Banana Pudding Cupcakes are a sweet surprise in a small package. Fluffy cupcakes with a creamy pudding center and the perfect banana pudding toppings make them a memorable treat.
Sweet, Moist, Irresistible Banana Pudding Cupcakes!
If you’re a fan of the classic comfort of banana pudding, this is the dessert for you. It’s a gorgeous, fun, and perfectly summery recipe that combines moist, tender cake with classic banana pudding. Banana Pudding Cupcakes merge the classic taste of banana pudding with the convenience of a cupcake. With their fluffy and moist cake base, decadent pudding center, and iconic banana toppings, they’re a perfect combination of flavors and textures.
Best of all, this is almost completely from scratch. Homemade cake and pudding form the base, making both easy to make. Even the whipped cream is made by hand. Vanilla wafers are the only exception, but they are a must because they add that little touch of nostalgia.
Why You’ll Like Banana Pudding Cupcakes
There’s a lot to love about this easy recipe! Here are just a few reasons you’ll want to make banana pudding cupcakes again and again:
- Old-Fashioned Goodness: These cupcakes are cute and fun, but the flavor is that retro banana pudding you know and love from back in the day.
- Convenience: Banana pudding means bowls and spoons and portioning the dessert out… but these cupcakes are already the perfect serving size and easy to share!
- Pretty Presentation: With the pretty topping of banana slices, whipped cream, and vanilla wafers, the cupcakes are an eye-catching addition to any occasion.
- Easy to Make: Banana pudding cupcakes might look a little bit complicated, but this dessert is actually easy to make.
Banana Pudding Cupcake Ingredients
So what will you need to make these easy cupcakes? Let’s take a deep dive into the ingredients. (Note – the full recipe card with ingredients, amounts, instructions, and more is at the bottom of this post.)
Ingredients For The Cupcakes
- Flour: Plain, all-purpose flour is my go-to.
- Baking Powder: Make sure to use baking powder, not baking soda.
- Salt
- Butter: Unsalted butter, at room temperature.
- Sugar: I use plain white sugar here, but you could substitute light brown sugar if you like.
- Eggs: It’s helpful to have the eggs at room temperature as well.
- Vanilla: Vanilla paste or pure vanilla extract.
- Milk: Whole milk will make the richest cupcake batter, but reduced fat will also work.
Ingredients For Banana Pudding
- Whole Milk: Whole milk is the base of the pudding mixture – reduced fat won’t taste as rich and creamy.
- Sugar: Again, you white granulate sugar is my personal favorite for this.
- Cornstarch Slurry: To thicken the pudding, you’ll combine a few tablespoons of cornstarch and milk.
- Egg Yolks: Slightly beaten egg yolks also help thicken the pudding.
- Vanilla: You can use paste, or extract – whichever you prefer.
- Butter: Unsalted is fine.
- Banana: Chop the banana into small pieces.
Toppings For Cupcakes
- Whipping Cream: Heavy whipping cream, for making the whipped cream topping.
- Vanilla: To flavor the whipped cream.
- Bananas: Sliced.
- Vanilla Wafers: You could also use shortbread cookies.
How to Make Banana Pudding Cupcakes
There are basically three parts to this recipe – baking and cooling the cupcakes, making and cooling the pudding, and then putting it all together with the toppings. Here’s how to do it:
Mix and Bake the Cupcakes
- Combine the Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Cream the Butter and Sugar. Next, in a larger mixing bowl, combine the softened butter and the sugar and beat with a mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add the Eggs and Vanilla. Beat the eggs into the butter mixture, one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
- Combine the Dry and Wet Ingredients. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the dry ingredients, and be careful not to overmix!
- Bake. Pour or spoon the batter into cupcake liners arranged in a cupcake pan. Fill each one about ⅔ full. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool. Once the cupcakes are baked, take them out of the oven and let them cool completely.
Make the Banana Pudding
While the cupcakes are baking and cooling, make the pudding.
- Mix and Heat the Milk, Sugar, and Cornstarch. Combine the milk and sugar in a saucepan, and whisk to dissolve. Heat it over medium heat until it begins to thicken and boil – this will take a few minutes.
