Chocolate Banana Cupcakes

Light and fluffy banana flavored cupcakes filled with chocolate chips and topped with the perfect chocolate buttercream frosting – these Chocolate Banana Cupcakes take your favorite chocolate banana bread recipe to the next level!

One of my favorite breakfast or mid-morning treats is a slice of banana bread. When I’m feeling really naughty, I like to make it with chocolate chips.

Which got me thinking, if I could marry the flavors of my favorite banana bread recipe with the lighter texture and sweetness of a cupcake, I would have a winner on my hands.

I’m happy to say, after a few iterations of the this recipe, I’ve developed possibly the world’s best cupcake. And I’m not floating my own boat. My kids even said so 😜.

No lies, though, I have my recipes independently tested to make sure that I’m writing everything up correctly, and my recipe tester agreed these are some of the best cupcakes she’s ever had!

Why This Recipe Works

1. The cupcake is light and fluffy, and filled with banana flavor
2. Mini chocolate chips add texture and extra sweetness
3. The chocolate buttercream is the perfect frosting to complement the cupcake

Ingredients For The Cupcakes

For these cupcakes, I essentially took the base of my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe and married it with my banana bread recipe.

• Overripe mashed bananas are essential to add moisture, banana flavor and of course, sweetness. The riper they are, they sweeter they are!
• Buttermilk helps create the soft and tender crumb of the cupcake
• Melted butter is used instead of oil for moist cupcakes
• You can use regular chocolate chips, but while testing this recipe I found the mini chocolate chips less likely to sink to the bottom of the cupcake. You can also toss them in a little bit of flour before adding them to the butter to prevent that from happening.
• The recipe is rounded out with the other basic ingredients of flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda (works alongside the buttermilk), eggs and vanilla extract.

Variations

• For double chocolate banana cupcakes, substitute 1/4 cup of the flour with 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake or muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the softened butter and sugar on high speed until pale in color (about 2-3 mins).
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition.
4. Mix in the mashed bananas and vanilla. The mixture may look curdled but it doesn’t affect the final cupcake.

5. On low speed, add flour in thirds, alternating with the buttermilk (flour, buttermilk, flour, buttermilk, flour).
6. Fold in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
7. Scoop into cupcake liners about ¾ of the way full.
8. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
9. Remove from oven, allow to cool for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully.
10. Once at room temp, frost with the chocolate buttercream (recipe below) and top with a slice of banana.

Ingredients For The Chocolate Buttercream

For perfectly sweet and creamy chocolate buttercream frosting, you’ll need

• 3 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 sticks softened salted butter (soft but not melted)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons heavy cream (milk works too, but the frosting won’t be as thick)

Instructions For The Buttercream Frosting

1. In the bowl of a stand mix with the paddle attachment on, cream butter on medium speed for about 3 minutes. You may need to scrape down the sides once. Turn off the mixer.
2. Sift 3 1/2  cups powdered sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl. Turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so the dry ingredients do not blow everywhere), mix until the sugar and cocoa are absorbed by the butter.
3. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and cream and beat for 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.

Storage

Store at room temperature for up to three days. Keep covered in an airtight container to ensure the frosting doesn’t develop a crust.

From the first bite of the sliced banana and creamy chocolate frosting, to when your teeth sink down into the center of the fluffy banana flavored cupcake, you’re going to quickly agree that this is one of the best cupcake recipes out there.

This simple recipe is packed with flavor, will certainly hit the right spot for your chocolate cravings and won’t leave you disappointed!

And once you do, please come back and leave a rating in the recipe card below!