If you haven’t figured it out yet the Instant Pot pretty much does everything. Pressure cooker baking is a thing, and these Instant Pot Cupcakes are the perfect recipe to prove it.
These Banana Bread cupcakes come out moist, and full of banana and peanut butter flavor. The best part is they are free from refined sugar. I love these healthy cupcakes for a treat after dinner.
Table of Contents
Take me to the cupcake recipe, please!
I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen, and I receive a lot of questions about recipes.
To better serve all of my readers here at My Crazy Good Life, I’ve made a commitment to put a ton of helpful information in all of my posts. If you’d like to skip over the information about freezing, swapping ingredients, and diet information, please simply scroll to the bottom of the page, where you will find the easy to print Banana Bread Cupcake recipe!
Gluten and Dairy Free Cupcakes
As written, these cupcakes are vegetarian, gluten free, and dairy free. They can be easily adapted to fit the ingredients you already have in your pantry, or around any food allergies or other preferences that you may have.
These cupcakes are also refined sugar free because they don’t use highly processed sugar. Instead of brown sugar or table sugar, we’re using real maple syrup.
Ingredients for these cupcakes:
- Ripe Bananas: Bananas are a great source of potassium, Vitamin C, and manganese.
- Almond Milk: Any unsweetened nut milk such as cashew milk, or coconut milk (from the carton) will work for this recipe. If you’re not making your own almond milk, you might wonder about gellan gum, an ingredient often found in almond milk.
- Maple Syrup: Has a lower glycemic index, far less processing, and significantly more minerals than refined sugar.
- Eggs: Egg are the binder that hold it all together. You can use egg substitutes as well.
- Vanilla Extract: Be sure to use vanilla extract and not bakers vanilla or imitation vanilla. These often have added sugar and artificial flavors.
- Rice Flour: Made from finely milled rice, rice flour is a common substitute for wheat flour in gluten free recipes. This recipe works perfectly with whole wheat flour if you are not gluten-free.
- Baking Soda: We all know a lot of recipes call for baking soda but do we know why? It’s what makes our baked goods rise and keeps them from becoming dense as hockey pucks.
- Baking Powder: While baking soda makes baked goods rise baking powder gives them volume, or a fluffy texture.
- Salt: The tiniest amount of salt can counter sweetness in a recipe and really makes it taste more delicious.
- Peanut Butter: Try to find a natural peanut butter. I love to grind my own, but if you’re looking for one off-the-shelf, find one with peanuts or peanuts and salt as the only ingredients. Avoid the ones with added sugar and oils.
- Cocoa Powder: There are so many benefits to using a good quality cocoa powder, such as improved mood (see chocolate does make you happy) and increases blood flow to your brain.
Recipe Tips
- If you don’t like bananas, or have an allergy, you can replace them with one cup of unsweetened applesauce.
- A handheld potato masher works perfectly to mash your bananas.
- Sometimes I like to omit the cocoa powder from the frosting. The sweet peanut butter frosting is amazing without the chocolate.
- Rice flour can be substituted in equal amounts for whole wheat flour, or gluten free flour.
- This works well as a cake too! Just add your batter to sprayed springform pan, and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes, with a natural pressure release.
- Adding in chocolate chips is an easy way to sweeten these cup a bit! I’d add 1/4 cup to the batter.
- I love leaving the frosting off these and leaving them as banana bread muffins!
How to make Instant Pot Cupcakes:
Time needed: 35 minutes.
If you don’t have silicone molds, you can use ramekins or even oven safe coffee mugs for this recipe.
- Prepare your pot
Place a trivet in the bottom of the Instant Pot and add 2 cups of water.
- Make your batter
Mash two large bananas in a medium mixing bowl. Gently stir in the wet ingredients: almond milk, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla extract. Next, add the dry ingredients: rice flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Now is the time to add any optional mix-ins.
- Fill your cupcake liners
Lightly spray silicone cupcake liners with cooking spray and fill each cavity ¾ full with batter. You can use ramekins, mason jars, or a springform pan as well.
- Cover
Tightly cover the cupcakes with aluminum foil, and place your cupcakes onto the trivet. You may have to make two rows. If so, turn the liners slightly to keep the cupcakes from stacking directly on top of one another.
- Pressure Cook
Close the lid and turn the valve to sealing. Select Pressure Cook (high) and set the cook time for 25 minutes. If making a cake, cook for 35 minutes.
- Make your frosting
While your cupcakes are cooking mix peanut butter, maple syrup, and cocoa powder together in a small bowl. Mix until well combined and there are no lumps of cocoa powder.
- Natural Release
When the cook time is complete, let the pressure release naturally. Once the pressure valve drops, remove the lid and gently remove your cupcakes.
- Cool your cupcakes
Remove the aluminum foil covers from your cupcakes and let them cool to room temperature.
- Frost
Once the cupcakes are cooled, use a spatula to spread 1 tbsp of frosting on top of each cupcake.
Oven Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Lightly spray a muffin pan with cooking spray.
- Mash two large bananas in a large bowl. Gently stir in almond milk, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla extract, rice flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and any optional mix-ins.
- Fill each muffin cup ¾ full with batter.
- Cook for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
- While your cupcakes are cooking, mix the peanut butter, maple syrup, and cocoa powder together in a small bowl. Mix until well combined and there are no lumps of cocoa powder.
- Allow your cupcakes to cool in the muffin tin to room temperature.
- Once the cupcakes are cooled, use a spatula to cover each with 1 tbsp of frosting.
