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Ultimate Creamy Banana Pudding Cupcakes with Vanilla Wafer Crumble

Close-up of a banana pudding cupcake cut in half showing creamy filling, topped with whipped cream and cookie crumbs.
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You can make these handheld treats that capture the flavor of classic Southern banana pudding. This recipe features a moist banana cake base, a creamy pudding filling, and a light whipped topping finished with crushed vanilla wafers.

Ingredients

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  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium)
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 1/2 cup cold milk (for pudding)
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar (for topping)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (for topping)
  • 1/2 cup vanilla wafer cookies, crushed (for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set this aside.
  3. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract.
  4. Stir in the mashed bananas until just combined.
  5. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry mixture. Mix until just combined; do not overmix the batter.
  6. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
  7. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool fully.
  8. While the cupcakes cool, prepare the pudding filling. Whisk the instant vanilla pudding mix and cold milk together in a small bowl until thickened, about 2 minutes. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and chill until ready to use.
  9. Prepare the whipped cream topping. In a separate chilled bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
  10. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, use an apple corer or a small knife to remove a small core from the center of each cupcake, leaving about a half-inch border. Save the removed cake pieces.
  11. Transfer the chilled vanilla pudding to a piping bag fitted with a round tip (or use a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off). Fill the center cavity of each cupcake with the pudding.
  12. Pipe or spread the whipped cream topping onto each filled cupcake.
  13. Sprinkle the top of each cupcake generously with the crushed vanilla wafer cookies. Serve immediately or keep chilled.

Notes

  • For the moist banana cupcakes, use very ripe bananas; the browner they are, the more flavor they add.
  • If you want a more intense banana flavor in the filling, use banana instant pudding instead of vanilla pudding.
  • To keep the whipped cream topping stable longer, you can use a cream cheese frosting base instead of plain whipped cream.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://kingscook.com/banana-pudding-cupcakes/