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Southern Style Banana Pudding Cupcakes with Vanilla Wafer Crumble

A close-up of three moist banana pudding cupcakes topped with swirled white frosting and crushed wafer crumbs.
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Make handheld versions of the classic Southern dessert with these moist banana pudding cupcakes. They feature a rich banana cake, a creamy vanilla pudding filling, and a light whipped topping sprinkled with vanilla wafers.

Ingredients

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  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium bananas)
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup prepared vanilla pudding (store-bought or homemade)
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (for topping)
  • 1/2 cup vanilla wafer cookies, crushed (for topping)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set this dry mixture aside.
  3. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. This step incorporates air, which helps with moisture.
  4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract and mashed bananas until just combined.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk. Begin and end with the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until just combined; do not overmix the batter.
  6. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
  7. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. While the cupcakes cool, prepare the filling. Once the cupcakes are fully cool, use an apple corer or small knife to remove a small core from the center of each cupcake, leaving a small wall around the edges.
  9. Spoon or pipe the prepared vanilla pudding into the center cavity of each cupcake.
  10. To make the topping, beat the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form. This creates a stable whipped cream frosting.
  11. Pipe or spread the whipped cream frosting generously over the top of each filled cupcake.
  12. Sprinkle the crushed vanilla wafer cookies over the frosting on each cupcake for the final touch. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.

Notes

  • For the best banana flavor in your cake, use very ripe bananas—the peel should be mostly brown or black.
  • If you want to make this a ‘make ahead cupcake’ option, prepare the cake and filling one day ahead. Store the filled cupcakes covered in the refrigerator. Frost them just before serving to keep the whipped topping fresh.
  • To make the vanilla wafer crumble finer, pulse the cookies in a food processor instead of crushing them by hand.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://tastethisplate.com/banana-pudding-cupcakes-recipe/