- Thicken the Pudding. Mix the cornstarch with a couple of tablespoons of milk, and set it aside. Whisk the egg yolks in a separate bowl. Gradually pour half of the hot milk into the egg yolks, whisking them the whole time, and then pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan. Add the cornstarch slurry, and whisk until thick.
- Finish the Pudding. Take the thickened pudding off the heat, and stir in the vanilla. Let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes before stirring in the butter and chopped bananas. Allow the pudding to cool completely.
Make the Toppings and Assemble
When the cupcakes and pudding have cooled, whip the cream and finish the dish!
- Make the Whipped Cream. Combine the heavy whipping cream and vanilla in a bowl, and beat until soft peaks form.
- Prep the Cupcakes. Use a cupcake corer or a sharp knife to remove the center of each cupcake.
- Fill with Pudding. Fill each cupcake with cooled banana pudding, allowing it to slightly overflow the top. Use the remaining pudding to top off each cupcake with a thin layer that spreads to the edges.
- Add Toppings. Top with whipped cream, sliced bananas, and vanilla wafers.
What Is the Secret to Fluffy Cupcakes?
Depending on the recipe, you could use various techniques to make sure your cupcakes turn out fluffy. For this one, perfect fluffiness is achieved by softening the butter and beating it with the sugar until light and airy. This step, along with careful mixing, helps create a beautifully fluffy cupcake.
What Makes Cupcakes Moist?
There are many ways to make a moist cake or cupcake – adding sour cream, oil, yogurt, butter, etc. For these banana pudding cupcakes, the cake does not need to be overly moist or soft because it holds a filling. So the simple batter here, made with butter, milk, and eggs, is moist and light while still being sturdy enough to handle the filling mixture.
Baker’s Notes
By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to creating scrumptious banana pudding cupcakes, that are pretty to look at and even better to eat.
- Bananas: Use bananas that aren’t green but aren’t overly ripe – a few brown specks are perfect.
- Mixing: Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mix only until blended. Don’t overmix, or the cupcakes will be dense.
- Pudding: While the pudding is cooling, you can cover it with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap against the surface of the pudding to prevent a layer of skin from forming on top.
- Cool: Cooling the cupcakes is so important! Make sure to cool the cupcakes and pudding completely, or the whipped cream will melt when you try to decorate them.
How to Store Banana Pudding Cupcakes
- Store the cupcakes in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to three days. You can serve them cold or let them sit out on the counter to come to room temperature before serving.
- To freeze the cupcakes, cool them down, and place them in a freezer container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge before using.
Banana Pudding Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk
Banana pudding
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons of whole milk, divided
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten to break up the yolks
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 banana, chopped into small pieces
Toppings
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- sliced bananas
- vanilla wafers
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 12-count muffin pan with paper cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In your mixer's bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated white sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Once baked, remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool completely.
Banana Pudding
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups of milk and the sugar. Whisk until smooth.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil. This should take about 4 minutes.
- In the meantime, whisk the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of milk until well combined and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Gradually pour about half of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and add in the cornstarch mixture. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the pudding thickens further.
- Remove the pudding from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Let it cool for 15 minutes, then stir in the butter and chopped bananas and combine until evenly distributed.
- Allow the banana pudding to cool completely. You can cover it with plastic wrap, pressing it against the surface of the pudding to prevent a layer of skin from forming on top.
Assembly
- In your mixer's bowl, combine the heavy whipping cream and pure vanilla extract. Whip the cream until soft peaks form.
- Once the cupcakes and banana pudding have cooled, use a cupcake corer or a sharp knife to core out the centers of each cupcake.
- Fill each cavity with the cooled banana pudding, allowing it to overflow slightly over the top.
- Spread the remaining banana pudding over the tops of the cupcakes, ensuring the surfaces are covered and extending the pudding to the sides.
- Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag or use a spoon to top each cupcake with a dollop of whipped cream.
- Garnish each cupcake with sliced bananas and vanilla wafers.
- Serve.
Notes
- Bananas: Use bananas that aren’t green but aren’t overly ripe, either.
- Mixing: Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mix only until blended. Don’t overmix, or the cupcakes will be dense.
- Cool: Make sure to cool the cupcakes and pudding completely before assembling. And before adding the whipped cream on top.
- Store the cupcakes in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can serve them cold or let them sit on the counter to come to room temperature before serving.
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