These super moist hummingbird cupcakes are light, full of pineapple, chopped bananas, pecans, cinnamon and spices topped off with a sweet cream cheese frosting.
Skinny Hummingbird Cupcakes
Instead of cupcakes, you can also make this recipe into a classic Hummingbird cake and increasing the bake time. These cupcakes are perfect for spring time or the Easter holiday. More Easter desserts I love are Easter Egg Cake Balls, Coconut Macaroon Egg Nests and Super Moist Carrot Cake.
Hummingbird cake first appeared in Southern Living Magazine back in 1978, originally submitted by Mrs. L.H. Wiggins of Greensboro, North Carolina and is known to have won numerous blue ribbons at county fairs. This skinny version does not disappoint! The flavors are reminiscent of a carrot cake, without the carrots and make the perfect Mother’s Day dessert!
How long do hummingbird cupcakes last?
Cupcakes can last up to 2 days. These are best eaten within the first 24 hours or you can store them in a closed container.
Can you freeze cupcakes?
Yes, you can freeze these cupcakes but only without the frosting. Once baked, let cool to room temperature and in a storage bag or plastic wrap. Reheat in microwave.
More Spring Desserts you will love!
- Maple Pecan Cheesecake Shooters
- Banana Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Hot Cross Buns
- Honey Lemon Bars
- No-Bake Strawberries and Cream Crepe Cake
Hummingbird Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup sugar, I used raw
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups mashed ripe bananas
- 20 oz can crushed pineapple in juice, drained well
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
For the Frosting:
- 8 oz 1/3-less fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 22 pecan halves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and spices; stir well with a whisk.
- In a medium bowl, combine oil, eggs, and vanilla; stir well. Add banana and pineapple; mix well.
- Fold wet ingredients and chopped pecans with the dry ingredients, batter will be stiff and dry but keep folding it and it will all come together.
- Spoon batter into cupcake tin. Bake at 350° for about 23 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, to prepare frosting, beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Cool cake completely on a wire rack.
- Spread frosting over the cupcakes once they are cooled. Garnish each cupcake with a pecan half on top.
This recipe is amazing! Made for 10yo birthday cupcakes. The frosting is fabulous! I’ll make again for sure!
Are these made in mini-cupcake tins or regular size?
Hello, in an effort to reduce points do you think you could exchange the sugar for Lakanto Classic Monk Fruit Sweetener – White Sugar Substitute? If so would you need to adjust any other ingredients?
Has anyone made this recipe using all almond flour?
I followed all directions except I had to leave out nuts because I don’t have any on hand. I poured it into an 8×8 pan and I have an oven thermometer to confirm oven temp is correct. It’s been baking for an hour! 30 mins covered and 30 mins uncovered. I made sure I drained the pineapple, too. It still isn’t fully cooked in the middle. Is it the pan size that could be the problem? I’m doing another 10 mins covered and will check it again. I’ll just have to buy an extra muffin pan so I can make muffins next time without halving the recipe or doing batches. Despite not being able to taste it yet, it doesn’t smell very good.
Edit: I meant it DOES smell very good!! DOES**
These are soooo good!! Only thing different I did was used almond flour because I didn’t have any wheat flour on hand. Still came out delicious!! Can’t go wrong with pecans, pineapple and banana either! This recipe had my husband on the first bite too! Definitely keeping this recipe on hand 🙌🏽😄
These cupcakes are amazing!! Will make these many more times!
I think these might be my new favorite dessert! So good. I did make a few modifications though. For the cupcakes, I substituted the granulated sugar for Splenda and left out the nuts (I don’t care for nuts in general). For the icing, I used a Greek yogurt based cream cheese that one of my grocery stores carries. I was concerned that it might change the texture, but I thought it looked and tasted fabulous! The overall texture of these was somewhere between a cupcake and muffin and I wonder if that’s due to the wheat flour? Since there is no difference in points (for me), I’m planning to try them again, but with only AP flour.
Hi Gina! LOOOOVE hummingbird cake! Do you think this would taste good with fresh blueberries in them?
Sure!
Fabulous! I’ve made the original Hummingbird Cake and couldn’t tell the difference! Took them to a party and everyone loved them. I get lots of requests for the recipe.
I’m eating a piece of this hummingbird cake right now and it’s **DIVINE**! I have made it several times over the past few months, and it has always been a hit. A few tweaks on my end: I use all-purpose flour only (1.5 cups), I add about half of the juice from the pineapple can, use 3-4 bananas depending on what I have on hand (don’t measure), use 1 teaspoon ground ginger instead of the amount listed and do not use nutmeg b/c i never have it at home, and use walnuts instead of pecans. Oh, and I just pour it all into a large rectangular Pyrex and bake for about 40-45 minutes (watch it for doneness) instead of using the batter for cupcakes. Sounds like a lot of changes, but they’re minor. THANK YOU for developing this recipe, Gina! It has been my favorite thing to bake during all of the COVID craziness!
So glad you enjoy it!! 🙂
Pretty sure these were the best cupcakes I’ve made from scratch! I made them for my Mom and my bfs Mom for Mothers Day and both reached out for the recipes later to make for others! Definitely a hit and would make again.
I use a computer and I pin your recipes all the time with absolutely no problem.
Just FYI. Thanks again for being here and posting so many delicious recipes. You have made a difference in our lives. I no longer have to fight and argue to get my husband to make better choices. He loves your recipes, and asks me everyday if I am going to make a new Gina recipe!!
We really appreciate you!!
These are wonderful, so light and delicious.
Thank you so much Mary Ann! It really means a lot to me to hear that!