Banana Walnut Cupcakes

We usually always have some bananas on hand, and I love baking with them! It just brings such a flavorful sweetness to anything! And since I’m not much of a sugar girl, if I do bake, it’s usually always with fruit! These Banana Walnut Cupcakes were moist, those toasted walnuts brought some texture and depth, and that cream cheese frosting was the perfect amount of rich and tangy to top it all off! These were so balanced! And while they are a cupcake, they felt more like a rustic yet luxurious muffin which is exactly the vibe I was going for! My kids loved these!

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Where did cupcakes come from?

The earliest version of something resembling a cupcake appeared in 1796 in a cookbook by Amelia Simmons. She referred to them as “a light cake to bake in small cups.” The word “cupcake” was not actually used until 1828 though, written in a cookbook by Eliza Leslie!

Cupcakes are an American invention, with the name coming from how these sweet little treats were specifically measured, then baked! Pretty neat! And even though cupcakes and muffins appear to be part of the same family, we’ll call them cousins – muffins were invented HUNDREDS of years earlier!

Did you know?

Bananas are one of the oldest cultivated crops! Each and every banana is an exact clone of the last and that’s because commercial bananas are genetically identical! They are propagated by cuttings instead of seeds, that way they are all consistent in shape, color, and flavor. Plantations and farmers do that just for us – so we can always get that nice bunch of bananas from the grocery store! I think that’s pretty awesome!

Bananas also produce their own ripening gas, called ethylene. This is why putting bananas next to an avocado, for example, will literally ripen it overnight! This is a perfect example of the saying “one bad apple spoils the bunch!” Remember that the next time you want to accelerate the ripening process on something or slow it down! This is why bananas get their own little hook on the fruit bowl, so they don’t spoil anything else with their groovy gas and to protect their very delicate flesh!

What ingredients do I need to make these banana walnut cupcakes?

Banana
Salted Butter
Eggs
Flour
Granulated Sugar
Brown Sugar
Sour Cream
Vanilla
Baking Soda
Baking Powder
Salt
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Walnuts
Cream Cheese Frosting – try my recipe!

What equipment do I need?

• Muffin Pans
• Mixing Bowls
• Whisk
• Cupcake Liners
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Small Skillet
• Cutting Board
• Chef Knife
• Spatula
• Masher

How do I make them?

To make the batter:

To get started on this recipe, first you’ll want to preheat the oven to 350 F, then take your eggs out of the fridge so they can get to room temperature. You’re going to want your bananas to be very ripe, but not overripe. A lot of people think you need black bananas for baking, but as long as they’re speckled with lots of brown, that’s plenty ripe!

In a large mixing bowl, mash up the bananas with a masher then set aside until ready to use.

Next, melt the butter in a small dish and allow it to cool for a bit. While it’s cooling add the sugars to the bowl, the vanilla, sour cream, room temperature eggs, and cooled butter. Whisk until smooth.

Pro Tip: Using room temperature eggs helps the batter trap more air and allows for more even cooking!

In another large bowl, add the flour, baking soda and powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

Whisk to combine. Gradually combine the two mixtures, whisking until smooth but not overmixing!

To toast the walnuts:

Chop the walnuts roughly then add to a small skillet and toast for a few minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally so they don’t burn.

Set aside to cool for a few minutes, then stir some into the banana cupcake batter, reserving some for garnish.

To bake the banana walnut cupcakes:

Get out two muffin pans and line with cupcake liners. This step is optional but recommended! If you don’t use liners, make sure to lightly grease the pan! Fill the cups up 3/4 of the way full.

Bake until golden brown and springy to the touch!

Allow cupcakes to cool for several minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

To serve:

Top the banana walnut cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and reserved toasted walnuts! Enjoy!

Tips:

• I don’t really like frosting because it’s just too sweet for me, which is why I chose cream cheese frosting for these cupcakes! Plus, the banana/cream cheese combo is a match made in heaven! I frosted mine pretty light, but feel free to frost however you like! My cream cheese frosting recipe makes a whole bunch! So, pipe it on, use a rubber spatula, use the ziplock bag hack – whatever floats your boat!
• These cupcakes will keep for 2 days if stored in an airtight container at room temperature. They can also be refrigerated for up to 5 days and frozen for up to 3 months!
• If you don’t like nuts, feel free to skip that step!
• These were sort of like a muffin/cupcake mash up! If you want it to lean heavier on the cakey side, use only half of the brown sugar and replace it with granulated! Again, I’m really not a sugar girl, so I always make my recipes brown sugar heavy as it’s more of a mild sweet, molasses type of flavor!
• I always use salted butter in my baking! If you have unsalted butter – just double the salt in the recipe.

Have some more bananas to use up? Check these out!

• Chocolate Banana Muffins
• Tropical Banana Bread
• Mango Banana Smoothie