Air Fryer Banana Bread
, Updated Oct 06, 2026
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Air Fryer Banana Bread is moist, packed with banana flavor and bakes in about 50 minutes – no need to turn the oven on. Part banana loaf, part banana cake, it is the best way to use up those brown bananas!
You will also love my Air Fryer Brownies!
I love banana bread so much. And my husband loves it even more even though he doesn’t have a sweet tooth (much to my astonishment).
There are several banana bread recipes on this site, so why share a new one? Well, this one is made for the air fryer, and trust me when I say it is one of the best yet.
Moist, packed with banana flavor and super-easy to throw together – a toasted slice spread with butter is truly heavenly!
Can You Air Fry Banana Bread?
Every day I seem to discover yet another dish that can be made quickly and economically in the air fryer. The air fryer is, after all, a mini convection oven where fan circulated air is used to cook.
I have been using my Cosori 5.8QT to bake cakes, bread, brownies, cookies and donuts as well as full roast dinners.
This air fryer banana bread is a great way to use up those brown bananas that are destined for the compost bin. It takes just five minutes to mix the batter and only 45–50 minutes to bake. Call it banana bread, banana loaf or air fryer banana cake – it is soft and sweet enough to count as all three.
What readers say
“It was delicious, and I’m obsessed. It’s now my go-to banana bread recipe.”
Victoria T
Here’s What You Will Need
Baking tools: I always weigh my ingredients for the best results – my Baking Conversion Calculator converts between cups and grams. You can find the tins, scales and air fryers I use in my Kitchen Shop.
I baked my banana bread in a 2 pound (900g) loaf tin. You need to check whether this fits comfortably in the basket of your air fryer. Loaf tins of this size vary in shape – a wider tin bakes a flatter loaf, while a longer, narrower tin gives a taller one.
- Bananas – the riper the better. Brown, spotty bananas are sweeter, mash easily and give the most banana flavor.
- Vegetable oil – keeps the banana bread soft and moist for days. Melted butter or coconut oil work too.
- Large eggs – at room temperature, so they mix in evenly.
- Sugar – soft light brown sugar gives the best flavor. Granulated or superfine (caster) sugar also work.
- All-purpose flour (plain flour) – weigh it on digital scales if you can. Too much flour makes the loaf dry.
- Baking powder – make sure it is fresh, especially if you don’t bake often.
- Vanilla extract and ground cinnamon – for warmth and flavor.
- Turbinado sugar (demerara) – sprinkled over the top for a little crunch.
Love baking in your air fryer?
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My cookbook, Easy Air Fryer Bakes, covers everything from pavlovas and celebration cakes to savory bakes and bread. Order now
How to Make Air Fryer Banana Bread
↓ For the full ingredients and detailed method, jump to the recipe card.
- Sift the light brown sugar, flour, baking powder and cinnamon into a mixing bowl. This is best practice when using soft light brown sugar as it tends to clump together.
- Chop the bananas, add to a mixing bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher until smooth. Alternatively you can blitz them in a blender or mini chopper.
- Add the oil, eggs and vanilla into the bananas and mix well. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet, stirring until no dry streaks of flour remain and the batter is smooth. Don’t over-mix – use a light touch.
- Preheat the air fryer to 320°F (160°C) for five minutes. Pour the batter into a lined and greased 2 pound (900g) loaf pan. Tap the pan on the counter to settle any air bubbles. Sprinkle with the sugar.
- Place into the air fryer basket. Bake for 45–50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean and the internal temperature reaches 200–205°F (93–96°C). If the banana bread is not quite baked then continue to cook for a couple of minutes. Cool on a wire rack, slice and enjoy for breakfast or as a treat.
Baker’s tip
Do Not Overfill the Tin
This batter rises a lot as it bakes. Fill your loaf tin no more than three-quarters full, and make sure there is clear space between the top of the tin and the heating element. Any batter left over can be baked as a few muffins.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Air fryers vary in capacity, wattage and efficiency so cooking times are approximate unless you use the same model and loaf pan as me. Start checking on your banana bread after 30 minutes and make sure to bake it until it passes the toothpick test.
