Banana Matcha Easter Cupcakes (Gluten-free)

These Banana Matcha Easter Cupcakes are gluten-free, moist and delectable, soft, and healthy. A great recipe to bake for this Easter Holiday Season and also whenever you want to prepare something healthy and quick to satisfy your sugar cravings.

Easter cupcakes are the best cutest dessert for this spring holiday. Is there any better way to celebrate than with delicious holiday baking? 

When it's Easter at our house, I like to keep things simple and bake a bunch of muffins or cupcakes. Just because they’re generally quicker and easier, and it’s always fun to decorate the cupcakes with your kids!

These muffins are simple, delicious, and need just 8 ingredients to make. They are light, fluffy, and moist in the middle. Yum!

Do bananas need to be overripe to make banana cupcakes?

Yes, for this recipe is best to use fully ripe bananas. Use bananas that are ripe enough that they're starting to get brown spots on the peel but definitely NOT rotten.

There are few reasons for that. Let me explain:

These Banana Matcha Easter Cupcakes are:

• Moist and dense inside with a hint of cinnamon
• Topped with sweet cream cheese Matcha frosting
• Super easy and quick to prepare
• Healthy
• Gluten-free
• Omit the frosting and you'll a delicious banana cupcakes for breakfast!

Ingredients for Banana Matcha Easter Cupcakes

We love our almond flour desserts! Not only almond flour is gluten-free and healthy, but you can also make so many delicious desserts with it like Almond Cranberry Tart and Healthy Pancake Cereal.

It is becoming more popular and can be found in most grocery stores. Well, or actually online, like most of us are shopping at the moment!

The list of ingredients:

• Almond flour - don’t change the flour! Almond flour is what gives these cupcakes the right texture and flavor. It is also healthy! 

• Baking powder - gives the muffins some rise and fluffiness. 

• Salt - brings out the natural sweetness of the muffins. 

• Baking soda - in addition to leavening, the baking soda helps brown the exterior. 

• Cinnamon - for the extra flavor! For true cinnamon lovers, double the quantity for this recipe, you’ll not regret this! Other than that it is optional!

• Eggs - add moisture and bind everything together. Same with apple sauce! I always recommend using room temperature eggs, not refrigerated ones as it helps to bind all the ingredients better which results in a perfect batter. 

• Matcha - adds a little bit of color but nothing crazy, you might want to use some food coloring for deeper green color. Even though it’s a little amount of matcha here (which is enough anyway for this frosting), matcha has a wide range of health benefits including boosting brain function, helps to maintain your heart healthy, high in antioxidants, and many more.

• Bananas - the riper the better! They give the flavor and make your muffins (or any baking) moist and delicious!

Tips for making the best Easter Cupcakes

• Measure the ingredients using a food scale or for the flour use a ‘’spoon and level method’’ 

• Baking powder - baking powder does not last forever. It is sensitive to moisture, humidity, and how it is handled, and if kept properly in an airtight container and so on. It should always be kept in a dry and cool place in your kitchen/pantry. 

• Ripe bananas - always, read above the reasons for this 🙂 BUT if not available, use 1-2 tablespoon of granulated sugar or brown sugar in the batter if not topping up with the Matcha cupcake frosting.

• Vanilla paste - I found this gem recently, and it is my preferred vanilla for all baking recipes! It has more depth vanilla flavor rather than vanilla extract. If you don’t have it on hand, vanilla extract is good too but you’ll require it more than the paste = use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

• Eggs - room temp. For better batter, most of the ingredients should be used at room temperature.

• Almond flour - Use a very good quality blanched almond flour. The smoother the better, but some brands of almond flour can be a little gritty which is not the best but still okay. If you make this recipe please let me know which one you used in the comments!

• You can also make your own almond flour at home: Blanche the almonds, allow them to dry and then blend for 10-20 seconds into a smooth powder. 

How to make Banana Matcha Easter Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350 F and prepare a muffin tin with individual muffin/cupcake liners. Set aside.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, mix mashed banana, cinnamon, eggs, vanilla, soda, and baking powder. Beat/mix until smooth consistency and stir in the almond flour. 

Scoop the mixture into muffin liners (it should cover about ¾ of the muffin tin (don't overload!), use a medium to large ice cream scoop for this), smooth out the edges with a wet spoon but don’t flatten the top.

Bake for 30 minutes and then transfer to cooling rack for 20-30 minutes before adding the frosting. 

Matcha Cupcake Frosting

Cream butter with a hand mixer, the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, or a wooden spoon until smooth and fluffy.

Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until fully incorporated. Beat in vanilla paste/extract.

Add cream cheese and mix until all ingredients combined.

Lastly, add matcha and green food coloring (if using), and beat for thirty seconds until smooth or until the desired color is reached.

Place the frosting in the piping bag and refrigerate for one hour. Add the frosting onto cooled muffins and decorate with chocolate sprinkles and eggs.

How to store these Banana Matcha Easter cupcakes and recipe notes

• Keep them refrigerated for up to a week. 
• Make Ahead Instructions: For longer storage, freeze muffins for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or warm up in the microwave if desired.
• Frozen Bananas: You can also use thawed frozen bananas in this muffin recipe. But make sure to dry them slightly to remove excess water.

How to customize these Easter Cupcakes 

• Nuts - add ¼ cup of crushed pecans or walnuts to the batter, it will taste amazing!

• Chocolate chips - white or dark chocolate chips for the muffin batter! Fold through ¼ cup of chocolate chips into the batter and reserve a few to top the muffins with. 

• Cranberries or other fresh berries will also add some extra flavor, but the muffins will not taste so sweet because berries tend to be on the sour side. If using, add about the same amount as chocolate chips and nuts.

Celebrate Easter with these cute little Banana Matcha Easter Cupcakes and don't forget to let me know how you like them!

Thanks,

Julia