Best Banoffee Cupcakes Recipe

If you've never tried banoffee cupcakes, you're in for a yummy surprise. These caramel-filled treats made with bananas are the perfect blend of sweet and salty will have your friends and family asking for more. Recipe developer Catherine Brookes told Mashed that these cupcakes are one of her favorites, and once you try them, they'll be one of yours, too. She said they have a "sweet and indulgent" taste with "lots of banana flavor," adding that they are "soft, light, and moist."

Banoffee comes from a type of pie that was invented by Nigel Mackenzie in the early 1970s. According to Sussex Live, Mackenzie owned a restaurant, The Hungry Monk, and was looking to add a different kind of dessert to his menu. To liven up a coffee toffee pie, he added bananas, creating what would soon become a favorite. The recipe became so popular that it ended up on one the sides of Nestlé cartons of condensed milk.

So, if you're looking to put those overripe bananas to good use, look no further.

For the cupcake batter, you will need three very ripe bananas (approximately 11 ½ ounces weighed without skin), all-purpose flour (or gluten free 1:1 all purpose flour), unsalted butter (at room temperature), light brown sugar, white granulated sugar, milk, 2 large eggs, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. For the filling, you will need half a cup of caramel sauce. And for the frosting, you will need more unsalted butter (again, at room temperature), powdered sugar, and another half cup of caramel sauce.

The first step for this recipe is to preheat the oven to 350 F. While you're waiting for the oven to heat up, place 12 cupcakes liners in a cupcake pan.

To make the cupcake mix, place the butter, light brown sugar, and white granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Mix them together either by hand or using a mixer until the mixture is pale and light. The texture should be smooth and fluffy. 

Add the eggs, one by one. Brookes told Mashed the reason why you want to add the eggs one by one is to keep the mixture from curdling. It also makes it easier to combine all of the ingredients. 

After the eggs are thoroughly mixed, add the bananas, vanilla extract, and milk. Mix well to combine.

Once the mixture is combined, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Sieve the flour mixture over the wet ingredients and gently fold everything together until it's just combined. Brookes says it's important to fold the flour into the wet mixture because it helps air stay locked in, resulting in a lighter and fluffier batter. Too much mixing releases air, reducing the volume of the batter. 

Once everything is combined, spoon the batter evenly into the cupcake liners, filling up each liner about two-thirds full.

Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes or until a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool for about five minutes before removing them from a pan. After they have cooled just a bit, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

When the cupcakes are cool, you'll want to create a hole in the center of them for the filling. You can do this using the round end of a wide piping nozzle. If you don't have a nozzle, you can use a small sharp knife to remove a portion of batter from the center of them. The holes should go about three-quarters of the way down into the cupcake. Fill each hole to the top with caramel sauce.

For the frosting, beat the butter in a large bowl until it is smooth and creamy. To avoid a mess, sieve the powdered sugar into the butter gradually, whisking the mixture until it becomes smooth. Add the caramel sauce and whisk thoroughly to combine. Brookes says if your frosting is too runny, add a little more powdered sugar. If it feels too firm or thick, add a drop of milk.

Now it's time to ice the cupcakes. You can do this with either a spoon or you can pipe the frosting on top of each cupcake. 

If you want to add a little more taste of caramel to the cupcakes, simply drizzle a little extra caramel sauce over the top.

The final step is easy: Enjoy these tasty cupcakes!