Banana Boat Cupcakes.
Good. I’ll start.
How about the fact that my major in college was information technology yet I can’t even install a plugin on this blog? True story.
Or that I keep praying to little baby Jesus that my husband’s snoring… “situation”… will somehow change without me holding his breathe right strip-covered nose and placing my hand on top of his mouth every single night?
Oh! Like how I made us healthy “salads” last night for dinner following a pulled pork + cornbread fest on Sunday night, then used an entire log of goat cheese, candied pecans, really thick bacon, brown sugar chicken and crispy shallots? Funny haha.
Maybe, like… and I shouldn’t even tell you, but 10 days after returning home from a trip how my ziplock bagged toiletries are still sitting on the steps – the steps which I climb no less than 10 times a day – and I just drop whatever I’m doing with one contact in my eye or a face full of soap to run and get what I need?
And finally… the fact that I have seriously convinced myself that these cupcakes are the perfect snack – and even a somewhat healthy snack to boot – since they are made with pretzels and fruit and peanut butter? Like, tons of protein here.
I wish you could live inside my mind. I have leeetle feeling I could justify those $250 jeans you want to buy or the brownies you want to eat for dinner. We could have a lot of fun together.
Last week I briefly mentioned that my mom used to make us “banana boats” when we were kids: a slice of bread smeared with peanut butter, a banana placed on top, the sides of the bread folded up like a sandwich and the entire thing skewered together with salty pretzel sticks. So good. So comforting.
Seriously.
And I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. I am a huge believer that most fruit + nut butter combinations solve all problems. Need energy? Apple and peanut butter to the rescue. Want a midnight snack? Strawberries dipped in melted chocolate macaroon almond butter. Need something filling yet light? Figs and pecan butter.
Just.do.it people.
So these cupcakes? They aren’t super sweet or super chocolaty. In fact… I’m sort of deciding right this minute that they are a banana muffin with a pretzel crust and a dollop of sugar on top. You could totally swap the dollop of sugar for some melted peanut butter and then they really ARE a snack. A real snack. You know, as opposed to a… fake snack.
Either way… you should eat some.
Pretzel Bottomed Banana Bread Cupcakes with Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting
makes 12-14 cupcakes
pretzel crust
1 1/4 cups crushed salted pretzels
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
Combine crushed pretzels and butter in a bowl and stir until entire mixture is moistened. Line a muffin tin with lines and using a tablespoon measuring spoon, scoop pretzels into the bottom of each liner. Use the back of the spoon to flatten and press the pretzels together.
cake
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1 large egg
3/4 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside. In a bowl, whisk egg and add brown sugar, mixing until smooth. Stir in vanilla extract. Add melted butter and mix. Stir in dry ingredients, then add mashed bananas and mix until batter comes together. Using a 1/4 cup measure, scoop batter on top of each pretzel crust.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown on the top and set. Let cool completely.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 teaspoons milk, if needed
In the bowl of an electric mixer beat butter and peanut butter until creamy. Add in vanilla extract then gradually add in sugar and cocoa with the mixer on low speed until entirely combined and smooth. If frosting it a bit too thick, add in milk 1 teaspoon at a time until it becomes a bit creamier. Frost cupcakes, then top with crushed pretzels if desired.
Your turn!
137 Comments on “Banana Boat Cupcakes.”
Mmmm chocolate peanut butter frosting!!! *drool*
I majored in computer stuff in college too and I have no idea what a lot of things blog-related are. Plus I think people believe since my major was CIS that I should know everything there is to know about computers. So not true!
Oh wow, these look divine. All the best combinations rolled into one. I’m going to need to make these for sure. Thanks for sharing!
They look amazing!! Bananas, pretzels, chocolate and peanut butter are soulmates. One big quadsome (is that a word?) of soulmates.
Jessica, your pictures for this post are gorgeous! not to mention how insanely good the recipe looks. pretzels, peanut butter, bananas… everything i love in one! i can definitely see myself melted some peanut butter over top of these… ;)
Oh yes….you can certainly bring those to me!!!
oh my gosh, these look amazing. i want one…or ten.
Ughhh once again salivatinggggg before the sun comes up!
My undergrad degree was in Hotel and Restaurant Management and I am pretty sure I chose that because I liked to stay in hotels. Oh well. Life ends up working out somehow.
