We love cupcakes at our house! What’s not to love, right? The versatility of flavor combinations and fillings is only limited by your imagination. They don’t require forks or spoons and… they’re portable! I often make not just frosted but, filled cupcakes and have for many many years. Long before there was a show on TV highlighting creative cupcakes in all flavors. My lifelong obsession with banana pudding brought this particular cupcake to life, and it remains one of my most downloaded recipes to date. I’ve had brides who loved these banana pudding goodies so much they served them at their wedding reception. Now, that’s true cupcake love. 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. If you prefer to bake completely from scratch, you may prefer to use my recipe for Old Fashioned Butter Cake in place of the cake mix. My family refers to these cupcakes as “portable banana pudding.” It doesn’t get any better than that.
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Helpful Kitchen Items:
Banana Pudding Cupcakes
Ingredients
- Cupcakes:
- 1 box vanilla cake mix plus ingredients to prepare (Use whole milk or buttermilk in place of water)
- OR from scratch using 1 recipe Old Fashioned Butter Cake
- For the filling:
- 1 [8 oz] container spreadable light cream cheese softened
- 1 [14 oz] can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 [3.4 oz] package instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 [16 oz] container frozen whipped topping thawed & divided
- 3 bananas
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup crushed vanilla wafer crumbs for garnishing
Instructions
- To prepare the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two 12 cup muffin tins with liners.
- 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. (From scratch Old Fashioned Butter Cake)
- To prepare the filling: In a mixing bowl, whip together the softened cream cheese and the sweetened condensed milk for around 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the milk, vanilla and instant vanilla pudding mix.
- Whip the ingredients together on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until the mixture thickens. Fold in 1 cup of whipped topping by hand.
- Slice and quarter the bananas just before adding to the custard, so, they won't brown. Fold the chunks of chopped banana into the custard.
- To assemble: Using a sharp knife, cut the middle out of each cupcake leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edge.
- Sprinkle half of the crushed vanilla wafer crumbs into the bottom of the cupcake shells reserving the other half for garnishing the tops.
- Divide the filling between the cupcakes.
- To finish the cupcakes, pipe a dollop of whipped topping on top and sprinkle the tops with the remaining crushed vanilla wafer crumbs.
- Chill thoroughly before serving.
Recipe Notes
Depending on how the batter is divided you may yield 18--24 cupcakes.
Due to the fact that bananas begin to brown quickly, I recommend making these cupcakes and serving them on the same day.
You may use my recipe for Old Fashioned Butter Cake for the cupcakes, if desired.
Kalamity Kelli says
My husband will clean the kitchen for a week if I make these! And so I will!
Melissa says
LOL, then you better start baking! ☺ Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy. ☺
Melissa says
Hi Charisse, these cupcakes are so simple to make, and simply delectable! One of my most popular recipes on my blog. Portable banana pudding, it just doesn’t get any better than that! 🙂 Happy baking, Melissa
Charisse Bowen says
CAN’T WAIT TO MAKE THESE!
Anonymous says
can this recipe be made in other flavors? love the banana creme but with summer here there are flavors to love.
Melissa says
Sure, check out my French Vanilla Cupcakes with a Dreamsicle Filling.
The sky is the limit when it comes to variations on filled cupcakes. ~ Melissa
Chris Ng says
What is the recipe for 1-2-3-4 cake batter? Please share with me.
I don’t usually go for premix. Thanks.
Melissa says
I think you must be referring to my suggestion to use buttermilk in place of the water called for on the cake mix. It enhances the flavor when using a cake mix, but, you could use whole milk if you prefer. I didn’t give an exact amount due to the fact it varies by brand. However, the filling calls for whole milk not buttermilk.
Tina Willett says
Where the butter milk it calls for in the ingredients needed? Is it the whole milk??
K Brasher says
yum! looks sooo good!
