These cupcakes are everything you love about a moist banana muffin topped with a rich chocolate ganache and filled with creamy, slightly salty Sunbutter. It’s pretty hard to beat that combo. And the best part? They’re totally vegan and nut free, not to mention insanely easy. If you have a few rotting bananas lying around, take your banana bread to the next level with these cupcakes!

few notes on this recipe:
– I have a peanut allergy so Sunbutter is my best friend, but you could definitely sub out peanut butter or another seed/nut butter.
– I used sweetened Sunbutter, but if your nut/seed butter is unsweetened, you might want to add a few tsp of maple syrup before filling your cupcakes.
– When filling your muffins, make sure the first layer of batter in pretty thin. If it’s too thick, the Sunbutter will rise to the top of the cupcake. It’ll still taste great, but you may not get that gooey center right smack in the middle.
– I adapted the recipe for the ganache from Minimalist Baker, she recommends refrigerating it for 1-2 hours before whipping in the rest of the sugar, but I’ve found that 20 min in the freezer does the trick.

Ingredients:

For the the cupcakes:
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup vegan butter or olive oil
1/4 cup buttermilk (plantbased milk + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar)
2 tbsp apple sauce 
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup Sunbutter (or other nut/seed butter)

For the chocolate ganache:
1/2 cup plantbased milk
1 1/4 cup dairy free chocolate chips
1/2 cup vegan butter
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder (I like Droste)
Plantbased milk as needed

Instructions:
1. To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 375 F and line a standard 12 muffin tin with cupcake holders.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together plantbased milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside to curdle for a few minutes before adding in mashed bananas, vegan butter/oil, sugar and water. Stir to combine.
3. Sift in the remaining dry ingredients, folding until just combined. Careful not to over mix, a few flour clumps are ok.
4. Fill the cupcake holders 1/4 of the way with batter then go through and drop about 1-2 tsp of Sunbutter in each. Fill to the top with the remaining batter, making sure the Sunbutter is completely covered. Bake for 22-26 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
5. To make the chocolate ganache, microwave a 1/2 cup of plantbased milk until steaming (about 1 min). Alternatively, you could do this in a saucepan.
6. Add the chocolate chips to the hot milk and stir until everything melts together. Add the softened vegan butter, continuing to stir until a smooth, silky mixture forms.
7. Using a stand or hand mixer, add 1 cup of sifted powdered sugar and mix to combine. Put in the fridge for about an hour to thicken. (If your pressed for time, pop it in the freezer for about 20 min.)
8. Remove from the fridge and beat again, adding the remaining powdered sugar and cocoa powder. If your ganache seems too thick, add in milk one tbsp at a time until light and fluffy.
9. Frost your cooled cupcakes and serve with fresh banana slices and more Sunbutter!

Note: this frosting will become very firm in the fridge. If you plan on refrigerating it for more than an hour, you may need to let it sit on the counter for a while before frosting.