Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 15 mins | Serves: 24
I never imagined liking bananas in any way. I never used to eat them generally because of the texture. But darn, I fell hard for these Banana Cream Pie Cupcakes! They are light and fluffy with a simple frosting made with whipped cream. Each bite will give you just a hint of bananas and the big surprise is the banana pudding filling. The combination of salty and sweet blew my mind and the crunchy texture of the bottom layer of the cake that holds everything together is unbelievable!
Ingredients
CRUST:
4 cups Nilla wafer crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
FILLING:
1 small box, instant banana pudding, or 1/2 large box; prepared
CAKE:
1 box white cake mix, plus oil & eggs per package directions
1/2 banana, mashed
2 teaspoons banana extract
FROSTING:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1-2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
GARNISH:
24 Nilla wafers
2 tablespoons raw sugar to sprinkle on top
How to make Banana Cream Pie Cupcakes
TO MAKE THE CRUST:
Step 1: With paper liners, line standard muffin tins.
Step 2: In a food processor, mix the Nilla wafer crumbs and melted butter until incorporated. Alternately, you can add the Nilla wafer crumbs and melted butter in a large Ziploc bag and crush using a mallet.
Step 3: In each cupcake liner, add a tbsp of the cookie crumbs, pressing down to form a compact crust. Place in a 375 degrees oven and bake for about 4 to 6 minutes until the crust is light golden brown.
Step 4: To make the cake, ready the cake mix as instructed on the box. Whisk in the banana extract and banana until combined.
Step 5: On top of the prepared crust, add the cake batter, make sure not to overfill the liners.
Step 6: Place in the oven and bake as directed on the box. When done, remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool.
Step 7: Ready the filling as directed on the package and let it sit on the fridge until ready to use.
Step 8: Cut a circle in the middle of the cooled cupcakes using a paring knife. Lift the circle gently to make a hole. Now, you can pipe or spoon the filling into the hole. Don’t worry if the filling is raised above the cupcakes.
Step 9: Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. Add 2 cups of heavy cream to a large bowl. Whip using a whisk or hand blender until it soft peaks form. Slowly add in the vanilla and sugar until the cream starts to stiffen. Let the frosting sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or until ready to use.
Step 10: You can either frost or pipe the filled cupcakes. When done, sprinkle over the raw sugar and top with a Nilla wafer.