This party-perfect recipe for banana split cupcakes is a dessert recipe that was submitted by reader Christina Perez for an event. Christina has adapted her base cupcake and icing recipes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.
Special Diet Notes & Options: Banana Split Cupcakes
This recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, peanut-free, optionally soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian.
For soy-free and dairy-free banana split cupcakes, choose a dairy-free, soy-free margarine (Earth Balance makes a couple varieties). For the chocolate, seek out an option that is both dairy-free and soy lecithin-free, such as Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips or Chunks.
For tree nut-free and dairy-free Banana Split Cupcakes, use a nut-free milk beverage in place of the almond milk beverage. Also, skip the nut topping, and optionally add graham cracker crumbles instead.
- 1 cup vanilla dairy-free almond milk beverage
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¾ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond or caramel extract
- 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup non-hydrogenated dairy-free shortening
- ½ cup non-hydrogenated dairy-free margarine or buttery sticks
- 3½ cups powdered sugar, sifted if clumpy
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup dairy-free vanilla coconut creamer
- ½ cup melted dairy-free semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
- ¼ to ½ cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, your choice!)
- 1 large banana, sliced
- 12 maraschino cherries
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 12 muffin tins with cupcake liners.
- Whisk the almond milk and vinegar in a measuring cup and set aside for a few minutes to get good and curdled.
- Beat together the almond milk mixture, sugar, oil, vanilla, and other extract, in a large bowl. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix until no large lumps remain.
- Fill the cupcake liners two-thirds of the way and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into one of the cupcakes comes out clean.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.
- Beat the shortening and margarine together until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes.
- Add the vanilla and the creamer and beat for another 5 to 7 minutes until fluffy. I then added India Tree Natural Decorating Colors to give my cupcakes some color, but you don’t have to do this.
- To frost your cupcakes, use a pastry bag or spatula.
- Drizzle the frosting with melted chocolate, sprinkle on the chopped nuts, top with sliced bananas, and finish each cupcake with a cherry on top!
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