These Banana Cream Pie Cupcakes are fluffy banana cupcakes filled with creamy vanilla custard and topped with banana frosting. It’s the perfect sharable version of classic banana cream pie. You won’t be able to eat just one.
I am such a big fan of banana desserts and have made quite a few fun banana treats over the years. At the top of our list of favorites is definitely my Banana Cream Cheesecake and Banana Pudding Cheesecake, along with these Banana Pudding Popsicles. I love turning a traditional dessert into something unique and these banana cream cupcakes do exactly that.
This recipe has actually been updated from the original version. While I loved the original, when updating them I decided that the cupcake base could have more banana flavor. So I tried them with the cupcake from my Banana Cupcakes Recipe and fell even more in love with these. The filling is the same, the buttercream is the same, but the cupcake itself got an upgrade. Now they have even more amazing banana flavor that you simply won’t be able to resist.
Why You’ll Love These Cupcakes
- The BEST texture combo. The combination of the moist and fluffy banana cupcake next to the smooth, creamy filling and the fluffy buttercream is to die for. So good!
- A reimagined classic. These irresistible cupcakes take the concept of a classic Banana Cream Pie and turn it into the perfect sharable dessert. All of the velvety, creamy custard and real banana flavor without the hassle of slicing and plating.
- Real banana flavor. From the mashed bananas in the cupcake batter to the powdered banana chips in the frosting, there’s plenty of real-deal banana flavor in these awesome cupcakes.
Ingredient Notes
Most of the ingredients are straight-forward, but there a few to pay extra attention to. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card below for precise measurements.
- All-purpose flour – Be sure to measure your four accurately with a food scale or using the spoon and level method. Otherwise, you won’t get the texture you’re looking for. Check out my post on How to Measure Flour Correctly for more information.
- Mashed overripe bananas – Not too ripe, though. Aim for bananas that are very heavily speckled but not totally brown. If they are too ripe, they may be more liquid than solid and not turn out right.
- Milk – I highly recommend whole milk in this recipe. The high fat content is especially needed in the cream filling. In a pinch, you may be able to get away with 2%, but your filling will be a little thinner.
- Heavy whipping cream – The heavy cream should be chilled. If it is too warm, it won’t whip up and hold volume properly.
- Powdered sugar – If you want to reduce the amount of sugar in the buttercream, you can. Just keep in mind that it will turn out thinner and you won’t have as much of it.
- Banana chips – Add them to a food processor to grind them into crumbs. Banana chips are quite firm, so it can take a minute. I did experiment with using freeze-dried bananas (and you could totally use those), but we did a side-by-side test and the flavor is much more natural and delicious with the banana chips.
How to Make Banana Cream Pie Cupcakes
Let’s get this party started! Here’s a quick overview of how to make banana cream cupcakes. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
Make the Cupcakes
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F (176° C) and line a cupcake pan with liners.
- Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Beat the butter, oil, and sugars until light in color and fluffy.
Mix in the the eggs (one at a time), followed by the vanilla extract.
Mix in half of the dry ingredients, followed by the milk and mashed bananas. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients.
Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 15-18 minutes.
Let the cupcakes cool completely.
Make the filling
- Combine. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together in a medium saucepan and then whisk in the milk.
- Thicken. Cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to thicken and simmer, stirring continuously. Do NOT boil.
- Temper. Whisk a little of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk. Whisk the egg mixture into the rest of the milk mixture.
- Thicken more. Bring the filling to a light boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring continuously.
- Finish it off. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.
Transfer the filling to a bowl, press a sheet of clear wrap gently into the top, and chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
Beat the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form and fold it into the chilled filling. Chill in the fridge while you make the buttercream.
Make the buttercream and assemble
- Make the buttercream base. Beat the butter until smooth. Beat in half of the powdered sugar followed by the vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of cream. Mix in the remaining powdered sugar.
- Grind and add banana. Grind the freeze-dried bananas into a fine powder in a food processor . Mix it into the buttercream.
- Get the consistency right. Add additional cream, if needed.
Remove the centers of the cupcakes with a cupcake corer.
Add a tablespoon of pastry cream to each cupcake core.
Pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes.
Tips For The Best Cupcakes
- Measure carefully. When measuring the flour in particular, use a food scale or the spoon and level method. Too much flour will give you dry cupcakes.
- Don’t skimp on creaming time. Beating the butter, sugar, and oil incorporates air into the batter, helping you achieve light, fluffy cupcakes. So, don’t skimp on this step. Cream until the mixture has lightened in color and has become fluffy.
- Don’t over-mix. Once you combine the wet and dry ingredients, mix just until everything is incorporated. Over-mixing can cause the glutens in the flour to overdevelop, resulting in tough, overly dense cupcakes.
- Keep things moving. When thickening the filling (from start to finish), stir continuously. This will help keep the milk from scalding, the eggs from scrambling, and the custard from cooking unevenly. It’s an essential part of getting a smooth, velvety filling.
