Whenever I have a few too-ripe bananas sitting on the counter, I see opportunity—banana cupcakes!
These aren’t your regular, dense banana muffins pretending to be cupcakes. Nope, these are light, fluffy, and gluten-free wonders that don’t skimp on flavor.
They’re the perfect treat when you want something sweet but don’t want to feel weighed down after indulging.
Plus, I like knowing exactly what’s going into my food, so I keep it simple with fresh, local ingredients. Trust me, once you try these, you’ll be finding excuses to let your bananas go brown!
Tips for Success
- Ripe bananas are key: The riper, the sweeter. Look for bananas with lots of brown spots.
- Don’t overmix: Gluten-free flour tends to get gummy if overworked, so mix gently!
- Want extra banana flavor? Add a teaspoon of banana extract.
- Make it dairy-free: Swap butter for coconut oil and use a plant-based yogurt.
Variations
- Chocolate chip banana cupcakes: Toss in ½ cup mini chocolate chips.
- Nutty twist: Add ¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Spiced up: Stir in ½ tsp cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg for cozy vibes.
Soft & Fluffy Gluten-Free Banana Cupcakes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Light, sweet, and naturally flavored gluten-free banana cupcakes made with fresh ingredients. Perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (Bob’s Red Mill works great!)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened (or coconut oil for dairy-free)
- 2 large eggs (room temp)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium bananas)
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt (or dairy-free yogurt)
- ¼ cup almond milk (or any milk you like)
Instructions
- Preheat & prep: Heat your oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- Mix dry stuff: In a bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set that aside.
- Cream butter & sugar: In another bowl, beat the softened butter and coconut sugar until creamy and fluffy. It should look like soft clouds.
- Add eggs & flavor: Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.
- Mash & mix: Stir in the mashed bananas and Greek yogurt until just combined.
- Combine wet & dry: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mix in batches, alternating with the almond milk. Stir gently—don’t overmix!
- Bake: Scoop the batter evenly into the cupcake liners and bake for 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool down: Let the cupcakes cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
Use overripe bananas for the best flavor. Works well with dairy-free swaps.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
