Name: Vegan Gluten Free Banana Coffee Cupcakes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 28 min
Total time: 43 min
Yield: 18
Ingredients: Cupcake; 2 cups all-purpose flour or Bob's 1-1 gluten-free flour blend*; 1 cup sugar; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; 1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 very ripe bananas); 1 cup canned coconut milk, mixed well before measuring; 1/2 cup neutral oil (canola, vegetable, safflower); 1 tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar; 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract; 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (dairy-free); Coffee Frosting; 1 cup nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening; 3 cups powdered sugar; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder dissolved in 2 tablespoons water (or use cold brew coffee)

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Subtly spiced, soft and fluffy Banana Coffee Cupcakes dotted with chocolate chips then covered in a smooth cappuccino frosting. Who needs a latte when you can whip these easy cupcakes up in no time!

We never run out of bananas around here, probably because we love using them for snacking, smoothies, banana bread, cakes and a number of other desserts (Blueberry Banana Cake & Banana Bundt Cake are a few favorites!!). I love having them to munch on and I especially love the sweetness and bold flavor that ripe bananas bring to a baked good. Not to mention how and it also adds the right amount of moisture in our eggless baking.

I am also a huge fan of chocolate and coffee, so for this banana coffee cupcake recipe, I went all out, sprinkling in some chocolate chips then adorning each cupcake with a luscious layer of cappuccino frosting. The result – a fluffy indulgent sweet treat with layers of deliciousness shining through.

How to Make these Vegan Gluten-free Banana Coffee Cupcakes

Although these allergy-friendly cupcakes look fancy, they are quite easy to make.

Mash bananas in a medium bowl then whisk in wet ingredients.
In a large bowl, whisk dry ingredients together.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until just combined, making sure you don’t overmix!
Gently fold in chocolate chips, then fill the cupcake tin about two-thirds full with batter & bake.

Tips for Frosting and Decorating Cupcakes:

This cappuccino frosting is one of my favorites of all time. I could eat it with a spoon, straight from the mixing bowl.

For super fluffy frosting, you should make it fresh just before serving, but frosted cupcakes will retain their shape and texture for a good few days, especially if you keep them refrigerated.
Not skilled with a piping bag, no problem! Simply use an ice cream scoop to add on a dollop of frosting then smooth or leave as is.
Banana slices will brown quickly if you are wanting to use them as a topper, so I use dried banana chips instead.

Can you Freeze Banana Cupcakes?

Don’t worry, these cupcakes can be made in advance and frozen, unfrosted for up to 1 month. Thaw cupcakes and frost before serving.

Cupcake Recipe Substitutions:

you can use any type of oil: coconut oil, olive oil or vegetable oil
you can use plain all-purpose flour if you’re not gluten-free
you can omit one of the spices you don’t like or you can use 1 1/2 teaspoons of all-spice in place of the 4 spices used.
if you have a coconut allergy, substitutions include heavy cream, half and half, sour cream, nut creams, silken tofu or a fat+liquid blend. Check it out on https://www.godairyfree.org/news/substitute-for-coconut-milk-and-oil

Why you’ll love these Allergy-friendly Banana Cupcakes

If you love coffee and cupcakes, then you will love these vegan coffee cupcakes!They’re:

undetectably vegan, allergen-friendly and gluten-free
seriously moist
packed with banana flavor
perfectly sweet
covered in a fluffy cappuccino frosting
made using simple, everyday ingredients!

It really doesn’t get any better than this.

Are you ready to start baking? Grab your banana and apron and let’s get started! And when you do make them, Instagram me a photo so I can see what you’ve been baking!