These dairy-free banana cupcakes are perfectly moist, tender, and fluffy! They also have a freshness and delicious flavor that everyone will love, whether dairy-free or not. We opt to top each cake with a hybrid cream cheese-buttercream frosting for the perfect combination of sweet, rich, and gently tangy.
Dairy-Free Banana Cupcakes Just Like the Bakery Makes
You’ll be surprised by the seamless taste, spot-on texture, and generous swirl of icing on these banana cupcakes. This recipe will make you feel like a professional baker!
Why This Recipe Works
- Oil, Not Butter: Oil provides a cleaner taste that doesn’t compete with the banana. It also creates superior moisture and a cupcake that stays tender for days.
- Dairy-Free “Buttermilk”: Adding an acid (vinegar or lemon juice) and milk alternative to the recipe mimics the tenderizing effect of buttermilk. It reacts with the baking soda for a perfect lift and soft crumb.
- Very Ripe Bananas: This is the time to use up those black-spotted bananas. Slightly overripe bananas provide more sweetness, moisture, and intense banana flavor.
- Brown Sugar: Adds depth of flavor and extra moisture that white sugar alone can’t provide.
- Perfectly Balanced Frosting: Using a mix of dairy-free buttery sticks and dairy-free cream cheese creates a smooth buttercream with just the right tang.
Ingredient FAQs
- Oil: What type of oil should I use? I like to use extra-light olive oil (not extra-virgin) for baking, but canola oil, vegetable oil (often contains soy), and grapeseed oil are also great options. If you opt to use coconut oil, melt and cool it and make sure all other ingredients are brought to room temperature.
- Oil: Would dairy-free butter work better? Actually, oil works best. It’s pure fat (unlike dairy or dairy-free butter), leading to a more tender cupcake that stays fresher longer.
- Eggs: Do you have an egg-free option? To replace 2 eggs, whisk together 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed and 5 tablespoons water in a small bowl. Let the mixture sit and thicken for 15 minutes. Use it in place of both eggs in your recipe. Alternatively, whip 6 tablespoons aquafaba in bowl until white and foamy, and use in place of both eggs.
- Vinegar: Does the vinegar need to be added to the dairy-free milk first? No, the acid works the same whether it’s mixed into the milk first or directly into the batter.
- Cream Cheese: Is there a dairy-free cream cheese brand you recommend? See our Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Taste Test for suggestions.
- Butter: Is there a dairy-free butter brand you recommend for the frosting? It’s really a matter of taste, but I would make sure to choose buttery sticks, not spread. I often buy Country Crock, because it’s readily available.
- Cream Cheese & Butter: Do they need to be softened? Yes and no. Technically, you do want them slightly softened, but I find that most cream cheese alternatives and buttery sticks soften very quickly at room temperature and rarely need to be pre-softened. Just make sure both are roughly the same temperature (cool or room temperature) before mixing.
Special Diet Notes: Banana Cupcakes
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, and vegetarian. Just be sure to choose oil, milk alternative, butter alternative, and cream cheese alternative that meets your dietary needs.
Dairy-Free Banana Cupcakes
These cupcakes are light, fluffy, and bursting with sweet banana flavor. Using some dairy-free cream cheese in the frosting adds the perfect amount of contrasting tang without overwhelming. Everyone will love them, dairy-free or not!
Ingredients
Method
Banana Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350°F, and line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg (if using).
- In a large bowl, mix the mashed banana and sugars with a hand mixer until the sugar dissolves. Add the eggs, oil, vinegar or lemon, and vanilla and mix until relatively smooth.
- Pour half of the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and mix on low speed (or stir by hand) until just combined. Add the dairy-free milk alternative and mix on low or stir until just combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix on low or stir only until the last streaks of flour disappear. Do not overmix!
- Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about ⅔ full. An ice cream scoop works perfectly for this.
- Bake the cupcakes for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. They must be completely cool before frosting.
Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Buttercream
- In a large bowl, beat the dairy-free butter and cream cheese alternatives on medium-high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the 3 cups of the sifted powdered sugar.