- You don’t need to use a special setting on your air fryer – simply set the cooking time and temperature.
- Make sure the pan fits into the air fryer before embarking on this recipe. A straight edged box type loaf tin should work. You can also use an 8-inch round cake tin.
- Store the banana bread in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to five days or freeze, whole or in slices, for up to three months.
- The banana bread tastes best served slightly warm – heat for a few seconds in the microwave or pop in the toaster.
- I would not advise adding nuts or chocolate chips etc into this banana bread, simply because the batter is just enough for the loaf pan. If you overfill it the bread can rise too much and could burn on top.
Variations
- Sugar: soft light brown sugar gives a deeper, more caramel flavor. Granulated or superfine (caster) sugar keeps the loaf lighter in color.
- Oil or butter: vegetable oil keeps the crumb soft for days. Melted butter or coconut oil both work if you prefer.
- Round tin: no loaf tin that fits? Use an 8-inch round cake tin and call it air fryer banana cake.
- Muffins: for individual bakes try my Banana Bread Muffins.
- Sourdough: if you keep a starter, my Sourdough Discard Banana Bread is a great way to use up the discard.
Serving Suggestions
Banana bread tastes best slightly warm. Toast a slice and spread it with butter, or try it the way one reader does – with Greek yogurt and a spoonful of jam for breakfast. My Easy Blackberry Jam and Slow Cooker Apple Butter are both lovely with it.
Storing and Freezing
- Room temperature: keep the banana bread in an airtight tin for up to five days.
- Freezer: freeze the loaf whole or in slices for up to three months. Slices can go straight into the toaster.
- Reheat: warm a slice for a few seconds in the microwave, or pop it in the toaster.
Check Out My Other Air Fryer Recipes
Cookies & Bars
Air Fryer Cookies
Air Fryer
Air Fryer Cheesecake
Bread, Muffins, Donuts and Pastries
Easy Lemon Curd Muffins (Air Fryer or Oven)
Please leave a comment and rating if you try my Air Fryer Banana Bread recipe, follow me on Pinterest for more easy recipes and don’t forget to tag me on @Instagram or TikTok so I can see your creations!
Air Fryer Banana Bread
Video
Equipment
- 2 Pound (900g) Loaf Pan
Ingredients
- 2 large bananas (scant 1 cup / 180g when mashed)
- ⅓ cup (80ml) vegetable oil or melted butter / coconut oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups (250g) flour (all-purpose / plain)
- 1 cup (200g) sugar granulated / superfine (caster) or soft light brown
- 1 ½ tsp baking Powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp turbinado sugar or demerara sugar
Instructions
- Chop the bananas, add to a mixing bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher until smooth. Alternatively you can blitz them in a food processor.2 large bananas
- Add the oil, eggs and vanilla into the bananas and mix well.⅓ cup (80ml) vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Stir in the sugar. If you are using soft brown sugar sift it in with the flour as it tends to clump together.1 cup (200g) sugar
- Fold the flour, baking powder and cinnamon into the batter, stirring until no dry streaks remain and the batter is smooth. Don’t over-mix – use a light touch.2 cups (250g) flour , 1 ½ tsp baking Powder, 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Preheat the air fryer to 320°F (160°C) for five minutes. Pour the batter into a lined and greased 2 pound (900g) loaf pan. Tap the pan on the counter to settle any air bubbles. Sprinkle with the sugar and place in the air fryer basket.2 tbsp turbinado sugar
- Bake for 45–50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean and the internal temperature reaches 200–205°F (93–96°C). If the banana bread is not quite baked then continue to cook for a couple of minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack, slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Air fryers vary in capacity, wattage and efficiency so cooking times are approximate unless you use the same model and loaf pan as me. Start checking on your banana bread after 30 minutes and make sure to bake it until it passes the toothpick test.
