Super flavorful, perfectly moist Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting. If you love banana bread and chocolate — these are for you!
Dry baked goods have no place in my kitchen — which is exactly why I love baking with ripe bananas. They add natural sweetness, rich banana flavor and keep baked treats irresistibly moist. Bananas pair beautifully with vanilla, cinnamon and chocolate, transforming classics like banana bread and muffins into lighter, more dessert-like options.
When I want banana flavor that feels like dessert, I make these cupcakes. They deliver all the warmth of banana bread in a fluffier, lighter cupcake form, studded with mini chocolate chips and finished with a creamy milk chocolate buttercream. The combination of vanilla, cinnamon, mashed bananas, and chocolate frosting is absolutely delightful.
I often buy too many bananas and end up with a few going brown — the perfect excuse to bake. These Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting were born from that exact scenario and turned out to be a welcome happy accident.
The cupcakes stay moist thanks to the bananas, brown sugar, and a touch of buttermilk. If you don’t have buttermilk, a simple swap of milk mixed with a little vinegar works well. To keep the texture light rather than dense, it’s important to cream the butter and sugars thoroughly to incorporate air and use cake flour, which yields a finer crumb and softer cupcake.
Finally, the cupcakes are topped with a silky chocolate buttercream. There’s something irresistible about a fluffy milk chocolate frosting — it complements the banana and chocolate chips perfectly.
These cupcakes are a great pick if you want something different from typical vanilla or chocolate cupcakes, or if you love banana bread but are craving a frosted dessert. They’re moist, flavorful and easy to customize.
Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
Fiona Dowling
40 mins
15 mins
55 mins
15 cupcakes
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Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted and leveled
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup bananas, blended (about 2 large or 3 small)
- 1/3 cup buttermilk, room temperature (or 1/3 cup milk + 1 tsp vinegar)
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
For the Chocolate Buttercream
- 2/3 cups cocoa powder, sifted
- 2 1/2 – 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/4 cup whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two muffin tins with paper liners. This recipe yields about 14–16 cupcakes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, using a hand or stand mixer on medium speed, beat the butter with granulated and brown sugars until light and fluffy (about 2–3 minutes). Add the vanilla and eggs, and continue beating. Turn off the mixer and stir in the blended bananas.
- With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in, mixing until almost combined, then add the buttermilk. Mix until smooth and no lumps remain. Turn off the mixer and fold in the mini chocolate chips with a spatula.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared liners, filling each about two-thirds to three-quarters full. Bake for 15–18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, aside from any melted chocolate.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- To make the chocolate buttercream: whisk the cocoa powder and sifted powdered sugar together. In a separate bowl, beat the butter until light and smooth, then add the vanilla and a pinch of salt. With the mixer on medium, add the cocoa and powdered sugar a half cup at a time. Increase speed to high and beat in the whipping cream until the frosting is fluffy. Adjust with extra powdered sugar or cream to reach your desired consistency.
- Frost the cooled cupcakes with a piping bag or an offset spatula. A 1M tip works well for swirls. Optionally decorate with extra mini chocolate chips or dried banana chips.
Nutrition
Calories:
354
kcal
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