My Favorite Banana Recipes

If you're like me, you always have a stash of frozen bananas in the freezer.  As they start to turn too brown to eat, I immediately throw what we have remaining into the freezer to use later for banana bread or muffins.  Here are my favorite ways to use those overripe bananas, just click the recipe to follow the link!

Chocolate Banana Brownies with Vanilla Glaze

Chocolate Chip Pecan Banana Bread

Nutella and Banana Crepes

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Mini Banana Pancakes

Chocolate Puff Pastry Treats

Banana Pudding Poke Cake

Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Banana Cupcakes with Honey Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

Banana Bread

Happy banana baking!  I would love for you share some of your favorite banana recipes! 

Easy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

 So easy and fast, you'll use this as your go-to recipe from now on.  This is a basic vanilla buttercream and it is amazing.  There's no need to buy store bought anymore!  

If you have this recipe up your sleeve, then you can very easily add to it to make different flavors.  To make chocolate, just add 4 ounces of melted and cooled semi-sweet chocolate when you add the vanilla.  

So light and fluffy!  Spreads easily and you can control the consistency by adding more or less cream (or none at all!).  I should point out that I have used everything from whipping cream to milk (depending on what was in my fridge) and got pretty consistent results every time.  

Yields 2 cups

Easy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

3 cups confectioner's sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons cream or milk

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the butter and sugar on low until combined.  Increase speed to medium and beat for about 3 minutes.  Add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon cream and mix for 1 more minute.  Add more cream if desired.

Use immediately or store covered in fridge for up to 3 days.  Bring to room temperature before using.  

Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

I am so glad these cupcakes turned out as cute as I envisioned them!  The cake part is the exact recipe for my Chocolate Cherry Cake, but I had to use a different type of icing because I couldn't pour the icing over these cupcakes like the original cake recipe calls for.  I remembered that I saw Ina Garten do a ganache icing that she just dipped the top of the cupcakes in.  And how easy, right?  No taking the time to spread icing on each cupcake.  Although I'm quite certain that Ina didn't use store brand semi-sweet chocolate chips for her icing, these turned out so good.  

How cute are they??  How perfect for a birthday party.  Our Chocolate Cherry Cake is an absolute must for any birthday in our family and I know that these would be such a fun surprise for anyone expecting a regular cake.  

Makes 18 cupcakes

Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

1 box chocolate fudge cake mix

1 can cherry pie filling 

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 eggs, slightly beaten 

Icing

1/2 cup half & half

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

18 maraschino cherries 

Make the cupcakes:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and fill a 12-cup and 6-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.  Combine the cake mix, pie filling, almond extract and eggs by hand and fill each cupcake liner about 3/4 of the way full.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cupcakes are puffed and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.  Let cool before icing. 

Make the icing:  cook the half & half and chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler or heat safe bowl over simmering water.  Stir until smooth.  Dip the tops of the cooled cupcakes into the ganache and top with a maraschino cherry. 

(Source:  icing adapted from Ina Garten)

Halloween Spider Web Cupcakes

These cupcakes remind me so much of my childhood.  I so vividly remembered the taste of these that it makes me crave them every year at Halloween.  And they are so cute!  A lot of work, but so fun.  I literally worked on these all day.  

This recipe is from Redbook 1989 - how 'bout that?  23 years old, too funny.  

You start by using box devil's food cake mix to make cupcakes, nothing crazy, just plain old chocolate cupcakes (I think these are the most perfect cupcakes I ever made by the way).

You then make a huge batch of the icing and separate about 1/2 cup out, into which you add a few drops of green food coloring...it's supposed to be "slime" inside the cupcakes.  You cut out a small section in the middle and pipe the green icing into each one. 

Replace the "caps" and the next step is to frost all the cupcakes.

Once again, you'll separate the icing, this time in half and add cocoa powder to one part of it.  Then, from that, take out about 1/2 cup from each of those!  You'll be piping more icing on top as a decoration so you can either use a plastic bag with the tip cut off or I used these squeeze bottles from Wilton.

All iced, half plain icing and half chocolate!

And here's where the squeeze bottle really came in handy.  Draw 3 circles in the opposite color icing on each cupcake.  

Take a toothpick and pull, either from the middle or the opposite side to form the "spiderwebs"!

Pretty cool, huh? 

And now for the spiders...I used a little tube of gel icing, in black, squeezed it out to form a circle and then used a toothpick to pull the "legs" out from the body.  I thought those little plastic spider rings would look pretty cool, too (probably even cooler...my spiders ended up looking like beetles!).  In the original recipe, they suggested getting black jelly beans and thin black rope licorice (jelly beans for the spider's body and the licorice for the legs - I just didn't have time to cut like a million tiny little legs).  

Makes 18 cupcakes

Halloween Spiderweb Cupcakes

1 package devil's food cake mix

2 packages of cream cheese, 8 oz

2 cups butter, softened

2 cups confectioner's sugar

Green food coloring

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; place cupcake liners in 18 standard muffin-pan cups.  Prepare cake mix according to directions.  Spoon batter in prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 of the way full.  Bake 20-25 minutes until a wooden toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes clean.  Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in confectioner's sugar until blended and smooth.  Remove 1/2 cup frosting to a small bowl; stir in a few drops of green food coloring to tint to a "slimy" green.  Spoon green frosting into a piping bag or squeeze bottle and set aside.  Carefully cut out center cores of each cake using an apple corer or paring knife.  Reserve cake centers.  Squeeze about a teaspoon of the green frosting into center of each cupcake.  Press reserved cores back into place. 

