This air fryer banana bread is unbelievably easy to make and delicious. The crumb is moist and soft and due to an increased amount of mashed bananas in the batter, the banana taste is beautifully intense. It's the perfect recipe to quickly and easily satisfy your banana cravings. This recipe is inspired by my oven-baked banana bread.
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Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Butter and oil - I use butter and oil, but you can use just butter or just oil. Replace 1:1.
- Baking soda - if you don't have baking soda but baking powder available, use 1 teaspoon baking powder instead of the baking soda.
- Sugar - I prefer light brown sugar but dark brown sugar or regular sugar also work well.
- Egg - you can make this recipe egg-free. Replace the egg with an additional ¼ cup of mashed bananas.
Ripe bananas
I prefer to use very ripe bananas that are covered with black speckles or are almost completely brown. The browner the banana, the sweeter the bread will be. If you have very fresh and yellow bananas, you can make the bananas ripen faster by placing them in a paper bag with an apple overnight. If you don't have time or want to wait for your bananas to ripen, add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) maple syrup to a 1-cup measuring cup and fill it up with mashed bananas. This will give you a sweetness and moisture level similar to that of using ripe bananas.
How much does this recipe make?
I use an 8x4-inch (20x10cm) loaf pan, and the pan is only half full with batter. The reason for this is to avoid having the bread bake so high that it rises higher than the pan and touches the heating spiral of my air fryer. However, you can double the ingredients to fill the pan with batter if your air fryer has enough room for the bread to rise. If you use a different pan size, you will have to adapt the recipe or the baking time. I shared an easy calculation on my Air Fryer Cheesecake post to adapt any recipe to any pan size.
Can the batter sit overnight?
Unfortunately, the batter can't be made in advance. The strength of the baking soda will mitigate the longer it sits and dissipate eventually. The quick bread wouldn't rise properly or at all.
Freezing instructions
Bake the bread according to the instructions and let it cool completely. Then slice and wrap in plastic wrap individually. Then cut into slices and wrap individually in plastic wrap. Place in freezer bags or containers and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, unwrap, and let sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours. You can also reheat it in the microwave before serving.
Photo tutorial
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light, creamy, and pale.
Then add the egg and mix until everything is well mixed. Add the mashed bananas, oil, and vanilla and mix to combine.
Then, add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix just to incorporate. If you have any remaining banana, you can chop it up and fold it into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, spread evenly, and bake.
More air fryer recipes
If you love air fryer baking as much as I do, you've come to the right place. Try some classics specially designed to bake in the fryer.
Recipe and Video
Air Fryer Banana Bread
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup mashed bananas (about 2-3 medium/large bananas)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Video
Instructions
- Grease an 8x4-inch (20x10cm) loaf pan with butter and set aside. Preheat the air fryer to 320°F (160°C) for 5 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for about 2-3 minutes until light, creamy, and pale. Then add the egg and mix for about 1-2 minutes until everything is well mixed. Add the mashed bananas, oil, and vanilla and mix to combine. The mixture will look curdled, but that's normal. Then, add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix on low speed just to incorporate about 1 minute. If you have any remaining banana, you can chop it up and fold it into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, spread evenly, and bake for 10 minutes. Then, without opening the air fryer, lower the temperature to 300°F (150°C) and bake for another 33-35 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Remove the bread from the air fryer and let cool for 15-20 minutes. Then remove from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Carla
Which setting on the AF did you use?
Someone shared your recipe and they used the air crisp setting, but I would have assumed it would have been bake?
Sabine
You can use whatever setting you wish. Important is that the temperature and time are correct. My air fryer model has a bake preset and I use this most of the time. I hope that helps!