Air Fryer Bananas - Easy Caramelized Bananas (2024)

Published: Feb 16, 2022 · Modified: Feb 24, 2022 | This post may contain affiliate links·

Make air fryer bananas with just 4 ingredients. A quick and easy, no-fuss recipe for caramelized bananas that can be enjoyed by both kids and adults alike.

Air fryer bananas are such an easy way to make the yummiest caramelized bananas! All you need are 4 ingredients and your air fryer. This is pretty much the easiest sweet treat I can make in my air fryer for my kids – they love these caramelized bananas on their own, or as a topping for ice cream or even on top of pancakes.

Ingredients and Ingredient Notes

To make air fryer bananas, you will need the following ingredients:

Bananas: Go for ripe bananas (yellow), or over ripe bananas (yellow with black spots) - overripe bananas will caramelize quickly, but will become soft in the air fryer, however, bananas that are just ripe with stay firm. Under ripe bananas (with green spots) will not caramelize in the air fryer.

Ghee or butter: I’ve made this recipe with ghee and butter and they both taste equally good. I prefer ghee and it’s easier to simply brush some ghee over the bananas. However, you can use melted or softened butter and it will work just as well.

Cinnamon: Cinnamon is optional, but it brings out the caramelly flavors of the banana incredibly well.

Brown Sugar: A little sprinkling of brown sugar makes a world of difference – the sugars caramelize as they air fry and this enhances the taste of the banana.

What kind of bananas should I use?

I have used regular bananas - and have made two versions of this recipe. With overripe bananas, I found that air frying them makes the bananas soft and mushy on the inside, yet caramelly and brown on the outside. This is my personal favorite method (see below right).

When I tried air frying just-ripe bananas, the result was firmer bananas with crispier brown bits on the outside. (see below right). I recommend you go for overripe bananas if you are making them for topping your toast or pancake or waffles, and under-ripe or just-ripe bananas if you plan to eat them on their own, as a snack.

Step-by-step recipe

Start by peeling the bananas and slicing them lengthwise. Cut each banana into two as you see below. In a small mixing bowl, mix together cinnamon and brown sugar. Keep this aside.

Preheat your air fryer to 390 F (200 C). Using a pastry brush, brush each slice with ghee (or melted butter) and place the banana on foil in the air fryer basket.

Sprinkle the cinnamon-brown sugar mixture over the slices. Place a sheet of parchment paper in the air fryer basket and transfer the slices to the parchment paper. Air fry at 390 F (200 C) for 7 minutes (no need to flip them over during the air frying cycle).

At the end of the air frying cycle, take out the air fryer basket.

And that’s it! Your air fryer bananas are nicely caramelized and perfectly done! Enjoy them with some ice cream, or use as a topping for pancakes or simply have them on their own.

How to serve them

• Air fryer bananas go perfectly well with ice cream for an indulgent treat
• Use caramelized air fryer bananas as a topping for pancakes or waffles with maple syrup and nuts
• Top your breakfast toast with some peanut butter and air fryer bananas

Recipe Variations

Skip the Sugar - If you want to make a healthier version of air fryer bananas as an alternative to dessert, simply skip the brown sugar and air fry the bananas on their own, without added sugar. The natural sugars of the bananas will caramelize and they will still taste sweet on their own.

Savory Air Fryer Bananas - You can also savoury bananas in the air fryer. Use under-ripe bananas, peel and slice them, dress them in olive oil, salt and pepper and air fry for 7 minutes at 390 F. Flip them midway. This version will yield crispier bananas.

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