Air Fryer Banana Bread (Healthier, 30 Minutes)

My air fryer banana bread recipe cooks in less time than in the oven and turns out moist, fluffy, with a gorgeous, tender crumb. It uses healthier, pantry-staple ingredients.

Why I bake banana bread in the air fryer

I make a ton of banana bread, but making it in the air fryer wasn’t something I’d seriously considered, mainly because my standard 9 x 4-inch loaf pan can’t fit in any of my air fryers (yes, I have three).

It wasn’t until I made my air fryer cheesecake that I realized all I needed to do was bake the batter in a circular pan instead. Here’s why it’s overtaken the oven method:

• A little healthier. I swapped traditional sugar for coconut sugar and used white whole wheat flour. Don’t fret, though: it’s just as moist and fluffy as you’d expect, with the most tender crumb.
• Perfect for smaller households. My partner prefers this cooking method because it produces smaller loaves that never seem to last more than two days.
• Quicker than the oven. Using a 6-inch cake pan, the banana bread takes about 30 minutes to bake.

Key Ingredients

Here are the main players for air fryer banana bread, along with my kitchen notes. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.

• Bananas. I get asked in my other banana bread recipes whether frozen bananas work, so I tried it here, and they do. Just thaw it completely and mash as normal.
• Flour. I prefer using white whole wheat flour because it sneaks in a little fiber without making the bread dense (as it can with regular wheat flour). Regular AP flour is fine.
• Baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Spices. I like using a mix of cinnamon and nutmeg.
• Coconut sugar. Or regular light brown sugar.
• Eggs. Room-temperature eggs mix into the batter easily and don’t firm up the coconut oil.
• Oil. Any oil works, but I like using melted refined coconut oil (refined = no coconut flavor).
• Greek yogurt. A little yogurt keeps the bread soft and binds the batter.
• Vanilla and walnuts. Optional add-ins.

How to make air fryer banana bread

Step 1- Mix. In a large bowl, mash bananas, then add coconut sugar, eggs, oil, yogurt, and vanilla and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Step 2- Assemble. Transfer the batter into a greased 6-inch springform pan. Top with walnuts and a sprinkle of coconut sugar.

Step 3- Air fry. Air fry for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan and cooling on a wire rack.

Arman’s recipe tips

• Do not overbake. The cake will continue to cook as it cools in the pan, so I remove it from the air fryer once a toothpick comes out mostly clean. A few moist crumbs are exactly what you want.
• Use a springform pan. I find this is the easiest way to remove the cake from the cake pan. If you only have a regular 6-inch pan, line it with parchment paper.
• Is the top browning too quickly? Air fryers cook from the top down, so the surface can brown faster than the center finishes baking. If the loaf looks quite dark after 15 minutes, loosely tent it with foil and continue cooking (yes, foil is perfectly safe in the air fryer).
• Don’t overmix the batter. This is the #1 reason why banana bread turns out gummy or dense. I suggest mixing until no visible pockets of flour remain.