These tender banana cupcakes are made with coconut oil and cashew milk, so they’re completely dairy free. Top them with swirls of brown sugar buttercream for a crave-worthy treat!
Do you ever get a craving that you just can’t shake? I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve been craving banana cake since December. It came out of nowhere and just would. not. go. away. Of course every recipe for banana cake that I could find was incredibly rich and full of buttermilk, sour cream, and calories.
Of course every recipe for banana cake that I could find was incredibly rich and full of buttermilk, sour cream, and calories. Luckily, this cold weather that we’ve been having practically necessitates having cake in the oven, so I’ve been working on a lighter version of banana cake! These banana cupcakes are perfectly portioned and definitely hit the spot.
These banana cupcakes are definitely still a treat – they clock in at just under 300 calories a piece – but they’re a significant improvement over other banana cake recipes out there. To lighten them up (and make them dairy free!) I swapped the butter for coconut oil and the buttermilk for Silk cashew milk! Whipped egg whites add volume to the batter and keep it tender, so there’s no need for sour cream.
Then came the difficult decision of that to frost them with? I couldn’t decide between brown sugar buttercream, whipped mocha ganache, or peanut butter frosting. The crowd on facebook was just as indecisive as I was: the vote was just about tied between brown sugar and peanut butter. I ended up opting for a dairy-free version of the brown sugar buttercream that I originally used on my baked chocolate pumpkin donuts and I was very happy with my decision. They frosting is delicious, but doesn’t distract from the cake itself.
Enjoy your cupcake with a cold glass of Silk cashew milk! It’s a lot easier to find now than it was back when I first used it in my cashew-chai French toast casserole and I’ve been keeping it around because it’s awesome in coffee. It’s rich and creamy in a way that most other non-dairy milks aren’t. The creaminess reminds me of 2% milk, but the unsweetened version only has 25 calories per serving. it also makes a great swap for dairy milk in recipes like these cupcakes, raspberry oatmeal pancakes, or smoothies.
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Dairy Free Banana Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Buttercream
Print Pin SaveIngredients
- 1 egg separated
- ⅓ cup coconut oil
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 cup mashed banana about 2 bananas
- ½ cup Silk unsweetened cashew milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the brown sugar buttercream
- 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¾
cup powdered sugar - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons Silk unsweetened cashew milk optionla
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350ºF. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric beater to beat the egg white until soft peaks form. Set aside.
- In a second mixing bowl, cream together the coconut oil and sugar until it resembles fine, wet sand. Beat in the egg yolk. Stir in the bananas, cashew milk, and vanilla.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients to make a thick batter; gently fold in the whipped egg white.
- Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes are gently domed and light golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
- While the cupcakes cool, prepare the frosting: Use an electric mixer to beat the shortening until it's light and creamy. Add the sugars and vanilla and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. If desired, beat in up to two teaspoons of cashew milk to thin out the frosting.
- Frost cupcakes after they've completely cooled.
This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.
Does the vegetable shortening hold up? Or does it melt? Should they be refrigerated before serving?
it held up for me, although it was softer than regular buttercream. If you keep your house very warm and don’t plan to eat them right away, refrigerating wouldn’t be a bad idea
Okay- Time for an unbiased review from someone who actually made the recipe (me)!
These are DELICIOUS. They are surprisingly light and fluffy and super well balanced. I’ve never used cashew milk before but I thought I’d give this recipe a shot because I have been craving banana cake ever since I recently attended a wedding where it was served as the main dessert (dairy free as well).
I thought I needed to double the icing recipe, but after eating a few cupcakes I see how less is more (However, I substituted butter here because I forgot to buy the shortening! I think I would still feel the same way with the exact recipe).
I will absolutely make these again. Next time I plan on playing with the recipe a bit- adding a TINY bit of cinnamon and allspice to the batter and a pinch of salt to the icing.
Thank you for posting this recipe 🙂
What else I can use instead of cashew milk? We don’t have here any. Thanks.
Any dairy free milk (soy, almond, etc) should work fine.
Lisa- 1/3 cup coconut oil.
I’m not sure why it’s showi up as a square – what browser are you using?
How much coconut oil? All I see is a square…
Can’t see your reply, can you please post it as a separate comment?
These look so good, and definitely think the brown sugar buttercream is the perfect selection!
These are SOOOO pretty! My lactose-intolerant hubby would love these. And cashew milk sounds delicious!
These look fantastic! My son has a daycare classmate with a milk allergy, and when I make treats for the class, I like to make them dairy-free so everyone can enjoy them. Thanks for the recipe!
ooo banana cake… banana bread…I crave it all the time! mmm and under 300 calories a piece, that works perfectly for me!
Yes, one hundred times yes!