Banana Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Filling

5 from 5 votes

Super easy, fluffy banana cupcakes filled with creamy dulce de leche and topped with the perfect Cream Cheese frosting

Prep Time45

Cook Time9

Total Time1 24

Servings: 15 cupcakes

Author: Maria Corcuera

Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Line 15 cupcake tins with cupcake liners and set aside
Beat -in medium speed- sugar, oil, vanilla, buttermilk and mashed bananas until well combined, about 1 minute. Add eggs, one by one, mixing after each addition.
1 Cup (200 g) granulated sugar, 1/2 Cup (118.3 ml) vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1/2 Cup (120 g) buttermilk, 1/2 Cup (112.5 g) mashed bananas, 2 large eggs
Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and mix until combined
1 1/2 Cup (187.5 g) all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon (0.3 teaspoon) baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
Using an ice cream scoop, fill your cupcake liners with batter 2/3 full. Bake for 5 minutes and reduce oven temperature to 350 F without removing your cupcakes from the oven. Bake for an additional 9 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean
Remove the cupcakes from the cupcake tins as soon as possible to prevent cupcake liners from peeling away (I like to flip my cupcake tin on the counter as soon as they're out from the oven) and let them cool completely on a wire rack before filling and frosting

Beat butter and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy, around 2 min
1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract⠀
Add cream cheese and beat until combined (do not overbeat). Gradually, incorporate powdered sugar and beat for 1 minute, until light and fluffy
16 ounces (453.6 g) full fat cream cheese, 2 Cups (240 g) powdered sugar

Using a melon baller, a pairing knife or a cupcake corer, scoop or core the center of the cupcake and fill with dulce de leche using a piping bag. Press on top some of the scooped cupcake to cover the hole
14 ounces (396.9 g) (1 Can) dulce de Leche
Pipe cream cheese frosting over filled cupcakes, drizzle with dulce de leche, and top with banana chips
15 sliced Banana chips

Expert Tips

Use overripe bananas with lots of brown spots for better flavor and natural sweetness.
Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature so the batter mixes smoothly.
Don’t overfill the muffin cups to avoid overflow and uneven muffin tops.
Check the center of the cake with a toothpick and look for moist crumbs instead of wet batter.
Let cupcakes cool fully before adding the dulce de leche filling.
Use a small spoon or corer to remove the center neatly without breaking the cupcake.

Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Let them sit at room temperature before serving.

Yes, you can bake the cupcakes a day ahead. Fill and frost them the next day for the best texture.

Yes, freeze the unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2 months. Thaw and add the dulce de leche filling and frosting before serving.

To defrost, unwrap your cupcake completely and let it come to room temperature uncovered.

Here's a step-by-step guide with how-to images on how to freeze your frosted and unfrosted cupcakes.