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.
Best 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.
How to Make Southern Banana Pudding Cupcakes
My lifelong obsession with banana pudding recipes brought this particular cupcake to life, and 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.
- Can I make a homemade vanilla cake for the cupcakes? Of course, 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.
- How do you keep bananas from turning brown? You can 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.
- This recipe uses instant pudding not cook and serve. If you'd like to make homemade pudding, checkout my recipe for Old Fashioned Banana Pudding.
- 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.
- How far in advance can you make these banana cupcakes? 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.
- Can I garnish these cupcakes with fresh banana slices? Only if you plan to do so just before serving or they'll turn brown. A vanilla wafer or a dried banana slice are the best choices for garnishing.
- Store filled cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- 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.
Other Easy Cupcake Recipes to Make
Bake a batch of pudding filled cupcakes and watch kids of all ages gobble them up for dessert. More cupcakes 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.
- 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:
Banana Pudding Cupcakes
Servings: 24 cupcakes
Calories: 263kcal
Ingredients
- 1 15.25 oz box vanilla cake mix plus ingredients to prepare (Use whole milk or buttermilk in place of water)
- 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 and divided
- 3 bananas
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup crushed vanilla wafer crumbs for garnishing divided use
Instructions
- To prepare the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two 12 cup muffin pans 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.
- To prepare the filling: In a medium size mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to whip together the cream cheese and the sweetened condensed milk. Beat on medium speed for 1- 2 minutes or just until light and fluffy.
- To the mixture add milk, vanilla and instant vanilla pudding mix.
- Whip the ingredients together on medium-high speed for 3 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Fold in 1 cup of whipped topping by hand.
- Slice and quarter the bananas just before adding to the custard to pevent browning.Fold banana chunks into the custard. (You can toss the bananas with lemon juice, if desired.)
- To assemble: Using a sharp knife, cut a cone in the middle of each cupcake removing the cake, leaving a ½ inch border around the edge. (Avoid cutting all the way to the bottom.)
- Sprinkle ½ of the crushed vanilla wafer crumbs into the bottom of the cupcake, reserving the remainign for garnishing. Spoon the banana pudding into the cakes.
- Pipe a dollop of whipped topping on top and garnish with reserved vanilla wafer crumbs.
- Chill for 2-4 hours, then serve.
Notes
- Depending on how the batter is divided yield may vary anywhere from 18-24 cupcakes.
- Due to the fact that bananas tend to oxidize these cupcakes shouldn't be made more than one day in advance. You can also prepare the both the pudding and cupcakes one day in advance and assemble them just before serving.
- Do you want to make your own cake batter? Checkout my recipe for Old Fashioned Butter Cake for the cupcakes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 330mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 26IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!
My name is Melissa and I'm the Creator of Melissa's Southern Style Kitchen. Cooking, baking, developing recipes and kitchen tips is my passion. I love sharing my dishes and connecting with people through the food that I create.
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Jane
Can anyone tell me if you remove the cupcake liners for these cupcakes.
Melissa
Do you mean to eat? Yes, of course.
Jenny
These are great! I handed out to some neighbor kids and they loved them. When I hit up their lemonade stand they wouldn’t let me pay because I gave them my delicious cupcakes 😜 (I tipped them instead) I made banana pudding pops with the extra filling and it was a hit with adults and kids. I may try to make it into an ice cream cake for summer vanilla wafer crust 👍
Melissa
How nice of you! I'm delighted you loved these as much as we do, thank you!
Chimere
I made these for a party I was invited to and they were a hit! This recipe is awesome!
Melissa
Awesome, thank you!
Toni
My kids really enjoyed this! Taste SO good!
Sommer
I make these for every special occasion! Everybody loves them.
Katie
How would this differ using homemade pudding? I won't use instant.
Melissa
You can adapt it however you wish.
Charlotte Cole
I used banana pudding instead of vanilla. They were awesome!
Patti Jo
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
Please search the recipe index I have many cakes.
Judy
that was my first thought when i saw they werent used on the cupcake top, since you got no answer about the cut out wasted part of the cupcakes, my thought was maybe freeze for another day and make small layered parfaits with pudding, cream cheese/cool whip mixture ..or do that instead of the cupcakes...layer the cut up cupcakes into individual cups :).
Melissa
Trust me, NO part of these cupcakes ever go to waste. The small amount of cake that gets removed is always eaten. While we enjoy parfaits, that has no relation to this filled cupcake recipe at all. Eat the middle, no waste.
Theresa
Why would you waste the middle. Use it for cake pops or make a trifle or parfaits. The recipes and ideas are endless
Hilary
Has anyone tried this with banana pudding instead of vanilla?
Melissa
Sure you can, I recommend using one vanilla and one banana for the best flavor.
tanaja
what is the icing ingredients on top and the stuff on the bottom of it
Melissa
It's all in the recipe, if you'll scroll to the bottom of the page.
Melanie
Hi can you forward me any news letters I just discovered in from South Wales United Kingdom x
Melissa
You can subscribe to updates here, welcome!
Kimberly D
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
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.
Julie
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
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.
Colette
These look wonderful...can't wait to try them! How long will the whipped cream top hold up in the fridge?
Melissa
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.
Melissa
Graham crackers wouldn't give the same flavor. A sugar or vanilla cookie would be more in keeping with banana pudding.
Anonymous
How about using Graham crackers instead of vanilla wafers, if you don't have vanilla wafers in your area?
Cassi Crane
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. 🙁
Amanda
Cut the recipe In half or a fourth
Melissa
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
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
I am delighted your family loved these as much as we do, thanks!