Irresistible Banana Cinnamon Pecan Cupcakes That Will Steal Your Heart
Learn how to make delicious Irresistible Banana Cinnamon Pecan Cupcakes. Easy recipe with step-by-step instructions.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: International
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (feel free to swap half for whole wheat for a nuttier flavor)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (freshly ground if you can, it makes a world of difference)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed (the softer and spotty, the sweeter your cupcakes)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (or ½ cup brown sugar for a deeper, molasses note)
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted (can substitute with coconut oil for a dairy-free option)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped pecans, plus extra for topping (toasted pecans add a lovely crunch)
- Optional: ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream for extra moisture
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease the cups. I like to use sturdy liners so the cupcakes hold their shape — reminds me of the way Mama Lu carefully buttered her cast iron skillet before every bake.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. This dry mix smells like a promise of something good.
- In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until smooth but still a little lumpy. Add the sugar and melted butter, mixing gently to combine. The butter should be warm but not hot — this keeps the batter light and tender.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and glossy. If you’re using yogurt or sour cream, fold it in now. It adds that extra moist crumb that feels like a secret ingredient from the farmhouse kitchen.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, folding gently. Don’t overmix here — just enough to bring everything together. Overworking the batter will make your cupcakes tough, and that’s not the kind of love we bake with.
- Fold in the chopped pecans, saving a few to sprinkle on top before baking. I always toast my pecans lightly in a dry skillet first, which releases their oils and gives a deeper flavor — Mama Lu taught me that little trick one afternoon while shelling nuts.
- Divide the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Sprinkle the reserved pecans on top for a lovely crunch and visual appeal.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. You’ll know they’re done when the edges start to pull away slightly from the liners and the kitchen smells like a cinnamon-scented hug.
- Remove from oven and let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. This step is crucial — rushing to frost warm cupcakes always leads to a melty mess, and patience is part of the magic in a farmhouse kitchen.