These air fryer bananas are so sweet and so simple to make. Using the air fryer, you get rich, deep banana flavor along with the extra sweetness of brown sugar and the crunch of nuts!
I'm a big fan of cooked bananas. I love their natural sweetness. Of course, they're great in baked goods like banana bread or cake, but I think they really shine when they're the star of the show in an air fryer recipe like this one.
I've been making bananas in the air fryer for years, and everyone always loves them. They've been a particular favorite of my husband and son since I first started making them.
We all love bananas foster so this fast and fabulous banana recipe is right up our alley. My son enjoys these bananas on top of our peanut butter and jelly ice cream or our easy peanut butter cup ice cream, minus the Snickers sauce.
Yep I said Snickers sauce.
This banana side dish was inspired by my banana egg roll recipe on this site. That recipe makes bananas the main ingredient, and years ago, I decided that the only way to make it better was to create a recipe that was fully banana-centric.
These tasty bananas make the perfect quick and easy banana dessert after a hearty meal of margarita grilled chicken because it creates such a delicious flavor contrast.
Ingredients
This is the best kind of recipe - the EASY kind. It only takes three ingredients to make these delicious caramelized bananas. Actually 4 if you count cooking spray!
- Bananas: I always look for the biggest bananas I can find so I get the most out of this recipe.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar does a great job of adding extra sweetness and highlighting the banana's flavor.
- Chopped Pecans: That earthy, nutty flavor is the perfect pairing with the sweet bananas.
How to Make Air Fryer Bananas
Making these bananas is a snap. It only takes a few simple steps, and you're all done. You'll find detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of the post.
1: Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper and spray it with cooking spray.
2. Prep the bananas. Then, spray them with cooking spray and press brown sugar on to them.
3. Air fry the bananas in a single layer for 7 to 9 minutes or until the brown sugar melts and begins to crystalize.
4. Carefully remove the bananas using tongs and immediately sprinkle with pecans.
5. Carefully peel them, and serve bananas on their own or with vanilla ice cream or your favorite flavor, with pancakes or french toast or on a piece of toast covered in peanut butter.
Substitutions and Variations
This recipe is super easy to make, which means it's incredibly easy to play around with to keep things interesting.
- Plantains: You can use plantains in place of bananas if you like. They're a great variation to try.
- Brown Sugar: If you don't have brown sugar, mix regular sugar with a bit of molasses.
- Nuts: Try any of your favorite nuts. They're all delicious with bananas.
- Banana Slices: Using a sharp knife, cut banana slices inside the peel before you spray bananas with cooking spray and cover with brown sugar. Decide if you want to do it depending on how you're serving them.
- Melted Butter: Instead of cooking spray use melted butter instead.
Equipment
You'll only need a few simple tools to make this recipe.
- Air Fryer
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Tongs
Storage
Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To reheat them, simply microwave them at 30-second intervals until hot.
Expert Tips
Making these air fryer bananas is an incredibly simple process, but there are still some important things to keep in mind.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the bananas for frying so you make clean cuts rather than smashing them.
- Always preheat your air fryer before cooking the bananas. It's a myth that you don't have to preheat air fryers.
- Be sure you line and spray your basket before making these bananas to avoid a mess.
FAQ
Here are the most commonly asked questions about this recipe for air fryer bananas.
No. Plantains are starchier than bananas and have thicker skin. Ripe plantains have the sweetness of a banana but don't taste like a banana.
You sure can. This recipe is great with plantain. Although it doesn't taste like bananas, plantain is sweet when ripe and gets sweeter when cooked.
I love to serve these bananas over ice cream, on peanut butter toast or with pancakes or french toast.
More Banana Recipes
If you like bananas, then check out these recipes.
Air Fryer Bananas
Ingredients
- 3 bananas sliced in half lengthwise and widthwise while still in the peel
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer at 350ºF for 5 minutes.
- Line air fryer basket with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
- Spray the bananas with cooking spray.
- Press brown sugar on to bananas and
- Place prepared bananas in air fryer basket.
- Air fry for 7-9 minutes or until brown sugar is melted and beginning to crystalize.
- The bananas and brown sugar will be VERY HOT. Carefully use a tongs or silicone oven mitts to remove them from the air fryer basket and immediately sprinkle pecans on top.
- Carefully remove the bananas from the peel and serve them over ice cream, pancakes, french toast or on top of peanut butter covered toast.
Notes
- Use a sharp knife to cut the bananas for frying so you make clean cuts rather than smashing them.
- Always preheat your air fryer before cooking the bananas. It's a myth that you don't have to preheat air fryers.
- Be sure you line and spray your basket before making these bananas to avoid a mess.
Nutrition
Anonymous
Why not toast the nuts as well
Karin and Ken
You can toast the nuts too but some will burn. My husband makes his like that because he doesn’t mind a little charring and it saves a step. I do. I’d love to hear what you think if you try it. Enjoy. These bananas are delicious! Hope to talk soon. Karin