Healthy Diet Information
These are the counts I’ve figured for specific diets based on the recipe as written, with no additional or optional ingredients.
- You can find the Weight Watchers recipe here.
- 21 Day Fix: One of these 21 Day Fix Cupcakes counts as a Yellow Container treat swap.
- 2B Mindset: This counts as a “silly” carb or treat.
Want more Instant Pot recipes?
- Instant Pot Brownies
- Instant Pot Cheesecake
- Espresso Brownies
- Starbucks Egg Bites Recipe
- Instant Pot Baked Oatmeal
More healthy recipes:
Instant Pot Cupcakes | Banana Bread Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 2 bananas ripe and mashed
- 1/4 cup almond milk or soy milk
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup rice flour or whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
Frosting:
- 1/4 cup peanut butter smooth
- 1½ tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
Instructions
Instant Pot
- Place a trivet in the bottom of the Instant Pot and add 2 cups of water.
- Mash two large bananas in a medium mixing bowl. Gently stir in the almond milk, maple syrup, egg, vanilla extract, rice flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Nows the time to add any optional mix-ins.
- Lightly spray silicone cupcake liners with cooking spray and fill each cavity ¾ full with batter. You can use ramekins, mason jars, or a springform pan as well.
- Tightly cover the cupcakes with aluminum foil, and place your cupcakes onto the trivet. You may have to make two rows. If so, turn the liners slightly to keep the cupcakes from stacking directly on top of one another.
- Close and lock the lid and turn the valve to sealing. Select Pressure Cook and set the cook time for 25 minutes. If making a cake, cook for 35 minutes.
- While your cupcakes are cooking mix peanut butter, maple syrup, and cocoa powder together in a small bowl. Mix until well combined and there are no lumps of cocoa powder.
- When the cook time is complete, let the pressure release naturally. Once the pressure valve drops remove the lid, and gently remove your cupcakes.
- Remove the aluminum foil covers from your cupcakes, and let them cool to room temperature.
- Once the cupcakes are cooled, use a spatula to spread 1 tbsp of frosting on top of each cupcake.
Oven
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Lightly spray a cupcake pan with cooking spray.
- Mash two large bananas in a medium mixing bowl. Gently stir in almond milk, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla extract, rice flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and any optional mix-ins.
- Fill each cupcake cavity ¾ full with batter.
- Cook for 35 minutes, or until a knife inserts and comes out clean.
- While your cupcakes are cooking, mix the peanut butter, maple syrup, and cocoa powder together in a small bowl. Mix until well combined and there are no lumps of cocoa powder.
- Allow your cupcakes to cool to room temperature.
- Once the cupcakes are cooled, use a spatula to cover each with 1 tbsp of frosting.
Video
Notes
Healthy Diet Information
- 21 Day Fix: One of these 21 Day Fix Cupcakes counts as a Yellow Container treat swap.
- 2B Mindset : This counts as a “silly” carb or treat.
Recipe Tips
- Optional add-ins: 1/4 of walnuts, raisins, or dark chocolate chips
- If you don’t like bananas, or have an allergy, you can replace them with one cup of unsweetened applesauce.
- A handheld potato masher works perfectly to mash your bananas.
- Sometimes I like to omit the cocoa powder from the frosting. The sweet peanut butter frosting is amazing without the chocolate.
- Rice flour can be substituted in equal amounts for whole wheat flour or gluten free flour.
- This works well as a cake too! Just add your batter to sprayed springform pan, and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes, with a natural pressure release.
so funny story.. my husband made these and thought that the 1/4.. was 1/4 cup of cocoa , he figured out you meant 1/4 tsp.
Oh NO!! I’m so sorry! Just fixed that!
Can you make these with out an instant pot?
Where did you get the red silicone liner that you use in your instant pot?
Fry’s Food!
Can you double this recipe and cook all in an 8 quart at once?
I haven’t done it before, but I wouldn’t doubt that it would work!
WHat kind of peanut butter and cocoa powder do you use? I used Hershey’s dark chocolate cocoa powder and still didn’t come out rich dark brown like yours?
I used Kirkland peanut butter and usually use Sprouts cocoa powder :)
These look amazing! Could you sub whole wheat flour?
That should be fine!!
How many calories per cupcake with walnuts and without the topping.
Thanks!!
Hi there! You can calculate specific variations here: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Just made these cupcakes for the first time. 👍👍
Discovered if you wait 10 minutes after the 25 minutes at pressure, that’s long enough and you can quick release the remaining pressure.
Also I noticed in the pictures that it appears that you cover the cupcakes in the instant pot loosely with foil. Don’t see that in the instructions.
Thanks again.
Thanks for the tip!
And yes, the directions mention the foil :)
Hi- I used almond flour instead of rice flour and added one more egg. The texture wasn’t good as it didn’t seem to be cake like and it didn’t expand, hence little one didnt eat them :/Do you think it was the extra egg or the fact that ive used almond flour? I also mixed with blender. Thank u!
Hi! I assume it was the almond flour but to be honest I can’t say that adding the extra egg wouldn’t do that as well. When baking, it’s not easy to swap out and add extra ingredients–it’s a sure recipe for disaster for me every time. Mixing with a blender could have done it ask well. I hope you try them again with my recipe–it’s delicious!
Looks great!! Can’t wait to try it!! What kind of rice flour are you using? Can you use regular flour?
Thanks!
I use Bob’s brown rice flour, but you can use whole wheat flour!