- Don’t overcook. If you boil the filling for too long (or at too high a heat), it will break down, rather than thickening. So boil gently and just until the filling has thickened. Then, remove it from the heat.
- Don’t forget the clear wrap. Be sure to gently press a sheet of clear wrap into the top of the custard before you set it in the fridge to chill. Otherwise, a film will form on top.
- Fold gently. When folding the whipped cream into the custard, do so gently so as not to knock the volume out of it.
How to Store
- Refrigerator. Seal the cupcakes in an airtight cake carrier (or an airtight container that’s tall enough to accommodate the frosting). You can store them in the fridge for up to 4 days. They do need to be stored in the fridge, because of the filling, but I recommend letting them come closer to room temperature for serving so that the buttercream isn’t too firm.
- Freezer. Seal the cupcakes in an airtight, freezer-safe container tall enough to accommodate the frosting. You can store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw in the fridge before enjoying.
This recipe was updated 2/27/2026. For the original recipe, download the recipe PDF.
Banana Cream Pie Cupcakes
These Banana Cream Pie Cupcakes are fluffy banana cupcakes filled with creamy vanilla custard and topped with banana frosting. It’s the perfect sharable version of classic banana cream pie. You won’t be able to eat just one.
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Ingredients
Banana Cupcakes:
- 1 ¼ cups (163g) all-purpose flour (measured accurately)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- ¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil
- ½ cup (112g) packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (52g) sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240ml) mashed overripe bananas (2-3 bananas)
- ½ cup (120ml) milk
Cream Filling
- ¼ cup (52g) sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¾ cup (180ml) whole milk
- 1 egg yolk (lightly beaten)
- 1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60ml) heavy whipping cream (cold)
- 2 tablespoons (7g) powdered sugar
Banana Buttercream
- 1 cup (224g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 4 cups (460g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 -4 tablespoons (45–60ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup banana chips (or freeze-dried bananas)
Instructions
Make the cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176° C) and prepare a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
- Add the butter, oil, and sugars to a large mixer bowl and beat together until light in color and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until well combined after each. Add the vanilla extract to the second egg. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until mostly combined.
- Slowly add the milk and mashed banana and mix until well combined. The batter will look a little curdled, but that’s ok.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Do not over-mix the batter.
- Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full and bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and place them on a cooling rack to cool.
Make the filling
- Add the sugar and cornstarch to a medium saucepan and whisk together until no more lumps of cornstarch remain, then add the milk.
- Cook, stirring continuously, over medium heat until mixture just begins to thicken and simmer. Be careful not to boil it.
- Add a little bit of the milk mixture to the egg yolk and quickly whisk together, then add the egg mixture to milk mixture, putting it all back in the pan. This process ensures that you don’t cook the egg yolk too quickly and get scrambled eggs.
- Place the pan back on the heat and bring to a light boil. You should see large bubbles popping on top. Allow to boil for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Don’t boil for too long, or you can overcook it and it’ll actually break down, rather than get thicker.
- Remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth, then pour into a bowl and cover with clear wrap pressed against the top so that it doesn’t get a film on top. If you find your cream is lumpy, you can strain it. Set in the fridge to cool completely, 1-2 hours.
- Once cooled, beat the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream filling. Set in the fridge while you make the buttercream.
Make the buttercream and assemble
- Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth. Add about half of the powdered sugar and beat until well combined and smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of cream and beat until well combined and smooth. Add the remaining powdered sugar and beat until well combined and smooth.
- Add the banana chips (or freeze-dried bananas) to a food processor and grind into a fine powder/crumbs. Add the powder to the buttercream and beat until well combined.
- Add additional cream, if needed, to get the right buttercream consistency.
- To put the cupcakes together, use a cupcake corer or small paring knife to remove the centers of the cupcakes.
- Fill the centers of the cupcakes with 1 tablespoon of the cream filling in each.
- Pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes. I used Ateco tip 847. Top cupcakes with a banana chip and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Cupcakes are best eaten within 3-4 days.
Notes
- Mashed overripe bananas – Not too ripe, though. Aim for bananas that are very heavily speckled but not totally brown. If they are too ripe, they may be more liquid than solid and not turn out right.
- Milk – I highly recommend whole milk in this recipe. The high fat content is especially needed in the cream filling. In a pinch, you may be able to get away with 2%, but your filling will be a little thinner.
- Banana chips – Banana chips are quite firm, so it can take a minute to grind them. You can also use freeze-dried bananas, but the flavor is more natural and delicious with the banana chips.
Nutrition
Calories: 799kcalCarbohydrates: 126gProtein: 5gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 128mgPotassium: 140mgFiber: 1gSugar: 103gVitamin A: 830IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 75mgIron: 2mg
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
When making crumbs from the banana chips, I’m assuming the chips need to pretty much be turned into banana dust? Otherwise the frosting won’t be smooth?
