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These hummingbird cupcakes are like a burst of tropical sunshine in every bite. Crafted with crushed pineapple, ripe banana, and crunchy pecans, they strike the perfect balance between indulgence and down-home comfort. A dash of cinnamon and nutmeg adds an earthy warmth that dances with the sweet, tangy cream cheese frosting. These cupcakes are a Southern favorite and they might soon become a new favorite of yours, too!
Hummingbird cupcakes, with their warm spices and tropical fruit flavors, are irresistible. They’re topped with a creamy frosting and sprinkled with crunchy pecans.
Also try hummingbird sheet cake, hummingbird loaf cake or make a hummingbird layer cake. Or maybe some pineapple scones.
Why You’ll Love It
So delicious: Exotic fruity flavors, warm earthy spices, crunchy pecans, and a smooth cream cheese frosting are just some of the factors making this gorgeous cupcakes well worth whipping up.
Easy to make: You simply need to combine the batter ingredients, bake the cupcakes, combine the frosting ingredients and frost them.
Ideal for any occasion: Whether you’re looking for something for a special occasion or simply in a baking mood, hummingbird cupcakes are always perfect.
Hummingbird Cupcake Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Salt: To make the sweet flavors pop. I used table salt.
Ground nutmeg: Pairs wonderfully with the cinnamon, although you can omit nutmeg if you prefer or just use your favorite baking spices. I love using fresh grated nutmeg.
Flour: A main batter ingredient. Feel free to substitute gluten-free flour though.
Eggs: You want all of the ingredients to be at the same temperature before baking.
Canola oil: You can use vegetable oil or any kind you prefer.
Fruit: I used banana and canned crushed pineapple for tropical fruitiness. You’ll need some of the juice from the pineapple too.
Chopped pecans: To add crunch to the hummingbird cupcakes. Reserve a few for garnishing them.
Cream cheese: For the frosting. Bring it to room temperature but bear in mind cream cheese shouldn’t be left at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.
Butter: Salted or unsalted works.
Baking soda: Helps achieve the perfect texture.
Sugar: You need granulated sugar for the cupcakes and powdered sugar for the frosting.
Vanilla: Goes well with the fruity flavors.
How to Make Hummingbird Cupcakes
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Prepare the cupcake batter: Whisk the flour with the white sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Mash the banana, pineapple and oil in a bowl, then add the egg and vanilla and mix again. Combine the flour mixture with the mashed bananas mixture and fold in the chopped pecans.
Bake the cupcakes: Divide batter evenly between 12 cupcake liners in a muffin tin and bake until done. Cool briefly in the pan and then cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract together. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
Frost the hummingbird cupcakes: Pipe the frosting on to the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle chopped pecans on top.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten-free version: Use gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose flour.
Chopped pecans: Chopped walnuts or chopped hazelnuts are a tasty alternative.
Butter: Salted butter in the frosting cuts down a little of the sweetness. Unsalted butter works too.
Light brown sugar: Add 2 tablespoons of light brown sugar to the frosting for a richer flavor.
Coconut: Add shredded coconut to the cupcake batter if you like and/or sprinkle some on top.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizers: Begin your meal with smoked jerk-spiced shrimp. Coconut lentil curry soup is another tasty idea.
Main and side dishes: Enjoy chicken brown stew with rice and beans (known in Jamaica as rice and peas) or this creamy potato salad.
Desserts: Finish with a delicious hummingbird cupcake (and perhaps a rum runner cocktail too!)
How to Store Hummingbird Cupcakes
Store: Don’t leave the cupcakes at room temperature for longer than 2 hours. Due to the cream cheese frosting, these should be stored in the refrigerator. Keep the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days
Freeze: You can freeze hummingbird cupcakes unfrosted. Store them in an airtight container and eat within 3 months.
Thaw: Defrost the cupcakes overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before frosting and serving.
Top Tips
Cookie scoop: I like to use a cookie scoop to fill the cupcake liners for a cleaner experience.
Room temperature ingredients: Ensuring all the ingredients for the cupcakes are at room temperature means that the cupcakes will have a better rise when they bake.
Don’t overmix: It’s best not to overmix the cupcake batter once the dry ingredients and wet ingredients are combined. It can affect how much the cupcakes rise, and how dense the cupcakes come out.
Check for doneness: When a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean, the cupcakes are done.
Serving temperature: Bring the cupcakes to room temperature for the best texture and flavor.
Hummingbird Cupcakes FAQs
Hummingbird cake originates in Jamaica where it is known as “doctor bird cake.” A doctor bird is a type of hummingbird found in the West Indies. It became popular in the US in the 1970s, and the tropical flavors of banana and pineapple are included because of the abundance of these two fruits in Jamaica.
You don’t have to, but it does look good. If you don’t have a piping bag you can snip the corner off a Ziploc bag. If you don’t want to use either, you can use a spoon to frost them.
Yes, as long as you keep them refrigerated until serving. If you’re looking for party-ready cupcakes, these are a great choice.
Best Hummingbird Cupcake Recipe
Hummingbird Cupcakes
Equipment
- Muffin Tin 12-Cup
- Pastry Bag with Star Tip
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1 ½ Cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ⅔ Cup granulated sugar
- 1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ Teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ Teaspoon salt
- ¼ Teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 egg, large, at room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons canola oil, or vegetable oil
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 banana, large
- ¼ Cup crushed pineapple, undrained
- ½ Cup pecans, finely chopped, plus extra for garnish
For the Frosting:
- 8 Ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 5 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 Cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Make the Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a small or medium bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg until combined.
- Peel the banana and tear it into small, about 1 inch, size chunks.
- Add them to a separate large mixing bowl along with the crushed pineapple and oil.
- Use an electric mixer to mash everything together until the banana is very smooth.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until well blended. Do not overmix the egg.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. A few small lumps are fine – don’t overmix.
- Fold in the chopped pecans.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about ⅔ full.
- Bake for 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a middle cupcake comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Make the Frosting:
- In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating at a low speed until it’s all mixed in.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and creamy.
Assemble the Cupcakes:
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
- Pipe a generous swirl of frosting onto each cupcake, starting from the outer edge and working toward the center.
- Sprinkle the additional chopped pecans over the frosted cupcakes for garnish.
Notes
Room temperature ingredients: Ensuring all the ingredients for the cupcakes are at room temperature means that the cupcakes will have a better rise when they bake.
Don’t overmix: It’s best not to overmix the cupcake batter once the dry ingredients and wet ingredients are combined. It can affect how much the cupcakes rise, and how dense the cupcakes come out.
Check for doneness: When a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean, the cupcakes are done.
Serving temperature: Bring the cupcakes to room temperature for the best texture and flavor.
Nutrition
There’s nothing quite like hummingbird cupcakes. They’re a delicious classic Southern dessert. They’re a gorgeous combination of pineapple and banana with warm, earthy flavors and crunchy pecans with a cream cheese frosting. The amazing and exotic flavors make these cupcakes really irresistible. They’re a little like amped up banana bread with extra deliciousness, so if you love banana bread, you’ll enjoy these.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
The pineapple and banana made them so soft, and that cream cheese frosting was just perfect. I’ll be making these for brunches and potlucks for sure.
These cupcakes are absolutely delicious—so moist and full of flavor!