Air fryer bananas? Why mess with perfection, right?
I tend to agree, but it turns out these make a wonderful dessert or snack with just a couple more simple ingredients.
If you’re looking for whole foods that you can transform into a family-friendly snack, or a rather decadent yet simple topping for all kinds of breakfast items, this air fryer bananas recipe is about to be your go-to.
So I kind of surprised myself with this one. My first attempt turned out a mushy blob of caramelized bananas. I realized that I needed much larger pieces of sweet banana for this recipe. It’s a perfect treat that goes with so many delicious foods. You’ll satisfy a sweet tooth or two with this quick snack.
What goes good with air fryer bananas?
- Top of Pancakes, French toast, or waffle topping
- With a puff or two of canned whipped cream
- Drizzle them with heavy cream or evaporated milk
- Spoon them on top of vanilla ice cream (chocolate or vanilla—both are great!)
- Add them to your hot oatmeal
- Wrapped in or on crepes (I love crepes with everything)
- On top of peanut butter toast
- Mounded on your greek yogurt or smoothie bowls
- Elevate a banana split into a BONANZA split!
- Add to a baked sweet potato
- As a side dish to very spicy main dishes
- Enjoyed warm, just as they are—a sweet treat
What are the best bananas to use?
The best bananas for this air-fryer bananas recipe are firm ones that are not overripe and don’t have brown spots. When selecting the right ones for this recipe, look for a bit of green on the tips of the bananas.
Better to have firmer, underripe bananas than soft, overripe bananas. Firmer bananas are usually the ones with a bit of green still at the tips. Since these will become even sweeter with the brown sugar, it’s ok to use bananas that aren’t quite ripe for this recipe.
You can use plantains instead of regular bananas and they will turn out just as well, maybe a touch less sweet.
Tips for making this Air Fryer Bananas Recipe
- We used olive oil, but you can also coat your bananas with melted coconut oil or a little bit of melted butter. Cooking spray didn’t work very well for this recipe.
- This recipe could use an air fryer liner made of parchment paper in the basket to help with cleanup. Bananas are sticky and gooey when heated because of their high sugar content.
- We kept the ingredient list short because banana flavor speaks for itself, but you can add vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, or a variety of your favorite spices to your mixing bowl.
- If you don’t have brown sugar on hand, substitute maple syrup. It adds an even deeper caramel flavor to this easy recipe.
- Even if the large banana halves are misshapen when you pull them out, they will still make a delicious snack.
Tools needed for this recipe:
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring spoon
- Large mixing bowl
- Mixing spoon
- Air fryer
- Air fryer liners
- Pastry brush
- Tongs
- Plate
The bottom line
What an easy dessert this is. I found myself coming back to them again and again just to take a bite—no extras needed. Who knew you could air fry bananas? This easy air fryer banana recipe is best with green-tipped bananas that aren’t quite ripe, placed in the air fryer tray in one layer.
Keep these in an airtight container and refrigerate if you won’t be eating them immediately.
Looking for something a bit more crisp? Try these Air Fryer Banana Chips instead!
Easy Recipe For Air Fryer Bananas
Transform a whole banana into a tasty treat. Make delicious air fryer bananas with four ingredients and 14 minutes.
Ingredients
- 3 not-quite-ripe bananas
- 5 T oil
- 2 T brown sugar
- 1 T cinnamon
Instructions
- Peel and cut each banana in half—not lengthwise, but as if you were splitting a whole banana with someone so you each get half of the banana. Set aside.
- Combine the oil, cinnamon, and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the banana pieces to the bowl and gently toss to coat them all.
- Preheat the air fryer to 375 F.
- Take out the basket and place the air fryer liner inside the basket.
- Use tongs to place the banana pieces inside the air fryer in a single layer. Don’t stack the pieces. You may have to work in rounds depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Cook for 10 minutes.
- Take out the basket. Gently turn the bananas with your tongs. With a pastry brush, coat the bananes in the basket with the cinnamon/oil mixture left in the bowl.
- Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Take out the basket. Let them rest for 2 minutes because they will be very hot.
- With your tongs, take out the bananas to plate them. Then enjoy!
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