These Banana Pudding Cupcakes are unbelievably fluffy and moist! You’ll love every last bite, from the sweet banana cake to the light whipped frosting.
You’ve come to the right place if you love banana desserts! Readers love our perfect Banana Cake recipe, topped with cream cheese frosting! Or bake a couple loaves of our favorite banana bread recipe instead!
Why These Cupcakes are Best
While we love making our banana pudding poke cake, these cupcakes are delicious with every bite. Both have the same delicious banana flavor and irresistible light and creamy topping!
Seriously, this cupcake recipe is just about fool proof. If you’re a new baker or just looking for the perfect easy banana cupcake, this recipe delivers delicious results every time.
If you love banana pudding, you’ve GOT to try this!
- Crazy moist and fluffy – They stay moist even days after baking!
- Shortcut recipe– made with cake mix and pudding
- Topped with cool whip frosting- our vanilla sour cream frosting or marshmallow frosting would be fantastic as well!
Ingredient Notes
You only need a few simple ingredients to make Banana Pudding Cupcakes! Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for measurements!
- White cake mix – You can use any brand. The full box of dry cake mix goes right into the batter.
- Banana cream pudding mix – You will need one box for the cake and another for the frosting. Make sure it’s the INSTANT pudding mix. If you absolutely can’t find this, try instant french vanilla, vanilla, or cheesecake.
- Eggs – These bind together the other ingredients so your cupcakes stay in one piece.
- Lemon lime pop – That’s what we call “soda” in the midwest! The carbonation adds air and leavens the cupcakes so they bake up loftier and fluffier than using baking soda. I use it in these Watergate Cupcakes too.
- Cool Whip – This gets combined with pudding mix and milk for the perfect easy whipped frosting! You can use whipped cream or our homemade cool whip (stabilized whipped cream) if you prefer!
Make it in Minutes
I am not kidding when I say this is the easiest way to make banana cupcakes with pudding!
- Make the batter– Add all the cupcake ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Beat until fluffy and combined.
- Bake– Divide the batter into a lined cupcake tin. Each liner should be about 2/3 of the way full. Bake the banana pudding cupcakes for 20 minutes.
- Make the frosting– While the cupcakes are baking, whisk together pudding mix and skim milk. Fold thawed cool whip into the pudding until combined. Refrigerate the frosting for at least 15 minutes.
- Frost and garnish– Use a cookie scoop to dollop the frosting into each cooled cupcake. Top the frosting with a slice of fresh banana for a perfect presentation!
Tips and Tricks
- Use a 3 Tablespoon cookie scoop to evenly divide the batter into the pan. Be careful not to overfill the cavities of the pan or your cupcakes will get rounded tops that deflate onto the pan.
- Remember to add liners to your cupcake tin before adding the batter. I love these no-fade greaseproof liners best.
- Store Banana Pudding cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge. They taste spectacular served cold!
- Garnish- you can use fresh banana slices (added right before serving), banana chips, chessman cookies, or nilla wafers!
- Our chocolate pudding cupcakes are so good, you’ll want to try those next!
Recipe FAQs
You can use any lemon-lime flavored brand. I recommend a clear variety like Sprite, 7-UP, or Sierra Mist rather than something like Mountain Dew.
Yes, real whipped cream makes a fantastic swap for the cool whip in this frosting recipe. You could use a homemade stabilized whipped cream (cool whip substitute) too.
No, these cupcakes get their banana flavor from the banana cream pudding mix! You do not need to add any mashed banana like with other banana cupcake recipes.
Stored chilled, these banana pudding cupcakes keep for about 3 days.
More Cupcake Recipes
- Cinnamon Spice Cupcakes: from scratch, these are a great fall treat!
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes: my favorite carrot cake recipe in a cupcake! DELISH
- This classic yellow cupcake with Chocolate frosting gets rave reviews!
- Red Velvet Cupcakes
- White Cupcake Recipe
- Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
Kitchen Basics
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Banana Pudding Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 box white cake mix just the dry mix
- 1 box instant banana cream pudding mix 3 ounce
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup lemon lime pop Sprite, etc
For the frosting:
- 1 box instant banana cream pudding mix 3 ounce
- 1 cup milk
- 12 ounce frozen whipped topping thawed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pan with paper cupcake liners. (I love these no fade liners!) Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cake mix, pudding mix, oil, eggs, and pop. Beat until light and fluffy (about two minutes).
- Using a large metal scoop (3 Tablespoons), fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes, removing from pan and allowing to cool completely before adding frosting.
- For the forsting, combine pudding mix with milk. Whisk until blended. Fold in thawed whipped topping. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes, while cupcakes are baking and cooling.
- Using a cookie scoop, dollop the frosting onto the cooled cupcake and add banana slices or cookies for garnish. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days, ENJOY!
Notes
Nutrition
Banana pudding fans and cupcake lovers agree: these easy Banana Pudding Cupcakes are the absolute best!
Very light and taste exactly like you imagine. I followed the recipe exactly and they were perfect. I sprinkled crushed nilla wafer cookies on top and added walnuts to a few and they were a big hit.
We LOVE these Banana Pudding Cupcakes! So easy to make and the flavors are amazing!
I never thought of making a cupcake with banana pudding, this is genius and delicious! thank you for sharing
So easy and delicious! I used stabilized whipped cream instead of the Cool Whip, and I think I could have just eaten the frosting by the bowlful. So good1
Is there any substitute for the soda? I’m trying it with Oreo cake mix and vanilla pudding but forgot the soda?
No one commented on this recipe. Everyone says, they look amazing and will make them but never comes back to comment. So for those who look to the comments before making a recipe…I have to let everyone know that these are so good! You can’t tell they are from a mix! Very moist and flavorful. I did add tsp of vanilla extract to the batter. Do not overbake! I also used a mini vanilla cookie as the cupcake topper instead of the dried banana. These were a hit!
To the Author: I was a class of 1991 graduate as well….91 was a great year! Yayyyy to us! Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you! I love when people give honest feedback 🙂 Yay for 91!
Girl that is me. I always look to the comments first! Thank you for your review!
Would this recipe work for a 9×13 cake? I have a restaurant and we give a piece of cake as dessert with the lunch special. I have never considered myself a baker but have been trying to jazz things up a bit lately, especially for Sunday (our busiest day, by far). Making cupcakes would be a tad time consuming so I generally try to stick to 9×13 cakes that I can cut into 24 pieces. Thank you!
Bringing cupcakes to your trainer is so beautifully sassy. Love that! And these cupcakes look divine. I remember the Watergate cake, so this is pretty neat!
Very sassy 🙂
How do you get the recipe? I’ve punched everything !
Hmmm not sure what you mean? If you can comment on this post, it’s up there 🙂
I’m pretty much in hysterics that you took these to your trainer! Haa! I might have to try that tactic 🙂 These are so yummy — love the banana flavor!
Hey a girl has to get out of burpees somehow 🙂
These look insane–I must make them for my Banana Pudding loving husband. Especially since his 25th renuion is this year too!
1991 was a good year to graduate 🙂
You are so funny that you brought these to your trainer. Good move! These cupcakes are perfection!
Haha! I’m pretty sure the crossfit class had a love hate thing going on with you that day! I would have taken one…probably two!
I love easy jazzed up cake mix recipes! That fluffy frosting looks divine!!!
I love banana pudding, so I know I would go crazy for these cupcakes.
This is amazing. Two of my favorite foods – cake and banana pudding – in one delicious and adorable cupcake form. You win!
How clever, these look absolutely amazing!