I knew why? Did you follow the recipe exactly? Glad you like the icing 🙂
Make sure you are using enough baking powder, Instead of both baking powder and baking soda, You must use 4 times as much baking powder to substitute for the baking soda amount. If you don’t they will not rise enough. But they are supposed to be moist and sticking a bit more like banana bread, They should not be fluffy and dry like a regular cupcake. You may also need to add a bit more flour, Depending on how you measure it, I have used as much as 2 cups For this recipe because I substitute for gluten free flour and It comes out fine with 2 cups also so maybe you can try that as well.
Just made these for my husband’s birthday!
So good, were a hit with everyone!
Glad they were a hit!! Thank you!
Hi. I would like to make just 12 cupcakes. Would I just halve all of the ingredients?
Thanks so much!
Yes, you could half it to make less 🙂 Hope you like them!
Made this for friends and it was a big hit!!!
Thank you for sharing the recipe with your friends 🙂 Glad it was a hit!
Great recipe but i did twesk it a bit. I used pecans in The muffins and added 1/4 tsp nutmeg. I added 8 oz cream cheese to The frosting. I also ommitted the cinnamon In the frosting. They are fabulous!
Sounds perfect! Thank you for sharing that!
This is the reason I keep bananas in my freEzer. For recipes like this and anything banana related. A sweet treat that you will like!
Cinnamon and Banana pair so well together! These are the most delicious cupcakes. One of my kids has requested to have these for their birthday Dessert.
FOr someone who loves Bananas- this is ABSOLUTELY HEAVENLY!!! So so GOod
I love the frosting on these!! It’s so creamy & I love the hint of banana in the cupcakes. They were truly delicious!
I habe to agree: the cinnamon frosting really makes these cupcakes shine! Thanks for sharing.
very NICE RECIPE! i NEEDED A WAY TO USE UP A BUNCH OF BANANAS AND EVERYONE WAS TIRED OF BANANA BREAD. THIS WAS VERY NICE AN FAIRLY SIMPLE. i HAD TO SUBSTITUTE NON-DAIRY ORGANIC “SHORTENING” FOR THE BUTTER, BUT IT CAME OUT GREAT! moist AND LIGHT WITH A NICE BANANA FLAVOR.
Perfect!! I am so glad you liked them!
I want to make these cupcakes and core out centre to fill with a custard before covering with frosting. Do u think the filling will hold up in these without breaking the muffin apart?
I imagine it would. I haven’t ever tried adding a custard but it sure sounds tasty! I’d suggest making sure they have completely cooled before taking out the centers. You’ll have to let us know how they turn out!
How would you adjust cooking time/oven temp for mini cupcakes??
They wouldn’t need as long, so I would just start checking around the 8 min mark, instead of the 11 min. You could check sooner..all ovens are different. I haven’t made them as mini’s, so I wish I knew the exact time. Hope this helps!
I just made these and I think my butter was not soft enough because it formed clumps after adding the banana and egg yolks. I had left the butter out overnight but perhaps my house was too cool. My batter once I folded in the remainder of egg whites was much thinner than what yours was in the video. I used 118g of cake flour per cup so 177g total. I prefer to weigh everything for accuracy. Also, of all the hundreds of muffin recipes I’ve made, the cooking time is usually between 20 to 25 min but this one is only 15? This is my first time making banana cupcakes with cake flour so maybe cake flour requires less baking time? I’m just guessing but ill have to see how these turn out.
Thanks for the feedback! Fingers crossed they turned out delicious for you still!
That cinnamon cream cheese frosting is AMAZING!
We love it & it’s perfect on these cupcakes! Thanks for stopping by!
The frosting for the banana cupcakes is delicious. The cinnamon adds to it. Thanks
How many cupcakes does this recipe make?
Nevermind… just saw the answer 🙂
How many does it make?!
fyi – makes 24 cupcakes. Mine are cooling atm 🙂
I recently made these for my coworkers and everyone loved them… delicious! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
This is amazing! I shared the cupcakes with my friends and everyone asked me for the recipe. Thanks for sharing this and I’ll do this again but double recipe for all my friends ❤️
Love hearing it was yummy. I think doubling the recipe next time is a good idea. 😉
Hi. I would like to make just 12 cupcakes. Would I just halve all of the ingredients?
Thanks so much!
These look delicious. Can you tell me how many cakes this mixture makes please. Is it 12 or 24
The kids and I made this into a cake. It’s baking and smells so yummy. Can’t wait to try it out. Thanks!
So fun! I hope everyone liked it!
These look delicious!
My goodness… All these yummy recipes are killing me 😉
Perfect combo!!
Yum! I loooove banana flavored everything. I’ll have to make some asap! Thanks for sharing Alicia!
ohhhhh my goodness! Cinnnamon buttercream on top of banana cupcakes is genius!!!