These gluten free banana cupcakes are perfect when you have left over ripe bananas. Moist, tender banana cupcakes are topped with a generous amount of cinnamon maple buttercream frosting for the perfect fall treat. It's one of the best gluten free recipes you'll ever make!
When you think of using up your extra-ripe bananas, you probably think of banana bread. And why wouldn't you? It's a time-honored recipe that all our grandmothers and mothers have made for decades. Why stop with quick bread, though, when you can do so much more with them?
These banana cupcakes take all the classic flavor of banana bread and transform it into a tender cupcake! And I didn't stop there. I top these muffins with a cinnamon maple buttercream frosting to add more sweetness and flavor.
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Why You'll Love These Frosted Gluten Free Banana Cupcakes
- Deep Banana Flavor: Three large bananas are packed into these cupcakes, giving them a huge kick of banana flavor in every bite.
- Decadent Frosting: Cinnamon and maple-infused buttercream frosting adds a rich, sweet finish that perfectly complements the banana flavor in the cupcakes.
- Simple Ingredients: You can find everything you need to make these cupcakes at your local grocery store. Even the 1:1 gluten free flour eliminates the need to track down extra ingredients like xanthan gum and other additives.
- Perfect for Any Occasion: These cupcakes make a fantastic dessert, afternoon snack, or dessert for potlucks and holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- Mashed Bananas: Ripe mashed bananas add deep banana flavor and moisture to the cupcakes. Choose very ripe bananas for the best flavor.
- Gluten Free Flour: I use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour because it gives my baked goods the best texture, and I don't have to bother with adding extra ingredients to create a soft, tender cupcake texture.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream adds extra moisture and fat to give these cupcakes an amazing crumb.
- Olive Oil: Using olive oil in place of butter makes these cupcakes a bit healthier, and the added moisture contributes to their fantastic texture.
- Vanilla: I prefer Singing Dog vanilla extract for its purity, quality, and deep flavor.
Frosting
- Butter: You can't have buttercream frosting without butter. I mean, it's right there in the name!
- Maple Extract and Cinnamon: Maple extract and cinnamon give the frosting its wonderful fall flavor. I prefer OliveNation maple extract and cinnamon for their quality, purity, and commitment to the best product. They're great! Use Code: 15GoldenGK for 15% off.
- Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar makes the frosting nice and sweet and adds the body necessary for its creamy texture.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Flavor Variations
- Dairy Free: Replace the butter, milk, and sour cream with plant based versions for cupcakes that are dairy and gluten free.
- Regular Buttercream: You can leave out the maple extract and cinnamon to make plain buttercream frosting.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: Try topping these cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for a sweet and tangy finish.
- Chopped Nuts: Fold chopped nuts into the batter for a more banana bread-like flavor. It's tasty!
How to Make These Gluten Free Banana Cupcakes
This recipe is super easy to make, you guys. It only takes a few minutes of mixing and a little baking, and you'll be all done. I'm just putting the highlights here, but you'll be able to see the full recipe in the card at the end of the post.
For the Cupcakes
1: Line 2 muffin pans with cupcake liners, and preheat your oven to 310 degrees.
2: Whisk all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
3: Mix all the wet ingredients except the banana and vanilla in a large bowl. Then mix in the bananas and vanilla.
3: Add the dry ingredients to the wet in thirds, mixing between each addition.
4: Evenly distribute your batter between the 24 cupcake liners and bake the cupcakes until a toothpick comes out clean.
5: Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool.
For the Frosting
1: Cream the butter in a mixing bowl with the paddle attachment.
2: Next, add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing slowly after each addition.
3: Add the extracts, cinnamon, and a little mix and mix until the frosting is fully combined.
4: Adjust the frosting with additional milk if necessary to create a rich, creamy texture.
5: Use a piping bag to frost the fully cooled cupcakes and enjoy!
Hint
If you want to be double sure your cupcakes don't stick, line the pans with silicon cupcake liners and brush them with just a bit of coconut oil.
Storage
These cupcakes are made with buttercream frosting, so they can be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 4 days. If you plan to keep them longer, you can refrigerate them for up to a week.
