Banana Pudding Cupcakes

These easy Banana Pudding Cupcakes turn Southern banana pudding into a handheld treat. They feature vanilla cupcakes filled with creamy vanilla pudding and fresh banana chunks. They’re frosted with whipped cream and a sprinkle of crushed vanilla wafers for the finish.

Ingredients to Make Banana Pudding Cupcakes Recipe

We love cupcakes at our house!  What’s not to love, right?  The versatility of flavor combinations and sweet fillings are only limited by your imagination. They don’t require forks or spoons with the bonus of being portable!  I often make multiple flavors of frosted and filled cupcakes and have done so for many years. These filled banana pudding filled cupcakes are the epitome of homestyle desserts and they’re always a hit whenever they’re served. Ingredients to make Banana Pudding Cupcakes with cake mix: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card.)

• Cake: One box of vanilla cake mix plus water, eggs and oil called for on the package to prepare. I recommend replacing the water with the same amount of whole milk or buttermilk.
• Vanilla Pudding: Instant vanilla pudding mix forms the base of the banana pudding.
• Bananas: Firm bananas cut into slices, then cubed.
• Cream Cheese: Spreadable cream cheese stabilizes the filling.
• Liquid: One can of sweetened condensed milk plus whole milk to make the pudding.
• Whipped Cream: One 16 ounce container of Cool Whip for the filling and to pipe swirls on top. You can use fresh whipped cream, if preferred.
• Flavoring: One teaspoon vanilla extract.
• Nilla Wafers: Crushed vanilla wafer crumbs for garnishing and to add a bit of texture they cupcakes.

How to Make Southern Banana Pudding Cupcakes Recipe

My lifelong obsession with banana pudding recipes brought this particular cupcake to life. It remains one of my most popular recipes to date. I’ve even had brides who loved these pudding filled cupcakes so much, that they served them at their wedding receptions. My dream for this banana pudding cupcake was to combine two desserts to make one delectable handheld treat and that’s exactly what it does. This particular muffin tin recipe is designed to be simple, and that’s why it begins with a cake mix, so that bakers of all skill levels can make them. Since I published this recipe years ago, it’s been knocked off over and over again all over the web. Be your own cooking diva and treat the family to these for dessert!

• Heat Oven and Prepare Pans – Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two 12 cup muffin pans with liners.
• Make the Cake Batter – Prepare the cake mix per the instructions on the box using milk or buttermilk in place of the water. Use the same quantity of eggs recommended by the package directions. Bake the cupcakes per the directions then set aside to cool.
• Banana Pudding Filling – Whip together the cream cheese and the sweetened condensed milk until light and fluffy.
• Add Pudding Mix and Milk – Add milk, vanilla and instant vanilla pudding mix. Whip the ingredients together on medium-high speed until the mixture thickens.
• Stir in Whipped Cream and Cubed Bananas – Fold in whipped topping and banana by hand.
• Assemble the Cupcakes – Using a sharp knife cut a cone in the middle of each cupcake avoid cutting all the way to the bottom.
• Vanilla Wafers – Sprinkle crushed vanilla wafer crumbs into the bottom of the cupcakes, spoon the banana pudding mixture into the centers.
• Decorate – Pipe a dollop of whipped topping on the top of each cupcake.
• Refrigerate – Chill until serving for the pudding to set.

Tips for Making Banana Pudding Cupcakes

• Kitchen Tools You’ll Need: A stand mixer or a hand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, large bowl, medium bowl, cupcake pans, cupcake liners, a sharp knife and cutting board, wire rack and large rubber spatula. You can also use an ice cream scoop to evenly divide the batter between the cupcake wells. To decorate as pictured, you’ll need a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip. I used Wilton 1M.
• Use Firm Ripe Bananas: Choose fresh bananas that aren’t soft or overripe. Toss the banana chunks with a small amount of lemon juice to slow the oxidation, if you’re concerned. Mainly it’s important that they stay submerged in the pudding without exposure to air. While you can’t stop it altogether, rest assured it doesn’t happen immediately either.
• Allow Ample Chill Time for the Pudding to Set: When filling the centers of the cupcakes keep in mind it will set in the fridge and doesn’t have to be fully set when it’s initially made.
• Make-Ahead Tip: Due to the potential for the bananas to brown, it’s best to fill cupcakes no more than one day in advance. You can also prepare the banana pudding filling and bake the cupcakes one day ahead of time. When doing so, you can then assemble them and frost them with whipped cream just before serving to save time.
• Save Fresh Banana Slices Until Serving: You can garnish the cupcakes with fresh banana slices just before serving or they’ll turn brown. A vanilla wafer or a dried banana slice are the best choices for garnishing.

Recipe Variations

• Cake: Can I make a homemade vanilla cake for the cupcakes? Yes, you can! If you prefer to bake completely from scratch, you may like to use my recipe for Old Fashioned Butter Cake in place of the cake mix. It works like a charm.
• Vanilla Pudding: This recipe uses instant pudding not cook and serve. If you’d like to make homemade banana pudding, checkout my recipe for Old Fashioned Banana Pudding. 
• Whipped Cream Frosting: Whipped topping is more stable than fresh whipped cream. That being said, you can use heavy cream whipped with sugar and vanilla extract to replace the Cool Whip. You’ll need 4 cups of whipped cream.
• Garnishes: Just before serving you can garnish the tops of the cupcakes with a fresh banana slice and a vanilla wafer.
• Cream Cheese: You can use light cream cheese in this recipe.

Storage and Leftovers

• Leftovers: Store filled Banana Pudding Cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Make-Ahead Tips: For make-ahead preparation you can bake the cupcakes up to 2 days in advance and store them chilled in an airtight container in the fridge until filling them.
• Freezing Cupcakes: Cupcakes can be baked and cooled then frozen for up to 1 month, then thaw and fill before serving. Do not fill and freeze these banana pudding cupcakes.

More Easy Cupcake Recipes to Make

Bake a batch of pudding filled cupcakes and watch kids of all ages gobble them up for dessert. More cupcake recipes you may also like to try:

• Pretty Strawberries and Cream Filled Cupcakes will make a stunning addition to your desserts table.
• Sour Cream Angel Food Cupcakes  are a cake mix hack and no one will ever know.
• French Vanilla Cupcakes with Dreamsicle Filling are warm weather ready.
• Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes are like a party in your mouth.
• Chocolate Samoa Cupcakes. 
• The frosting for these Double Chocolate Cupcakes with a Peanut Buttercream Icing is to die for.
• You may also like these Key Lime Cupcakes from Daisy Brand.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Cupcake Pan
• Ice Cream Scoops
• Mixer
• Measuring Set