- You don’t need to use a special setting on your air fryer – simply set the cooking time and temperature.
- Make sure the pan fits into the air fryer before embarking on this recipe. I use a straight-edged 2 pound (900g) loaf tin. Loaf tins of this size vary in shape – a wider tin bakes a flatter loaf, while a longer, narrower tin gives a taller one. You can also use an 8-inch round cake tin.
- Store the banana bread in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to five days or freeze, whole or in slices, for up to three months.
- The banana bread tastes best served slightly warm – heat for a few seconds in the microwave or pop in the toaster.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Bake it in a 2 pound (900g) loaf tin at 320°F (160°C) for 45–50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the internal temperature reaches 200–205°F (93–96°C). There is no special setting – just set the time and temperature.
I use a 2 pound (900g) straight-sided loaf tin. Check that it fits comfortably in your air fryer basket before you start. An 8-inch round cake tin also works. One reader bakes it in a 2 pound loaf tin, which took 50 minutes.
The tin was too full or sat too close to the element. Fill the tin no more than three-quarters full and bake any extra batter as muffins. If your air fryer has a removable rack, taking it out gives the loaf more room.
Both! In the UK it is often called banana loaf or banana cake. It is baked in a loaf tin like bread, but it is as soft and sweet as a cake.
I would not advise it for this recipe. The batter is just enough for the loaf tin, and extras can make the loaf rise too much and burn on top.
Start checking after 30 minutes, as air fryers vary. The banana bread is ready when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. If it is not quite baked, cook it for a couple of minutes more.
Up to five days in an airtight tin at room temperature, or up to three months in the freezer, whole or sliced.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Top is dark but the middle is raw | Tin too close to the heating element, or the air fryer runs hot | Lower the temperature slightly and keep baking until a toothpick comes out clean. If you cover the top with foil, wrap it tightly around the rim of the tin or pin it down with air fryer magnets – loose foil can be blown into the heating element |
| Batter overflowed or hit the element | Too much batter for the tin | Fill the tin three-quarters full and bake the rest as muffins |
| Dense or gummy | Over-mixed batter, or under-baked | Fold with a light touch and bake until it passes the toothpick test |
| Dry | Baked too long, or too much flour | Weigh the flour and start checking after 30 minutes |
| Not much banana flavor | Bananas not ripe enough | Use very ripe, brown and spotty bananas |
I made this in my COSORI Air Fryer TurboBlaze, 6L. I used a two-pound loaf tin that fits in my air fryer. I baked it for 50 minutes. It was delicious, and I’m obsessed. It’s now my go-to banana bread recipe. I have it to break my fast with Greek yogurt, which provides the protein, and raspberry chai jam for fiber. It’s satiating. I also bought your book, too. I love it.
That’s so nice to hear, thank you Victoria 🙂
I personally love this recipe. The only shape i had that would fit into my airfryer was pretty small and round so i ended up with about 4 big muffins but it was absolutely delicious. Probably the best banana bread ive ever tasted so I’ll for sure make these again at some point. Thank you for the lovely recipe!
I followed the recipe exactly. I used a 1lb loaf tin. There was to much mixture for the tin, so I filled the tin 3/4 full and used the surplus to make 3 muffins. Even so the cake rose so much that it impacted the heating element. I now have a cake, perfectly cooked at 42 mins/160° but am waiting for it to cool so that I can try to salvage it by trimming and making a topping. This is the first time I have had a problem with your recipes as they are usually my “go to” recipes.
Hi Elisabeth – yes it can be a problem when the cake rises too much in the air fryer. The models vary so much it’s hard to create a rule for them all. If your model allows for the rack to be removed, that usually helps.
I had good results at my first try.
Thank you for the recipe
made your sponge cake today in my airfryer.
Success!!!!.for n 83yr old
male with no baking experience things could
not be better!!Thank You
!…Now for a coffee n another slice of cake.x
I am so happy to hear this Michael!
Lovel, moist and tastes ,easy to make as well.