Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter and Candied Bacon (Gluten Free)

bananacupcakespeanutbuttercandiedbacongf You can't help falling in love with these incredible Gluten-free Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter and Candied Bacon.

Banana Cupcakes:
2¾ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (a store bought blend may be substituted, but hasn't been tested) (385 g)
2 Tbsp. cornstarch (30 g)
1¾ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. sea salt
1¼ cups whole fat buttermilk (300 mL)
1½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
½ cup + 6 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature (200 g)
1½ cups Monk Fruit Sweetener with Erythritol (Granular) (300 g)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1½ cups bananas, ripe mashed (~ 3 large bananas) (360 mL)

Peanut Butter Buttercream:
1¼ cups butter, softened (283 g)
1 cup smooth peanut butter (240 g)
2½ cups Monk Fruit Sweetener with Erythritol (Powdered), sifted (313 g)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Candied Bacon:
1 lb thick-cut bacon (454 g)
½ cup light brown sugar (100 g)

Assembly:
¼ cup additional peanut butter, melted in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. (60 g)

Make the Banana Cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour blend, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until smooth and creamy, 1-2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well and scraping the bowl after each addition.

Add the bananas and vanilla and blend until combined. the mixture will look somewhat curdled.

Add the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry (dry in 3 parts, buttermilk in 2). After everything has been added, scrape the bowl and mix the batter one more time. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes. Stir gently before using.

Fill cupcake liners ¾ full. Bake until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 23-27 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the Peanut Butter Buttercream:
Cream butter and peanut butter until smooth, 1-2 minutes.

Add sifted Monk Fruit Sweetener with Erythritol (Powdered) and vanilla extract and pulse to combine. Increase speed to medium and beat buttercream for 5 minutes, until light and fluffy and very pale beige in colour.

Make the Candied Bacon:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Line a large baking sheet with foil and set aside.

Place brown sugar on a plate or in a shallow bowl and dredge each piece of bacon into the brown sugar on both sides, You don't need to coat the bacon with a thick coating of the sugar, just a dusting to cover all parts.

Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and flip bacon slices over and bake for another 15 minutes.

Assemble the Cupcakes:
Fit large pastry bag with ½” round decorating tip (Wilton tip 2A). Fill pastry bag with peanut butter buttercream and, holding the pastry bag perpendicular to the tops of the cupcakes, squeeze out a large round "blob", releasing the pressure when you have a suitable mound.

Fill a small pastry bag with the melted peanut butter and snip off a small opening at the tip. Pipe drizzles onto the tops of each cupcake.

Cut or break candied bacon into irregular shards and stick a few pieces poking out from the peanut butter topping. Serve.

Makes 18 cupcakes.

Cook's Notes:

Cupcakes will keep in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bacon will soften as it sits, however.
To freeze cupcakes, freeze individually on baking sheet and then wrap individually in two layers of plastic wrap once frozen solid. Remove from freezer and thaw at room temperature, unwrapped, before serving.