Air Fryer Caramelized Bananas

Air Fryer Caramelized Bananas are gooey and delicious and just like a creme brulee banana! They cook up easily in the air fryer and are even better topped with ice cream or whipped cream and some chopped nuts.

These air fryer bananas are delicious served as a dessert or for breakfast alongside some pancakes or eggs. They're easy to make any time of the year and are a tasty and sweet treat that cook up in less than 10 minutes and require almost no prep time!

I hope you enjoy these air fryer bananas as much as I do. We buy a bunch of bananas every time we visit the store because our son loves them. But sometimes I can sneak a few myself to make a delicious dessert like this. It such an easy recipe and great way to enjoy bananas that uses simple ingredients.

I've made these caramelized bananas a few times in my air fryer the last few weeks and OMG.

The flavor. The creaminess of the bananas. The perfection at being paired with vanilla ice cream. And how EASY it is to make! This is a dangerously delicious dessert that anyone with a sweet tooth will love.

What type of air fryer to use:

For these air fryer bananas, I recommend using a large air fryer if you want to keep the bananas whole. I used a Cosori Max XL Air Fryer with no issue. It's my go-to. And my bananas were on the larger side.

If you have a smaller air fryer and the bananas aren't fitting, you probably want to slice the bananas in half so that you can line them up so that they fit when cooking. My mom has a smaller air fryer, so that is what I would recommend she do if she makes this recipe.

Also, this recipe does not require preheating your air fryer.

If you have an air fryer, you might also enjoy these other air fryer recipes like Air Fryer Grapefruit, Air Fryer Honey Garlic Salmon, and Air Fryer Greek Chicken Thighs.

Should you use ripe bananas?

You can, but this recipe actually works best with yellow bananas that are still kinda firm. They are easier to slice down the middle, and still get all caramelized and creamy.

I would definitely not recommend using bananas that are green or too ripe. Stick with yellow if you can.

Do you remove the peel?

In this recipe, the banana gets cooked in the peel. You do not remove the peel before cooking. Then, when you're eating the caramelized banana, you can just serve with the peel and scoop it out as you're eating it! This makes for a gorgeous presentation, especially if you're serving with ice cream and chopped nuts.

How to make the air fryer caramelized banana:

To make an air fryer banana, first gather your ingredients! All you need are some brown sugar, cinnamon, and a banana.

Mix together the cinnamon and brown sugar into a small bowl until combined.

Take your banana place on a cutting board. Slice in half, length-wise, as shown below. It helps to use a big sharp knife for this! You will leave the peel on. Do not remove the peel.

Line your air fryer basket with a little parchment (this helps keep it cleaner), and place your banana into the basket, cut side up in a single layer. Sprinkle your brown sugar and cinnamon mixture over the top. You may have extra.

Place the banana slices in the air fryer tray or basket and cook on 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes until caramelized and delicious.

Serve the air fryer caramelized banana with vanilla ice cream and chopped pecans. Scoop the banana out of the peel when eating, and then discard the peel.

Recipe tips:

• Use a yellow banana, if possible, before it becomes too ripe.
• Use parchment paper in your air fryer to help keep your air fryer clean.
• You can swap out the brown sugar for coconut sugar if preferred.
• Start checking for doneness around the 7 minute mark. If needed, keep cooking your banana for a few more minutes.
• Serve the air fryer banana immediately with a spoon and ice cream or whipped cream. However, if you don't want your ice cream to melt as quickly, let the banana cool on a plate for 3-4 minutes before topping with ice cream.
• This recipe is easy to double, triple, or quadruple depending on how many servings you need!
• You could also use plantains in this recipe. Plantains are more starchy and less sweet than bananas, so you could actually use ripe plantains in this recipe.

Can you freeze/refrigerate?

I unfortunately would not recommend freezing or refrigerating the bananas after air frying. The banana would not hold up properly in the refrigerator or freezer after cooking. I recommend making these fresh.

Topping ideas:

• For a version of a banana split, top with a couple of scoops of ice cream, some whipped cream, nuts, and a cherry!
• The caramelized banana is delicious topped with vanilla ice cream. You can also top with whatever flavor ice cream you love, or even some cinnamon whipped cream or vanilla whipped cream.
• I topped my banana with chopped pecans. Walnuts or hazelnuts would also work well, or leave off the nuts if you're allergic or just prefer it without.

This recipe was inspired by Okonomi Kitchen. Her caramelized bananas look so delicious too! Her version uses lemon juice and coconut sugar. Her photos are what inspired my photos. Go check out her blog, everything looks amazing!