Also, I never use shortening in my frosting but I see many of the frosting recipes for your cupcake recipes do. Can I make the same frosting recipes without shortening? Would I just add more butter or how would that work? Thank you!
Yes, they should be pretty ground up.
And yes, you can replace the shortening with butter. Here’s a little info on why I use shortening and making adjustments.
I have never eaten or baked banana cream cupcakes but when I saw yours (picture and receipe) I decided to give it a try because I’m pregnant and have crazy cravings for banana cream pie but only know how to make cupcakes not pies. My first batch did not rise and it was wet/dense inside. So I decided to make a second batch, I restarted from step one, yes I dump my old batter and make a new one. Guess what, that batch did the same thing. So I said third time is a charm. I was wrong, my cupcakes does not come out moist fluffy, it doesn’t rise and is doughy on the inside, and I have no clue where I went wrong, i followed all the directions. This is a cry for help, I’m sure this cupcake taste delicious when you make it, what am I doing wrong. The only thing I can think of is that I use my hand mixer because I don’t have a professional grade stand mixer that cost over $300. Could that be it?
It shouldn’t have anything to do with the mixer. Are you sure you’re fully creaming the butter and sugar? It adds air to the batter that gives them some fluff.
Hi Lindsay,
I put all the ingredients in, filled them half full and baked at 350 degrees and they hardly rised. Don’t know what went wrong. Otherwise they tasted amazing.
It’s hard to say without seeing it. Are you sure something didn’t get left out? I’ve done that before. 🙂
Mine didn’t raise either! Darn first time I have had this happen!
Would these be ok if they were left out on a table during a party? I would like to try them for a bridal shower. But they would be out on the table during the party as I intend to shape them like a wedding dress.
Yes, they should be fine. The filling will soften a bit, but the cupcake should hold it all together.
Made these last weekend, so hard not eat several at a time. A great combination of textures, flavors!
So glad you enjoyed them Mindy! 🙂
i know this post has been up forever, but I’ve made these a few times now and my husband told me the last time that from now in this isnall he wants for his Birthday for the rest of forever! These are a huge hit at our house and we especially love that they have actual banana in them. Thanks for all the great recipes!
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoy them! 🙂
Do I need a mixer for this or will it come out with just a whisk?
Thank you!
I use my mixer.
These look great and I can’t wait to try them!! I usually use buttermilk instead of regular milk in my cupcakes. Can I substitute buttermilk here as well?
I haven’t tried it to know of sure. I *think* it’d be ok.
I saw this recipe and can’t wait to make them! I’ll be doing the food for my my reception and think these cupcakes will go over really well. Im so happy you posted it ????
FANTASTING! REALLY GREAT! I love it! Greetings from Poland
IN the filling ingredients it doesn’t say anything about whipped cream, but your last instruction under the filling is to gently fold the whipped cream into the cream filling. How much whipped cream then?
The heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar listed under the filling ingredients are whipped together to make the whipped cream (step 7 under the filling instructions). I hope that helps!
These were excellent! I was impatient and added my cream mixture to the custard too soon, but they still taste fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing such an excellent recipe!
Is the filing required? I’m thinking of making just the cupcake, without the filling.
The filling isn’t required.
These look outstanding – was looking for a new cupcake to make and these are it.
One comment (and maybe its just me) – you might want to try a different color font in the recipe section. The light grey is barely readable when printed (for those of us old schoolers that still print these things!) Thanx for posting.
Hi Jim, did you use the print button that’s just under the little photo with the recipe? The text should be black when it prints. If not, perhaps your printer ink is low?
Lindsay –
Just didn’t dig through the icons to get to the print button – used the browser print. Made the difference. Thanx!
I just made these today. They were worth every degree hotter my kitchen got this summer afternoon.
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Omg! These were SOOOO good! When I was making the batter, they already smelled heavenly. By the time they came out of the oven, I didn’t wait for the frosting, I just dove right in, and they are perfect! There’s literally no other word to describe these. Soft, fluffy, full of flavor, airy, not dense at all, but just perfect! Sorry for my rave, I definitely recommend these!
So glad you enjoyed them!
The amount of icing sugar you put in the frosting scares me????. Wouldn’t it be too sweet to taste?
I’ve referred to many recipes online and saw that they use a lot of icing sugar in their buttercream too.
Is buttercream suppose to be that sweet compare to Swiss meringue buttercream?
American buttercream (as used in this recipe) typically gets it’s volume from the powdered sugar, so the more you use, the more volume and stiffness you get. With SMB, the volume comes from whipped air into the meringue. Neither is bad or worse in my opinion, they are just quite different. I personally don’t find this frosting to be too sweet, but I certainly have a sweet tooth and not everyone likes things as sweet as I do. You could reduce the amount of sugar used, but you will get less volume. I hope that helps!