What to Serve with Banana Cupcakes
These delicious cupcakes are the perfect addition to a larger dessert spread with your favorite fall treats like pumpkin cake or caramel crunch apple cake.
Their classic flavor also makes them a wonderful dessert after meals like marry me chicken, pork tenderloin, or chicken soup.
Tips for the Best Frosted Cupcakes
- Mix your dry and wet ingredients separately, then mix them together until just combined for the best cupcake texture.
- Fully soften your butter to ensure rich, creamy frosting with no bits of raw butter in it.
- Bring your cold cupcake ingredients to room temperature. This makes them easier to mix and limits the possibility of overmixing the batter.
- Fully cool your cupcakes before frosting them. Otherwise, the frosting will begin to melt on contact and slide right off of the cupcakes.
More Cupcake Recipes
Frequently Asked Questions
Essentially, yes. There are a few minor tweaks, but in general, they're the same batter, just cooked in a different pan.
There are a few reasons buttercream frosting can be grainy. If you don't fully soften your butter, you'll end up with little bits of raw butter in the frosting. Sifting the powdered sugar is also important to avoid clumping and possible graininess. You'll also want to add liquid very slowly to the buttercream. This prevents adding too much liquid and having to fix the frosting by adding more powdered sugar. That can also make the frosting grainy.
Unless the bananas have gone bad, they can never be too ripe! At a minimum, your bananas should have brown spots. However, the best flavor comes from bananas that have black skin. They aren't good for snacking, but they're excellent for baking.
While bananas can never be too ripe for baking, they can go bad. If your super ripe bananas have an odd odor, any mold on the skin, or are oozing liquid, discard them immediately.
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📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Banana Cupcakes
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Banana Cupcake Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 3 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Wet Banana Cupcake Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ¾ cup sour cream room temperature
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoon Singing Dog vanilla
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 ¾ cups mashed bananas 3 very large or 4 medium bananas
Cinnamon Maple Buttercream
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar sifted
- 2 sticks butter softened
- 1 ½ tsp Singing Dog vanilla
- 2 teaspoon maple extract
- Pinch of salt
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 tablespoon milk
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 310 degrees and line two 12-count muffin tins with cupcake liners.
- Whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Whisk the sugar, olive oil, sour cream, and eggs on medium speed in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment for 30 seconds.
- Add the mashed bananas and vanilla and mix for another 60 seconds.
- Add the ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the wet and mix. Repeat until all the ingredients are combined.
- Evenly distribute the batter between the cupcake liners and bake fro 15 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Carefully transfer the cupcakes to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
For the Buttercream
- Cream the butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for 1 minute.
- Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing slowly after each addition.
- Add the vanilla and maple extracts, salt, cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons of milk and mix on medium speed for 30 seconds.
- Adjust the frosting with a bit of milk if it's too thick.
- Using a piping bag with an open tip, pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and enjoy!
Notes
- Store covered at room temperature for up to 4 days or refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.
- For longer storage, chill the cupcakes, wrap them in plastic wrap, and freeze them for up to 2 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag.
- Bring the cupcakes to room temperature on the counter before serving.
- Mix the cupcake batter until just combined. Overmixing will make the cupcakes tough.
- Bring all cold ingredients to room temperature for easy mixing and the best texture.
- Use tulip cupcake liners to make removing the cupcakes from the tin super easy.
Barbara Sauce says
310 degrees for 15-20 min doesn't completely bake it. 350 degrees for 20-25 min does.
Nicole Kendrick says
Hi, this totally depends on ones oven. My oven does tend to run hot and I bake it on 310!
Swathi says
Gluten-free banana cupcakes are so yummy delicious and easy to make perfect treat.
Juyali says
Delicious and comforting cupcakes with fall flavors. It's getting colder in WI already, and these are perfect with a hot cup of coffee. Yummy! 🙂
Criss says
I tried these gluten-free banana cupcakes, and they were delicious! Moist, flavorful, and you’d never guess they were gluten-free. I’ll definitely be baking these again!
Krystle says
The cupcakes are super moist and the maple frosting is divine. Will make again
Liz says
These banana cupcakes are delicious!!! And the yummy maple frosting makes them perfect for autumn.
Anonymous says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!