Spoon half of remaining frosting into second bowl; stir cocoa powder into one bowl to blend completely.  Spoon 1/2 cup each chocolate and plain frosting into 2 squeeze bottles or piping bags.  Set aside.  Using remaining frosting in bowls, frost tops of cupcakes, half with chocolate and half with plain.  Using the reserved frosting in the piping bags or squeeze bottles, pipe 3 concentric circles on top of each cupcake, using the opposite color of frosting. 

To make "spiderweb" effect on frosting, draw a wooden toothpick back and forth through the circles of frosting like spokes of a wheel.  Make your spiders with gel frosting or find some to use as decorations. 

(Source:  Adapted from Redbook Magazine)

Chocolate Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Icing

I happen to think that I am incredibly spoiled when it comes to chocolate cake recipes...because I use my Great Aunt Libby's recipe.  Or my version of it anyway.  But it's pretty darn close.  It is moist and light (so light) and so good that you won't be able to keep your hands off of these cupcakes.  Coconut or no coconut (whatever your family prefers - I actually did mine half and half), the icing is also divine.

The first weekend in October, Savannah has Picnic in the Park in Forsyth Park.  It is just too much fun!  You do it up as fancy or casual as you want - I saw too little old ladies with beach chairs and a small table with a candelabra, too cute.  We took our beach chairs and a big blanket, some wine, chicken salad on croissants, corn dip and these cupcakes.  Perfect.  

As a cake or cupcake, the recipe begins the same, by creaming the butter and sugar until it becomes light and fluffy.  

Add your eggs one at a time, beating well after each until your batter becomes smooth and light yellow in color.  Add almond extract. 

Dry ingredients and sour cream are added next, followed by a prepared mixture of water and cocoa powder.  Beat well until everything is combined. 

Using an ice cream scoop, fill your cupcake cups about 2/3 of the way full.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, you'll prepare your cream cheese icing.  Frost when cooled and sprinkle with coconut. 

Makes 14-16 cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Icing

1/2 cup boiling water

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup baking soda

1/4 cup salt

1/2 cup sour cream

For the icing:

4 oz butter, room temperature

4 oz cream cheese, room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup - 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Make the cupcakes - Dissolve cocoa powder in boiling water, let stand until cool.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line your cupcake tins with paper liners.  Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add almond extract.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to wet mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well.  Add cocoa mixture and mix until completely incorporated.  

Scoop batter into the cupcake liners using a cookie scoop, filling about 2/3 way full.  Bake for about 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.  Cool before frosting.

Make the frosting - Beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer.  With the mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until smooth and creamy.  Beat in the almond extract.  Spread on cooled cupcakes and top with a sprinkle of coconut.  

Banana Cupcakes with Honey Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

Once again, I found myself faced with a couple of over-ripe bananas, but just couldn't bring myself to make one more banana bread.  There had to be something different to make.  I thought about making some sort of cake,and immediately turned that idea into cupcakes, but what kind of icing?  Cream cheese, but with a twist - honey and cinnamon.  Oh these turned out SO good!!  

And cute!  Would be great for a little one's birthday party.  Aren't my floral liners and toppers adorable? 

The cupcakes are so moist and the icing compliments them so well.  I love how you can see the little flecks of cinnamon throughout.  

Makes 12 cupcakes

Banana Cupcakes with Honey Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick butter, room temp

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 large ripe bananas, peeled and mashed

Honey-Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing 

1/2 cup butter, room temp

4 oz cream cheese

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon honey

2-4 cups confectioner's sugar

1-2 tablespoons milk 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.  

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the butter and the sugar.  Beat with a hand-held mixer until combined.  Add the sour cream and the vanilla extract.  Slowly beat in the eggs, 1 at a time.  Incorporate the dry mixture and wet mixtures together until thoroughly combined.  Add the bananas, being careful not to over mix.  Using an ice cream scoop, fill each cupcake liner 3/4 way full.  Bake until golden brown and when a toothpick, inserted in the middle, comes out clean, about 20 minutes.  Cool completely before frosting.  

To make the icing:  Combine all the ingredients, starting with 2 cups of confectioner's sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk.  Mix with a hand mixer - add additional confectioner's sugar or milk depending on thickness of icing. 

(Source:  icing adapted from Martha Stewart)

Ina Garten's Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing

There's nothing better than chocolate and peanut butter combined. These are amazing, moist and the icing is just the right consistency. Combined, the cake and the icing are just sweet enough, although very rich. Make sure you have a glass of milk standing by!

Makes 14-16 cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, room temp
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons brewed coffee
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Peanut Butter Icing

1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with paper liners.

Cream the butter and two sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, then add vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream and coffee. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixing bowl, beginning with the buttermilk and ending with the flour.

Divide the batter among the cupcakes until about 2/3 full. I typically use a standard size ice cream scoop and it's the perfect amount. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

To make the icing, mix confectioner's sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the cream and beat on high until the icing is light and smooth.

(Source:  Recipe from Ina Garten)

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

These were a creation based on "let's clean out the pantry" last night, where I found a can of pumpkin puree that I just couldn't let go to waste. As soon as it starts to feel like fall, I immediately get obsessed with anything pumpkin...pumpkin pie, pumpkin roll, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, you get the picture. Fall is over and we are now well into winter (even though today in Savannah it's about 65 degrees!) but these will do just fine to satisfy my and my husband's sweet tooth. Enjoy!

Makes 12

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

1 stick unsalted butter, melted, 

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon plus 2 pinches salt

1 2/3 cups flour

For the icing
1/2 stick butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese

1 cup confectioner's sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla, baking powder, baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt until combined. Fold in the flour.

Using an ice cream scoop, drop generous mounds into the muffin pan cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until springy to the touch. Let cool completely.

Using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with the cream cheese. Add the confectioner's sugar and remaining 2 pinches of salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Mix on low until blended, then beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Spread the cooled cupcakes with the icing and dust with pumpkin pie spice.