If you love cupcakes as much as we do, try our irresistible bourbon coconut cupcakes! These peanut butter banana cupcakes are not like muffins or banana bread at all. They’re light, fluffy, and cake-like with a rich buttercream frosting that makes them a real treat. Have fun decorating them any way you like, or as we do with a banana chip, some chopped peanuts, and a drizzle of smooth peanut butter. You don’t need to wait until it’s someone’s birthday to bake up a batch of these delicious peanut butter banana cupcakes. They’re sweet, simple, and quite possibly the best pick-me-up around.
Make sure your bananas are ripe – when baking with bananas, you want them to be ripe. The more brown spots they have, the sweeter and moister they are. Don’t over-mix the batter – the more you beat the batter, the more gluten develops which can result in rubbery cupcakes. Check to make sure they’re done – while the cupcakes are still in the oven, insert a skewer into the center. If the skewer comes out clean, they’re ready. Make sure not to overcook them as they will firm up when cooled. Allow them to cool completely – remove the cupcakes from the pan fairly soon after they come out of the oven. Sitting too long in the pan will result in a soggy bottom. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely on a cooling rack before icing.
Eggs – we actually separate the egg whites from the egg yolks in this recipe. Beating the egg whites helps give the cupcakes height, lightness, and a delicate texture. Ripe bananas – make sure your bananas are nice and ripe with lots of brown spots. They’re sweeter and have more moisture which is important for baking. Butter – salted butter adds rich flavor and keeps these cupcakes moist. Granulated sugar – regular granulated sugar is what we use for cupcakes as it dissolves well into the batter. Smooth peanut butter – smooth natural peanut butter is what we use. Just give it a good stir if the oil has separated. Whole milk – whole milk has a higher fat content which adds both moisture and richness, but you can use any milk or milk alternative. Sour cream – sour cream also adds moisture and richness without thinning the batter. Vanilla extract – vanilla has a unique ability to enhance other flavors while also adding a delicate sweetness. All-purpose flour – we use all-purpose flour because it’s versatile and we always have some on hand. Baking powder, baking soda + salt Chopped roasted peanuts – for a little added peanut crunch!
Here’s what you need for the rich buttercream frosting:
Salted butter – salted butter makes up the bulk of buttercream icing. If you’re using unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon of salt. Powdered sugar – the fine texture of powdered sugar dissolves easily into the frosting. Vanilla extract Whole milk – a few splashes of milk helps to thin the frosting so you can pipe it. Banana chips, chopped peanuts, and peanut butter – for decorating.
Here’s how to make the easy buttercream frosting:
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