Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I was inspired by a few different banana cupcake recipes before settling on this one. The cream cheese frosting is probably my favorite part; it's just wonderfully decadent on a banana cupcake. Refrigerate cupcakes after frosting. P.S. They taste much better the next day!

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Calories: 332 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 pinch salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• ⅓ cup buttermilk
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup chocolate chips, or to taste (Optional)
• 6 tablespoons lightly packed brown sugar
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar, or more to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a muffin tin with paper liners.

Step 2

Spoon batter into the prepared muffin tin.

Step 3

Spread frosting over cupcakes.

Step 4

Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.

Step 5

Combine white sugar, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup butter in another bowl; beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in egg. Mix in mashed bananas. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk, stirring after each addition. Fold chocolate chips into the batter.

Step 6

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.

Step 7

Beat cream cheese and 3 tablespoons butter in a bowl until smooth. Add vanilla extract. Beat in confectioners' sugar, 1 cup at a time, until frosting is smooth.