Air Fryer Banana Muffins are made using standard cupcake paper liners and have a beautiful crusty exterior with fluffy inside, that is unlike an oven baked muffin. This might just become your new favorite air fryer muffin recipe!!
If you have few over ripe bananas on the counter waiting to be used, then we suggest checking out our Eggless Banana bread, Banana muffins, Mini Walnut Banana Muffins and even a super Quick microwave banana mug cake.
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Air Fryer Banana Muffins
This recipe is a muffin version of our hugely popular air fryer cake recipe with the addition of cinnamon and chopped walnuts. So, you know it’s going to be a good one. It is light, fluffy and tastes delicious! We were simply amazed at the result every time we tested this recipe. Made with basic pantry ingredients, no silicone molds needed and great way to use that one banana you have lying around that no one wants to eat.
Baking in air fryer are perfect when you want a small batch or don’t have access to ovens. They are not overly sweet and taste amazing.
Texture
They are amazingly soft, fluffy inside with a slightly firmer crust on the outside and a darker top when compared to the oven baked ones –> Thanks to the hot air blowing on top.
Best temperature to bake
The secret is in two different cooking temperatures! We pre heat at 350° for 8 minutes (you prep the batter in this time) and then bake at 320°. The pre heating makes the air fryer hot enough to kick start the baking.
Can you use silicone baking cups or paper cups?
Both can be used! Silicone cups are a lot more studier since we are not using a muffin pan. If using silicone, make sure that the molds are designed for oven and can withstand heat for up to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). They are heavy and can easily be filled on the counter and transferred without spilling.
How to use paper cupcake liners?
We wanted to create a recipe that can be made with standard items available at home. However, the issue with using paper liners is that they are not sturdy enough/too weak to hold the wet batter without making them spill over.
The solution was to triple the cupcake liners which gave them stability to hold the batter.
Important Notes
- Use 3 layered cupcake paper liners for stability.
- Work quickly when pouring batter into paper cups so you don’t loose much of the heat.
- Halve recipe to make 4 muffins and bake for 9 to 11 minutes.
Why did my muffins didn’t rise properly?
It depends on the model used. Some blow hot air directly on top, allowing them to form a crust on top before giving them a chance to rise properly.
How long to bake?
This recipe makes 7 big ones! They take about 12 minutes. We recommend checking after 10 to 11 minutes. Insert a tooth pick in the middle to make sure that it comes out clean and are deep golden on top.
Type of air fryer to use
This recipe was tested in Instant Pot 6qt Vortex Air Fryer, cooking time may vary for other brands. Seven large muffins fit perfectly in the large basket. If you are using a smaller one, then you can halve the recipe to make 4 medium muffins.
Pro Tips for Success
How to use greek yogurt – Use 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons plain greek yogurt along with 2 tablespoons water instead.
Use ripe bananas – Ugly over ripe fruits with dark yellow skin with lots of black/brown streaks.
Mash thoroughly – We like to use a potato masher or the back of a fork to mash well.
Golden Brown sugar – It adds moistness and caramell-y notes which compliment the fruit. Golden or light brown sugar works well.
Key ingredients
Basic cake ingredients like all purpose flour, brown sugar, baking soda and baking powder for leavening are used. Vegetable oil, yogurt for moistness and ground cinnamon as flavoring. Egg provides structure, leavening, richness and color. Walnuts give a little crunch and nuttiness.
Use ripe bananas
The best bananas for any baked product are not the yellow kind! Select fruits that are streaked with black/brown and too soft —> the darker the better. They pack more banana punch and are naturally sweet. There’s no such thing as over ripe fruit.
Variations
- Nut-free – Skip walnuts
- Use toasted chopped pecans instead of walnuts.
- Mix in semi sweet chocolate chips.
- Try other spices like vanilla extract, ground ginger or nutmeg.
How to make?
Pre heat air fryer to 350 degrees for 8 minutes (I use this time to make the batter).
Mix dry – Whisk all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon and salt together in a small bowl.
Mix wet – Mash fruit with the back of a fork or potato masher and mix with brown sugar, yogurt, oil and egg until smooth.
Finish batter – Stir flour mixture into the wet and mix until just combined (do not over mix). Stir in chopped walnuts.
Bake – When 8 minutes is done, set air fryer to 320 degrees for 12 minutes. Working quickly, place 3-layered cupcake liners into the basket, divide batter into the liners and top with more chopped nuts. Cook until done.
Can these be oven baked instead?
Absolutely! Transfer batter to paper lined cupcake pan (makes about 8), bake in a pre heated 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes.
More muffin recipe to try for breakfast:
- Almond Flour Chocolate Muffins
- Almond Flour Carrot Muffins
- Persimmon Muffins
- Zucchini Muffins No Butter
- Almond flour Banana muffins
- Lemon Blueberry Sour cream muffins
- Sweet Potato Muffins
How long will they last?
They will stay fresh and soft (much longer than oven baked ones, thanks to the amazing crust) for up to 4 days, stored in an air tight container at room temperature.
Can you freeze them?
Sure can! Place in a sealed zip lock bag, they can be frozen for up to 3 months. To thaw, let sit on the counter for 1-2 hours.
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More Air Fryer Breakfast recipes to try-
- Peanut Butter Toast
- Apple Crisp for Two
- Air Fryer Omelette
- Oatmeal with Rolled Oats
- Air Fryer Bread Pudding
- French Toast with Regular White Bread
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Air Fryer Banana Muffins
Air Fryer Banana Muffins are made without silicone liners and have a beautiful crusty exterior with fluffy inside that is unlike an oven baked muffin. This might just become your new favorite air fryer muffin recipe!!
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons mashed banana (about 1 very large)
- 1/2 cup packed golden brown sugar
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt (refer notes to use greek yogurt)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
Additional ingredients
Items used
Instructions
1. Have 3 paper liners stacked for each muffin (to get a 3 layered liner) ready.
2. Pre heat air fryer to 350°F for 8 minutes (the air fryer will run empty during this time, this helps to kick start the baking process). Prepare muffin batter in the mean time.
3. Add all dry ingredients into a small bowl and whisk until combined.
4. Add all wet ingredients into a larger bowl, whisk until smooth and combined. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula, until combined well (DO NOT OVER MIX). Mix in half the walnuts.
5. When air fryer is done preheating, working quickly, place the seven - 3 layered muffin liners into the air fryer basket (they will fit a little snug, which gives them stability), divide batter evenly into the paper liners, sprinkle remaining walnuts on top.
6. Close basket, set air fryer to 320°F for 12 minutes. Bake until the tops are deep golden in color and a tooth pick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes clean (check occasionally after 10 minutes).
7. Cool muffins and enjoy!
Notes
Use 3 layered cupcake paper liners for stability.
Work quickly when pouring batter into paper cups so you don’t loose much of the heat.
Halve recipe to make 4 muffins and bake for 9 to 11 minutes.
How to use greek yogurt – Use 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons plain greek yogurt along with 2 tablespoons water instead.
Use ripe bananas – Ugly over ripe fruits with dark yellow skin with lots of black/brown streaks.
Golden Brown sugar – It adds moistness and caramell-y notes which compliment the fruit. Golden or light brown sugar works well.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 7 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 256Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 233mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 1gSugar: 16gProtein: 5g
I am not a certified dietician or nutritionist. The information is a product of online calculator such as Nutrifox.com, although Kitchen at Hoskins attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates and not be construed as a guarantee. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the nutritional information in any recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their fact algorithms. Under no circumstances will Kitchen at Hoskins be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the nutritional information. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for all decisions pertaining to your health and ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate.
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