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 Recipe
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.
- Ingredients you'll need to make easy Banana Pudding Cupcakes: One box of yellow cake mix, instant banana pudding mix, whole milk, condensed milk, plain cream cheese, bananas, vanilla wafers, vanilla extract and frozen whipped topping. (i.e. Cool Whip or similar)
- Kitchen tools you'll need: A stand mixer or a hand mixer, large bowl, cupcake pans, cupcake liners, a sharp knife and cutting board, cooling 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. One such as Wilton 1M or similar.
- 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.
- 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 3 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.
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 Somoa 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:
Banana Pudding Cupcakes
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
Melissa
Thank you so much, I'm delighted you are enjoying them! Happy cupcake baking!
paradice Williams
Im baking these tomorrow. ...just one more of your many AWSOME recipes ...Thank You for shareing
Melissa
Frozen whipped topping is whipped cream. Thanks so much for visiting from Australia!
Tj66
What is frozen whipped topping? I'm in australa is whipped cream ok or is it ice cream?
Melissa
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!
Melissa
Hi Meki, I sure hope he does! Animal cookies are a great substitute, happy baking.
Meki Etuale
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
Hello Konfena, best wishes for the wedding, enjoy!
Konfena Simpson
I cant wait to taste these they will be one of my desserts at my wedding this year thanks for sharing
Cheryl Clair
Any body got a good substitute for Nilla Wafers? I live in Ireland and we don't have them here. Thanks
K Brasher
yum! looks sooo good!
Tina Willett
Where the butter milk it calls for in the ingredients needed? Is it the whole milk??
Melissa
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.
Chris Ng
What is the recipe for 1-2-3-4 cake batter? Please share with me.
I don't usually go for premix. Thanks.
Melissa
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
Anonymous
can this recipe be made in other flavors? love the banana creme but with summer here there are flavors to love.
Charisse Bowen
CAN'T WAIT TO MAKE THESE!
Melissa
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
Melissa
LOL, then you better start baking! ☺ Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy. ☺
Kalamity Kelli
My husband will clean the kitchen for a week if I make these! And so I will!