Brown Sugar Banana Cupcakes with Avocado Buttercream.
Raise your hand if you think I’m weird.
Or… don’t. I’ve already seen enough hands. I’m beginning to develop a complex.
So here’s the deal. Like bananas? Like avocados? These cupcakes were made for you. Yes, you! I had you in mind all along. We have so much in common, FYI. It’s like we share a brain.
Someone I don’t share a brain with? Hmm… that would be my husband. This is made all the more evident considering he can calculate down to the penny just how much a pair of shoes that are 30% off + and extra 10% off will cost, while I sometimes try to count the 47 (48? 50?) states on my fingers and round my $78 grocery bill down to $50.
Pretty banana cupcakes with silky frosting that resembles Slimer? So cute, so sweet, so soft and fluffy? Mr. How Sweet’s worst nightmare. Only one way I could make it worse: adding coconut. I didn’t do that, by the way. I’m not mean.
So don’t feel bad if you want to slap me silly. If you’re looking at me like I have a third eye. If you think my taste buds have gone off the deep end. No. Don’t fret. It is scary yet adventurous in an oh-so-awesome way. Trust. You must have trust.
Trust is important in this mutual relationship of ours. I make (sometimes weird) things and you say “that looks so good!” or “that looks… interesting…” or “what were you thinking?!” Even when we both know that it is weird, that I am weird. Fortunately for you, looks can be deceiving. So make these weirdo cupcakes and please your tongue. Take a big chewy bite and experience the softest, smoothest cupcake with the freshest taste you can imagine. They will rock your (weird) world. I don’t lie.
Brown Sugar Banana Cupcakes
makes 12-20 cupcakes, depending on your scoop
1 1/3 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1 egg
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Combine dry 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 sour cream and melted butter and mix. Stir in dry ingredients, then add mashed bananas and mix until batter comes together. The batter will be thick. Using an ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measure, scoop batter in liners. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Let cool completely.
Avocado Buttercream
2 ripe avocados
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
pinch of salt
Cream avocado and butter together until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add powdered sugar one cup at a time. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt and add vanilla. More sugar can be added if you’d like the frosting thicker. Frosting can be store in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend refrigerating the cupcakes.
Less weirdness coming tomorrow. That’s a (delicious) promise.
223 Comments on “Brown Sugar Banana Cupcakes with Avocado Buttercream.”
You tell me Banana cup cakes and I trust you…Avocado butter cream frosting!!! Well, need little time :) But believe me it really look gorgeous with the lovely light green of the fruit.
Avocado Buttercream sounds awesome. <— Fatty much? :)
As do the cupcakes! I make some cupcakes with bananas and brown sugar but clearly you have stolen the show with these! Wow…your brain works in wonderful ways!
Avocado Buttercream sounds awesome. <— Fatty much? :)
As do the cupcakes! I make some cupcakes with bananas and brown sugar but clearly you have stolen the show with these! Wow…your brain works in wonderful ways!
I think my 1st comment went into moderation?
Not weird at all – I think it’s weird you think it’s weird that we would think these cupcakes are weird.
Chocolate cake with avocado frosting is pretty common place these days but this is a new and interesting twist! I’m diggin it. I love that the cake contains only brown sugar, and sour cream. I will definitely have to try this…possibly with the addition of coconut oil in the frosting, mmm :) Thanks for sharing!
I do love banana brown sugar cupcakes…..would never have thought of avocado buttercream though. If avocados are ever on sale here, I’d try it, especially because I’m the only one in the family who even likes avocado, so I’d get an entire batch of cupcakes to myself!!! hahaha
or just a yummy bowl of frosting to dip anything and everything into!! I suggest using it as a fruit dip!! mmmmmmmm nomnomnom
perfect. i’ve got half a bunch of bananas lounging around and two just about ripe avocados. and yeah, banana cupcake+creamcheese frosting IS getting a little passe.
now.. if only the temp here would dip a little. it was a scorching hot 38C earlier today!
I always surprised how versatile avocado is. Its one of those ingredients that makes you immediately think guacamole/mexican food, but can totally be used in awesome ways in desserts. My Mom has a fear of green creamy foods, so she couldn’t do the icing, but I’d do it :)
Yum! This is super creative. Great recipe.
I’m kind of in love. I’ve been wanting to try some avocado dessert recipes and haven’t gotten around to it yet. Given that green is my favorite color, I think it’s time!
I have a question! Does the sugar stop the avocado browning? I’ll have to try this – what other cake might the avocado go well with, I wonder? have you tried it with anything else?
