Air Fryer Banana Nut Bread

Air Fryer Banana Nut Bread is a classic comfort food with a golden brown crust and a soft, flavorful inside. It is quick and easy to make with simple ingredients and is perfect for breakfast, a late night snack, or even dessert.

This homemade treat is a simple way to use up overripe bananas without the effort of traditional baking. It freezes well, so any leftovers can be stored for later if you can’t manage to finish it in five days. For a smaller batch, you can half the recipe and make a single small loaf or muffins with the same batter.

What If I Don’t Have Ripen Bananas?

For the best banana nut bread, use very ripe bananas. The peel should be deep yellow with dark brown spots or completely brown for maximum sweetness and softness.

If your bananas aren’t ripe yet, there are a couple of quick ways to speed up the process. One method is to bake them in the oven—preheat to 170°C (340°F), place the unpeeled bananas on a baking tray, and bake for about 15 minutes until the skins turn black. Let them cool, then peel and mash them as directed in the recipe.

Another option is to microwave them—pierce the peel with a fork and heat for 45 seconds to 1 minute until softened.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Bananas – Use three small-sized, fully ripened bananas for the best flavor and texture. They should be soft enough to mash easily with a fork. If they aren’t naturally sweet, consider adding a little extra sugar to the batter.

• Oil – Any neutral-flavored oil works well for this recipe, such as rapeseed, sunflower, or vegetable oil.

• Sugar – I use a mix of half caster sugar and half brown sugar, but caster sugar works fine on its own too.

• Eggs – For the best results, use fresh free range eggs at room temperature. Beat them with sugar until light and fluffy.

• Chocolate Chips – Both dark and milk chocolate chips work well in this recipe. If you don’t have chocolate chips, chop up your favorite chocolate bar into small chunks and use them instead.

• Vanilla Paste – I prefer organic vanilla bean paste or extract for a rich, natural flavor. It’s best to avoid artificial vanilla for this recipe.

How to Make Air Fryer Banana Nut Bread

Making Air Fryer Banana Nut Bread is extremely easy and to achieve the best results, you need to follow these simple steps:

Grease a 7-inch (18 cm) round cake pan or line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking. You can also use a small loaf pan that would fit in your air fryer but you might need to half the recipe or cook in 2 batches.

In a medium bowl, mash the ripe bananas until smooth. A few lumps are fine, as they add texture to the bread.

In a separate bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. If using self-raising flour, skip the baking powder. Whisk the room temperature eggs with sugar using a stand mixer or a hand mixer until the mixture is pale yellow for about 5-6 minutes.

Add the mashed bananas to the egg mixture and whisk until combined, and then add the oil and the milk. Whisk the mixture to combine for about 30 seconds. Gently fold in the dry ingredients along with the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts, and then pour it into the prepared pan.

Place the loaf pan in the air fryer basket and bake at 320°F (160°C) for 25-30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300℉ (150℃) and bake for another 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

Once done, let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. Allowing it to cool fully helps it set and makes slicing easier.

Expert Tips From the Chef

• Just like when making Air Fryer Lemon Cake with Raspberries, make sure to measure the flour correctly using an electronic scale. If you don’t have a scale, be sure to fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife to avoid overfilling the measuring cup.

• Ensure your ingredients are at room temperature before adding them to the cake mixture.

• Use overripe bananas, the riper the banana, the sweeter and more flavorful your bread will be. Look for bananas with dark spots on the peel. If you don’t have ripen bananas, read my tips above about how to ripen bananas quickly.

• Stirring the batter too much can lead to dense, tough bread. Mix just until the ingredients come together.

• Different air fryer brands and sizes may require slight adjustments in baking time. If your bread looks too dark before it’s fully baked, lower the temperature slightly and add a few more minutes.

How to Store the Leftovers

Once cooled, store banana nut bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to a five days or freeze for up to three months.

Recipe FAQs

Air Fryer Banana Nut Bread

Ayla Clulee

Air Fryer Banana Nut Bread is a classic comfort food with a golden brown crust and a soft, flavorful inside.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American, British

Servings 10 slices

Calories 230 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 3 medium eggs (room temperature)
• 70 g brown sugar
• 40 g caster sugar
• 125 ml vegetable, rapeseed, or sunflower oil
• 125 ml semi-skimmed or full-fat milk
• 200 g bananas (3 small)
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 210 g self raising flour
• pinch of salt
• 100 g chocolate chips
• 50 g chopped walnuts

Instructions

 

• Grease a 7-inch (18 cm) round cake pan or line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking. You can also use a small loaf pan that would fit in your air fryer but you might need to half the recipe or cook in 2 batches.
• In a medium bowl, mash the ripe bananas until smooth. A few lumps are fine, as they add texture to the bread.
• In a separate bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. If using self-raising flour, skip the baking powder.
• Whisk the room temperature eggs with sugar using a stand mixer or a hand mixer until the mixture is pale yellow for about 5-6 minutes.
• Add the mashed bananas to the egg mixture and whisk until combined, and then add the oil and the milk. Whisk the mixture to combine for about 30 seconds.
• Gently fold in the dry ingredients along with the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts, and then pour it into the prepared pan.
• Place the loaf pan in the air fryer basket and bake at 320°F (160°C) for 25-30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300℉ (150℃) and bake for another 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
• Once done, let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. Allowing it to cool fully helps it set and makes slicing easier.

Notes

• Just like when making Air Fryer Lemon Cake with Raspberries, make sure to measure the flour correctly using an electronic scale. If you don’t have a scale, be sure to fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife to avoid overfilling the measuring cup.
• Ensure your ingredients are at room temperature before adding them to the cake mixture.
• Use overripe bananas, the riper the banana, the sweeter and more flavorful your bread will be. Look for bananas with dark spots on the peel. If you don’t have ripen bananas, read my tips above about how to ripen bananas quickly.
• Stirring the batter too much can lead to dense, tough bread. Mix just until the ingredients come together.
• Different air fryer brands and sizes may require slight adjustments in baking time. If your bread looks too dark before it’s fully baked, lower the temperature slightly and add a few more minutes.

Keyword air fryer, baking, dessert, healthy snack