These Banana Pudding Cupcakes are fluffy, moist, and loaded with banana flavor - and topped off with a homemade vanilla buttercream frosting. It's a fun and delicious twist on the classic Southern dessert. Yum!
Banana pudding has always been one of my fave comfort foods. In fact, my homemade banana pudding recipe is a long time reader favorite, and so are my much newer Banana Pudding Brownies. Don't miss those!
So I thought I would try another creative take on banana pudding - and what could be more fun than cupcakes? With a moist and fluffy banana cake base, creamy vanilla frosting, and a crunchy vanilla wafer topping, these cupcakes are sure to be a hit with the whole family.
These Banana Pudding Cupcakes are:
- A fun, family friendly dessert.
- Packed with banana flavor.
- Ready in 30 minutes.
- An easy dessert recipe.
Tips & Tricks
Use very ripe bananas
Make sure your bananas are very ripe for the best flavor and texture. This is a great way to use up bananas that are too overripe for eating.
Vanilla pudding mix
If you don't have French vanilla pudding mix, you can use regular vanilla pudding mix instead. The flavor is slightly different, but still works great for this recipe.
More Banana!
To make the cupcakes even more banana-y, you can add a teaspoon of banana extract to the batter.
Use a boxed cake mix
To keep this recipe really quick and easy, I used a boxed yellow cake mix. You'll want a typical boxed cake mix, usually about 15.25oz, such as this one from Pillsbury.
Storing the cupcakes
You can store the cupcakes in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for 2-3 days. If you would like to freeze the cupcakes, I recommend freezing them without frosting and then adding the frosting when you are ready to serve.
Variations
Chocolate Banana Pudding Cupcakes
Add ¼ cup of cocoa powder to the cake mix and substitute chocolate pudding mix for the French vanilla pudding mix. Top with chocolate shavings or chocolate chips for a decadent twist.
Caramel Banana Pudding Cupcakes
Drizzle each cupcake with caramel sauce before frosting for a sweet and gooey twist.
Peanut Butter Banana Pudding Cupcakes
Add ¼ cup of creamy peanut butter to the frosting mixture for a delicious peanut butter and banana flavor combination.
Banana Split Cupcakes
Top each cupcake with a slice of fresh banana, a dollop of whipped cream, and a cherry for a fun and festive banana split-inspired treat.
More Tasty Ideas
If you love these Banana Pudding Cupcakes, be sure to check out these other delicious ideas:
Recipe
Banana Pudding Cupcakes
Equipment
- large piping bag
- 1 large round frosting tip
Ingredients
Cupcake Ingredients:
- 1 yellow cake mix
- 1 cup crushed vanilla wafers
- ¼ cup French vanilla pudding mix
- ¾ cup water
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 large bananas mashed
Frosting Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups salted butter softened
- 3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup crushed vanilla wafers
- 24 mini-vanilla wafers
Instructions
Directions for Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray or line a standard muffin tin.
- In a large mixing bowl filled with the cake mix, whisk in the pudding mix and ¾ cup of the crushed vanilla wafers.
- Add in the water, oil, mashed bananas, and eggs. Using a hand or stand mixer, mix on medium until well incorporated.
- Add batter into the muffin tin until each is about ⅔ full.
- Sprinkle a bit of the remaining crushed vanilla wafers on top. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Directions for Frosting:
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter, and beat until light and fluffy.
- Slowly mix in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, while adding in the vanilla, a tablespoon of the sweetened condensed milk in between each cup. Continue to mix for 1 minute or until creamy.
- Prepare a piping bag and fill the bag with frosting. Frost your cupcakes. Top with a bit of the crushed vanilla wafers.
- Garnish with one mini-vanilla wafer and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition details are an estimate, per serving.
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