These sound amazing – sweet, salty, kinda fruity. My kind of cupcakes! I have never heard of your banana boats before – I will have to make those, my kids would them.
Those are so inspired! Seriously- these are revolutionary! Mmmmmmm!
My husband was snoring last night, too. But he doesn’t believe that he does it. So after hitting him and saying his name multiple times in an attempt to wake him up, I did what any good wife would do. I videotaped him, and then showed him the evidence this morning. Lucky guy, no? ;)
I had dates stuffed with almond butter for snacks yesterday, so, yes, nutter butter with fruit equals snack time. And since you say these cupcakes aren’t too sweet, these equal breakfast AND snack time.
Your pictures always make me want to jump through the screen!
PS…Just bought my hubby the EXTRA STRENGTH Breathe Rights at the store yesterday. It was either that, or he was going to have a bruise on his leg from the kicking. ;)
We should buy stock in them!
I hope they work for you. No such luck in my house. I was up at 3am with snoring AGAIN last night and was told I was being ridiculous for trying to get him to roll over. I may or may not have had visions of putting a pillow over his face. Hah.
So, I still eat banana boats. At least weekly. Love the pretzel addition.
Your brain seems to work in exactly the same way mine does. I have a suitcase I haven’t yet unpacked from 2 weekends ago. Whooops.
You’re speaking my language adding pretzels to these. Totally a perfect snack.
Nothing wrong with higher calorie snacks :D I”ve seen plenty of MRP type bars that come close in calories, but probably not in taste.
You hit every one of my cravings in one cupcake. They look and sound amazing and there healthy because there made with banana! Yum!
Oh me oh my! They look so complex, yet so delicious. Quick question: do the pretzels on the bottom layer stay crunchy or get more cakey? How many days did these last in your house or did you send them off to work with Mr. Sweet?
As long as you leave some larger pieces, they should remain somewhat crunchy – we only had them for one day though because we had people for dinner, so I’m not exactly sure if they would stay crunchy after 2-3 days.
Good to know. Thanks!
HAHAHAHAHA Success! These look scrumptious! I must make them tonight! :) BTW my husband complains about our 12 lb dog Sophie waking HIM up every night from HER snoring! LOL I still have yet to figure out how this could happen considering he is snoring so loud that I cannot sleep! Maybe I should put a breathe right strip on my poor dogs nose! As always, thx for the laughs I love your blog!
Two words. Sleep apnea. My husband was a terrible snorer. I finally FINALLY made him go get a sleep study. And I was correct. He was waking himself up 58 times an hour! When he got the CPAP it was the best thing that happened to either of us. The machine is so quiet and we both sleep so much better. And he has soooo much extra energy now it’s kinda annoying. Sometimes I just wanna take a nap for the sake of taking a nap on a Sunday and he’s wide awake and chatty. Almost as bad as the snoring. :) Anyway look into it. It’s pretty scary all the ways your body suffers from sleep apnea.
Oooh very interesting! We have been pretty convinced that my husband also has sleep apnea but thought the machine would be loud?? Thanks!
Oh no, definitely not loud. The only time it makes noise is if he accidentally knocks his mask off or something, then you hear it making this weird suction sound, but its usually loud enough to wake him up and he just adjusts it…if not, I kick him and he adjusts it. But other than that it’s very quiet. I guess there is a little tiny bit of white noise but nothing even worth mentioning really. The new machines are very lightweight and he carries it as his carry on when we fly anywhere. The only place he goes without it is camping with the kids when there are scout trips…and one of the other dads figured out a way to hook it up to a car battery so he could use his…so now my hubby wants to do the same. His message is….”Tell him it takes a couple weeks to really get used to it, but don’t give up on it because it makes a world of difference.”
Oh and one more thing…he did end up getting one of those memory foam contour pillows because they don’t come up the sides of your face so much as a regular pillow when you lay your head down. Ever since then, the pillow very rarely knocks the mask off. I obviously could go on for days about the benefits of the CPAP…it’s a little like sleeping with Darth Vader, but after a few good nights of sleep, you kind of have warm fuzzies for Darth. Good luck!
My, my, my…I’m thinking these have “breakfast” written all over them.
These are seriously intense. Love the look of these. I am in loooove!