Jo, I’m honestly not sure. But I made them Saturday morning and there were still leftovers last night that were completely fine and delicious. And I still have some more frosting left in the fridge that is okay too!
Oh, great, thanks :)
I’ll trust you and make them. My curiosity is peaked. And I love the slime green color of the frosting.
My husband’s the same way with numbers. Maybe they teach that in gym class.
They sound so crazy, I must try! Plus… they’re my favorite color. Green!
Personally I think they sound fantastic! A bit weird… but fantastic! I’m definitely going to try the avocado/banana combo :)
xo
the icing is SUCH a beautiful color! all i’m picturing is creamy banana and creamy avocado and i think i’m in love :)
These are so cute Jessica!! I love the color of the icing!
I totally believe you that these taste super good — I love putting avocado and mashed banana on baked sweet potatoes — it tastes so delicious!
cutest little things ever.
I would have never thought to put avocado in icing but it looks so smooth and silky. I’ll trust you on this one Jess – I know you know your icings very very well! :)
Well, you’re creative, that’s for sure! The color of that frosting is just perfect. I love it.
slimer icing…I’m not sure I trust this yet, but I kind of want to make it! I just bought an avocado yesterday too!! eep!
I use brown sugar in my banana bread. It really is the perfect sugar with bananas. These look beautiful!
wow. Genius. Must make ASAP. This will (partially) make up for my no guac on Cinco de Mayo catastrophe, and for that, I thank you.
I am so curious about these! I do love bananas and avocados so I will have to trust you and try them myself!
Avocado buttercream- swoon. Two of my favorite things in one. And I love the color on these!!
These DO sound really unusual! I wonder why the avocado doesn’t brown in the frosting?
No clue! I mean, it might eventually, but 48 hours and still going strong!
these seem like good holiday desserts: add black icing designs for halloween, green sprinkles for st paddy’s day, flower designs for spring! yummmmmmy!
Excellent idea Christine!
I love using avocado in desserts! It’s a really smart idea because it provides the fat and creaminess and has a mild enough flavor that you can mask it. In fact, I put a vegan chocolate pudding on my blog today. The secret ingredient? Avocado! :)
OMG, avocado frosting?! I could see myself eating that with toast. Yum!!
Don’t give me any ideas!
These look great. I’ve been waiting to try avocado in a sweet application. I think this is the recipe to finally make me do it.
if you were going to add coconut, how would you do it?
Hmm… not really sure, maybe just some shredded coconut in the cupcake or coconut butter in the frosting??
Not weird. Awesome. I’m going to call them muffins and have them for breakfast. Totally acceptable, right?
Always.
As weird as they may be, I still want one!
I love the green color of the frosting!! Fun.
Normally I trust you…but this one? I’m not positive :) But they do look pretty!
Wow! Totally going to try these!
Just a question: The batter ingredients calls for sour cream, yet in the method there is no mention of it. It does, however, mention yoghurt, which wasn’t mentioned in the ingredients. Which do I use? Or are they interchangeable? :)
Oops! Sorry ’bout that. I used sour cream but you could probably use plain greek yogurt too? I would go with 2% if you do.
avacado = healthy fat so avacado buttercream = healthy frosting. Perfect.
I’m intrigued!
O…Please…just send me one!!! They look AMAZING!! O, and while you’re baking for me…make me one of those brownie pizzas too. Please!! Please!!! Please!!!
What a novel idea, using avocado in frosting!
wow, I am going to have to try this avocado + butter combo, you’re right it sounds weird but combining two of my favorite ingredients simply can’t be wrong ;)
plus I love the moist banana + sour cream combo in the cake mm mmm!
I’ve seen weirder! Now that I’ve tried creamy avocado pasta, nothing with avocado can scare me now! And now I’ll have a recipe for St. Patrick’s Day next year, with no coloring added :)
I need that buttercream in my life!
You are so convincing…and the fact I have an army of little people that will devour cardboard and buttercream if you call it a cupcake. I think I’m going to give it a go. It’s not everyday you see such a lovely green hue on a cupcake.
Because you added avocado those cupcakes are now healthy :-) lol they look wonderful!
you could have stopped at the mashed banana and I would have been happy.
Those might take me awhile to absorb. The cake=no problem, the frosting=a challenge.
I like weird. Weird looks delicious.
The color of that frosting is just amazing!
Oh these are too cute, please come make me some for my birthday :)
I’ll call you creative, not weird. :-)