Banana Cupcakes With Peanut Butter Buttercream

Total Time: 43 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 23 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour (i recommend bobs red mill or king arthur flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large very ripe bananas, plus
• 1 yellow banana (peeled and smashed)
• 1/2 cup plain low-fat greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup dates, pasted (blend 1 cup of pitted dates and 1/2-1 cup of hot water until smooth)
• 2 tablespoons grade b dark maple syrup
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (there really is no other way around it)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup natural-style peanut butter (use smooth but do not use old-fashioned or freshly ground)

Recipe

• 1 cupcakes: preheat to 350°f and line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners. (i always double line them).
• 2 to the first small bowl, add the smashed bananas and mix in the sour cream and vanilla.
• 3 in a second medium sized bowl, cream together the butter and the date paste. add the maple syrup and beat until combined. then add the egg and egg yolk and beat until well blended.
• 4 in a third small bowl sift together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt).
• 5 alternating the banana mixture and the dry ingredients (to where you start and end with the bananas) and add a bit at a time (bananas in three parts and the dry in two parts) to the butter/date mixture until well incorporated.
• 6 divide batter among prepared muffin cups (generous 1/4 cup for each).
• 7 bake cupcakes until toothpick comes out clean, about 20-23 minutes. transfer cupcakes to rack and cool completely.
• 8 frosting: in a small bowl add butter, and peanut butter and beat mixture until smooth. add vanilla and mix until combined. slowly add powdered sugar until it becomes the consistancy you want. if you add too much, just add a tablespoon of 2% milk until it is smooth again. spread frosting over top of cupcakes and enjoy!