Oh my! These look delicious. I’m a huge sweet and salty fan. And unpacking is the worst!!! I know it’s easiest to do it right away, yet there my bags always sit for at least another week.
why have i never added cocoa powder to peanut butter frosting before????
These have got me salivating!! I was going to just go ahead and try the banana boat sandwich thing you described last week, but I’m no even going to waste my time now that you’ve posted these!! I can taste the PB frosting already!
These look amazing! Must try them soon!
It’s the trifecta of chocolate, banana, and peanut butter. Can’t go wrong with these bad boys.
I think it’s hilarious that your major was IT!
So do I girl. So do I.
Your mom made a banana taco for a snack? Wow, all I got were lousy Little Debbies.
I want that crust. BAD!
I don’t know why (especially because my mom doesn’t even know what wheat bread is and thinks french fries covered in gravy are an acceptable meal) but we never had Little Debbie anything! I’ve maybe only had something like 3 times in my life… so deprived!
I can completely get behind these cupcakes as a snack!
Is it wrong that I want to eat that for breakfast?
I have been guilty of that toiletry thing too. Funny how we inconvenience ourselves majorly instead of minorly.
Peanut butter, fruit, bread, choco- um, antioxidants? These could totally pass for breakfast, right?! Mmmm.
Yes. These look amazing.
(Added to my list for post finals!)
Wow–these look amazing! I was just thinking about making banana bread soon…but I think I might try these. I love peanut butter in anything. And I convince myself that oatmeal cookies are nutritious, so telling myself that these are healthy should be no problem.
Yes I need some. True story, several times (ok many times) I have wanted a snack and have whipped up a batch of rice krispie treats. No need to let them set, just eat straight from the pot. Oh, is that gross to admit?? Yeah, I have never done that!!!
We have totally done that. Actually, we’ve eaten the ENTIRE pot while still warm. They are my husband’s favorite treat! He ate 13 of them at a kid’s birthday party on Friday night, I counted. Horrifying.
I just found you yesterday via Pinterest, wow, you have great ideas are are one funny chic, I am anxious to try some of your creations!
Thanks Kim!
I think I say this every time you post cupcakes but I want to face plant directly into a pile of that fat frosting. Omg.
The buttery pretzel layer of the strawberry jello salad my family makes on Easter is definitely the best part – I’m sure it makes an incredible crust for cupcake!
these are all of my favorite things into a cupcake! I am dieing and need them now!!
Banana muffin with pretzel crust? Get out of my dreams.
I need that frosting like now.
Thanks for the awesome recipe! For your husbands snoring they make these pillows that support the head to decrease snoring! http://www.brookstone.com/brookstone-anti-snore-pillow_8270337_2?bkeid=compare%7cmercent%7cgooglebaseads%7csearch&mr:trackingCode=38001692-87BD-DE11-A84F-0019B9C2BEFD&mr:referralID=NA&mr:adType=pla&gclid=COfW7IeUh68CFbMEQAod9GqE9Q
I’m not the only one who sleeps with my hand over my husband’s mouth? Oh good, that’s a relief.
These cupcakes look so good. Never would have thought about pretzels on my peanut butter and banana sandwich, but I’m pretty sure I have some in the pantry…
I love things that are complete jokes!
….like how I put “vacuum” on my to do list two weeks ago and it still hasn’t happened, I keep having to add it every morning. Oops!
….. Or how I made oatmeal raisin cookies last night with two sticks of butter and convinced myself they were healthy because of all those raisins and oatmeal chunks. Fiber….duh. And then proceeded to eat most of the dough before they ever found a way to the oven.
…..how I told myself I was going to wake up early today and work out before work (it’s 6:30 here)…. And yet I am still in my bed reading your blog.
Mmhmmm! We are so funny.
chocolate and peanut butter <3, one of the greatest combos on earth…
this sounds exactly like what i need to make with the dying banana in my fridge! :P
Ha! This post (as always) made me laugh this morning! I love to visit your blog, Jessica…you always put a smile on my face! These cupcakes look crazy delicious!
Um, are you kidding me? You’re a genius. That’s all there is to it.
They look fabulous. The banana cupcakes themselves but that that huge layer of chocolate PB frosting…I want to dive in!
Good luck getting your toiletry bag put away :)
I want that frosting NOW.