- Once the sugar is fully incorporated, mix in the vanilla and salt.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat the frosting for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it is light, fluffy, and smooth. If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time. If it's too thick, add 1 teaspoon dairy-free milk alternative.
- Pipe frosting swirls onto each cupcake or spread some on with a knife. There is enough frosting for generous bakery swirls.
Nutrition
Notes
Nutrition Note: A cupcake without frosting has just 217 calories, 10g fat (1g saturated), 200mg sodium, 29g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 16g sugar (13g added), and 3g protein.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Garnish Options
- Nuts: Press a walnut half into the top of each frosting swirl or sprinkle the frosting with chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Spice: Sprinkle a dusting of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice over the frosting on each cupcake.
- Banana: Whisk 1 teaspoon lemon juice, orange juice, or pineapple juice with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Or whisk 1 tablespoon corn syrup or honey with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Dip banana slices in either mixture and press one into the top of each frosting swirl.
- Banana Split: Drizzle tops with dairy-free chocolate sauce (like Hershey’s), sprinkle on chopped pecans or walnuts, and garnish each cupcake with a maraschino cherry.
Recipe Variations
- Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes: Fold ½ cup dairy-free chocolate chips into the batter and sprinkle a few chocolate chips on the the top of the frosting. I prefer to use mini chocolate chips, like Enjoy Life, in recipes like this one.
- Banana Pecan Cupcakes: Stir ½ cup chopped pecans (optionally toasted) into the batter for a touch of texture. Also press a pecan half into the frosting swirl on the top of each cupcake.
- Cinnamon Buttercream Alternative: If you can’t find dairy-free cream cheese, beat 1 cup dairy-free buttery sticks with 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon dairy-free milk alternative, 1 teaspoon vanilla, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of salt until smooth and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Mix in up to 1 cup more powdered sugar for a sweeter, thicker frosting, and/or up to 1 tablespoon of additional milk alternative to make it softer.
Storage Instructions
- Make Ahead Tips: You can make the cupcakes and frosting up to two days ahead, but I recommend just one day for optimum freshness. The cupcakes can be stored unfrosted in an airtight container at room temperature. The frosting should be store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and should be whipped prior to using.
- Leftovers: Frosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can enjoy them cold or let them sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
- Freezing: Both unfrosted and frosted cupcakes freeze well for up to 3 months. Flash-freeze them on a baking sheet until firm, then wrap individually in plastic wrap. Before serving, let them thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
Cupcake Troubleshooting Tips
- Cupcakes are dry: Too much flour or overbaking can dry out cupcakes. Make sure to spoon and level the flour rather than scoop to avoid adding too much flour. Also, start checking the cupcakes for doneness at 18 minutes. Your toothpick should have a few moist crumbs attached. If it’s perfectly clean, the cupcakes might be slightly overbaked.
- The texture is tough or gummy: This is likely due to overmixing. Be careful not to overmix the batter as this develops the gluten and makes the cupcakes tough and dense. Also, if you substitute a gluten-free flour blend, overmixing is okay, but any gums in the blend can cause moist cupcakes to take on a gummy texture.The cupcakes sank in the middle: This can happen if you’ve underbaked the cupcakes. Don’t open the door of the oven too early, make sure your oven temperature is accurate, and follow the toothpick test. Only a few moist crumbs should stick. If underbaking wasn’t the issue, check your altitude. When baking at higher altitude, cupcakes can rise too quickly and then collapse. I would reduce the baking soda to 3/4 teaspoon if baking over 3000 feet and to 1/2 teaspoon over 5000 feet.
- I can’t taste the banana: Your bananas likely weren’t ripe enough. Use very ripe, or even overripe bananas. If you only have yellow bananas, you can bake them on a baking sheet at 300°F (150°C) for 15-20 minutes until the peels are black. Let them cool before using.
- The cupcake liners are pulling away from the cupcakes: This is usually caused by steam that forms when hot cupcakes are left for too long in the pan. Make sure to remove them to a cooling rack after 5 minutes.
Also Try My Dairy-Free Lemon Cupcakes Recipe!
