Name: Healthy Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups almond flour; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp cinnamon; 1/4 tsp salt; 1 large ripe banana (mashed (about 1/2 cup mashed)); 2 eggs; 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted); 1/3 cup maple syrup; splash vanilla; 8 oz Neufchatel or reduced fat cream cheese, softened; 1 cup powdered sugar; 2 tbsp butter (softened); 1 tsp vanilla; 1/4 tsp cinnamon; 1/4 tsp salt

Soft, moist, and topped with a swirl of fluffy frosting, these healthy banana cupcakes with cream cheese frosting taste just like banana bread in cupcake form! They're made with almond flour, ripe banana, and maple syrup, so they're gluten-free and perfect for birthdays, a sweet snack, or even breakfast. If you love my healthy pumpkin cupcakes or my paleo chocolate cupcakes, these banana cupcakes need to be next on your list!

A Quick Look

Recipe Name: Healthy Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ready In: 30 minutes
Serves: 12 cupcakes
Main Ingredients: Banana Cupcakes, ½ cups almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ripe banana, eggs, coconut oil
Why You'll Love It: In the mood for a sweet snack that's healthy but still delicious? Try these Healthy Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting! They're perfectly rich and make a great dessert or mid-day snack. Ready in under an hour.

Jump to:

Easy Gluten-Free Healthy Banana Cupcakes
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients Needed To Make These Healthy Banana Cupcakes
How to Make Healthy Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Erin's Expert Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
Storing leftovers
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Healthy Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Easy Gluten-Free Healthy Banana Cupcakes

These gluten-free banana cupcakes start with a simple almond flour batter. First, almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt get mixed in one bowl. Then, a mashed ripe banana is whisked together with eggs, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla in another. Stir them together, scoop into lined muffin tins, and bake until golden.

While the cupcakes bake, whip up a quick cream cheese frosting with Neufchatel cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. After chilling for 30 minutes, it's perfectly pipeable. If you love banana desserts, my classic healthy banana bread is a reader favorite too.

These cupcakes are perfect for birthday parties, baby showers, or a cozy afternoon treat. And if you need more healthy cake recipes like this one, you're going to LOVE my healthy carrot cake or my healthy banana bread muffins!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Tastes like banana bread. Soft, moist, and full of banana and cinnamon flavor.
Gluten-free. Made with almond flour instead of all-purpose flour.
Naturally sweetened cupcakes. Plus, maple syrup and banana sweeten the cake.
Tangy cream cheese frosting. It's light, creamy, and the perfect finishing touch.
Party-perfect. They're a hit at birthdays and showers!
Easy to make. Best of all, you just need two bowls and a muffin tin.

Ingredients Needed To Make These Healthy Banana Cupcakes

Here's a little bit about everything that goes into these healthy banana cupcakes with cream cheese frosting:

Almond flour: Gives the cupcakes a soft, tender crumb and keeps them gluten-free.
Ripe banana: Adds natural sweetness and moisture. You'll need about ½ cup mashed.
Eggs: Help the cupcakes rise and hold together.
Coconut oil: Melted coconut oil keeps them moist. Melted butter works too!
Maple syrup: Naturally sweetens the cupcakes. Honey works as well.
Neufchatel cream cheese: The base of the frosting. It's lighter than regular cream cheese.
Powdered sugar: Sweetens the frosting and gives it a smooth, fluffy texture.

How to Make Healthy Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

These cupcakes come together in two simple parts: the banana cupcake batter and the cream cheese frosting. First, mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another, then stir them together and scoop the batter into lined muffin cups.

While the cupcakes bake, beat the frosting ingredients until smooth and chill it so it firms up. Most importantly, let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting. Otherwise, the frosting will melt right off!

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Spray the liners with nonstick spray. In a small bowl, mix the almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

Step 2: In a large bowl, mash the banana. Then whisk in the eggs, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla.

Step 3: Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until combined.

Step 4: Using a cookie scoop, fill the muffin cups about ⅔ full. Bake for 20-23 minutes, until golden brown.

Step 5: While the cupcakes bake, use a hand mixer to beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until creamy. Chill the frosting in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Step 6: Once the cupcakes have fully cooled, frost and enjoy.

Before you start

erin antoniak in the kitchen giving expert tips on how to make her recipes

Erin's Expert Tips

From my kitchen to yours

Use a ripe banana. The spottier it is, the sweeter and more flavorful the cupcakes.
Spray the liners. It keeps the almond flour cupcakes from sticking.
Use a cookie scoop. It makes filling the cups quick and even.
Chill the frosting. Thirty minutes in the fridge helps it firm up for piping.
Cool completely before frosting. Otherwise, the frosting will melt.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some common questions about these healthy banana cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

Yes! Bake them for less time and check for doneness with a toothpick.

Oat flour doesn't work the same as almond flour, and most flours aren't a 1:1 swap. You'd need to adjust the ratio, so I recommend sticking with almond flour.

Melted butter is a great substitute for coconut oil.

Yes, honey should work just fine.

Yes! It just takes a little more elbow grease to get it smooth.

Yes, they're made with almond flour, so they're naturally gluten-free.

Keep them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Storing leftovers

Since they're topped with cream cheese frosting, store your banana cupcakes in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Let them sit out for a few minutes before eating so the frosting softens slightly.

If you tried this recipe or any other recipes on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Follow @erinliveswhole on Instagram and tag me in any of the recipes you make so I can repost them!

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