Cheryl Clair says
Any body got a good substitute for Nilla Wafers? I live in Ireland and we don’t have them here. Thanks
Konfena Simpson says
I cant wait to taste these they will be one of my desserts at my wedding this year thanks for sharing
Melissa says
Hello Konfena, best wishes for the wedding, enjoy!
Meki Etuale says
I am making these today my husband’s homecoming… he is going to LOVE them. And I’m using animal cookies instead of vanilla wafers 🙂
Melissa says
Hi Meki, I sure hope he does! Animal cookies are a great substitute, happy baking.
Melissa says
Hello Cheryl Clair,any vanilla shortbread cookie would be a great substitute. The true flavor for these cupcakes is in the filling. Thanks for visiting from Ireland!
Tj66 says
What is frozen whipped topping? I’m in australa is whipped cream ok or is it ice cream?
Melissa says
Frozen whipped topping is whipped cream. Thanks so much for visiting from Australia!
paradice Williams says
Im baking these tomorrow. …just one more of your many AWSOME recipes …Thank You for shareing
Melissa says
Thank you so much, I’m delighted you are enjoying them! Happy cupcake baking!
Melissa says
Hi Cassi, while these cupcakes are over-the-top good, they obviously shouldn’t be eaten by anyone who is allergic to bananas for sure. Perhaps you can make a batch for a picnic or special family gathering. They will keep for more than 1 day, but the bananas will begin to turn as with any dessert that includes fresh bananas.
Sylvia says
This is the second time I am making these! They are delicious even the next day and the bananas did not turn brown! This time I am freezing 1/2 of the cupcakes and will only make 1/2 of the filling because the recipe is too much for our family.Everyone loved them!Thanks for posting he recipe!
Melissa says
I am delighted your family loved these as much as we do, thanks!
Cassi Crane says
I want these so bad but I dont think our family of 5 (3 kids. 2 adults and one of those being allergic to banana) should eat 24 cupcakes in a day. 🙁
Anonymous says
How about using Graham crackers instead of vanilla wafers, if you don’t have vanilla wafers in your area?
Melissa says
Graham crackers wouldn’t give the same flavor. A sugar or vanilla cookie would be more in keeping with banana pudding.
Colette says
These look wonderful…can’t wait to try them! How long will the whipped cream top hold up in the fridge?
Melissa says
Hi Colette, I recommend topping with fresh whipped cream a couple of hours before serving. If using Cool-Whip it will hold up much longer.
Julie says
Made these a couple of days ago to share with coworkers. They absolutely LOVED them. I got 24 standard cupcakes from a white cake mix using buttermilk in place of the water. The only thing I question about this recipe is the filling. I had about twice as much as I needed. I think it could easily be halved as I wasn’t skimpy with it at all. Will definitely make these again! Thanks for sharing!
Melissa says
Hi Julie, so happy you enjoyed these we love them! It could be that you could make a larger cut into the cupcake to provide a larger pocket to hold the filling using more of it.
Kimberly D says
I absolutely cannot stand cream cheese. There’s not enough flavoring or sugar in the world to mask the taste of it for me. Would the recipe work without the cream cheese, or is there a substitute that would work?
Melissa says
The cream cheese in this stabilizes the pudding mixture. You could try it without the cream cheese, perhaps be mindful about how full you fill each cupcake.
Melanie says
Hi can you forward me any news letters I just discovered in from South Wales United Kingdom x
Melissa says
You can subscribe to updates here, welcome!
tanaja says
what is the icing ingredients on top and the stuff on the bottom of it
Melissa says
It’s all in the recipe, if you’ll scroll to the bottom of the page.
Hilary says
Has anyone tried this with banana pudding instead of vanilla?
Melissa says
Sure you can, I recommend using one vanilla and one banana for the best flavor.
Patti Jo says
Do you have any recipes that use the inside of the cake that got cut out so as to not waste it? Thank you!
Melissa says
Please search the recipe index I have many cakes.
Katie says
How would this differ using homemade pudding? I won’t use instant.
Melissa says
You can adapt it however you wish.