Air Fryer Banana Muffins

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!!

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.

The BEST recipe

Here are a few reasons to love this banana nut muffin:

1. Texture – They are soft and light with a deep colored crust and bits of crunchy nuts, that is absolutely amazing.
2. Easy to make – No mixers required, just two bowls.
3. Freezer friendly – These baked treats are not iced, crumb topped or frosted making it a great option to freeze.
4. Small batch - It is perfect when you want just a small batch instead of a dozen.
5. Air fried - A perfect recipe for college kids or when you don't have access to oven.

Texture

They are amazingly soft, fluffy inside with a slightly firmer crust and bits of crunchy nuts on the outside and a darker top when compared to the oven baked ones --> Thanks to the hot air blowing on top.

How to make them moist?

Make sure you’re using the right ratio of dry to wet ingredients. The oil, yogurt and brown sugar and plenty of mashed bananas guarantees moistness in this recipe.

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.

TIP: Over mixing your batter can lead to tough and dense baked product. So, mix batter just until combined and not over mixed.

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

1. Use 3 layered cupcake paper liners for stability.
2. Work quickly when pouring batter into paper cups so you don't loose much of the heat.
3. 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 ¼ 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.

Ingredients

This recipe requires a handful of basics, but each in the right proportion is important.

1. Flour - Unbleached all purpose flour.
2. Leavening - We use a mix of baking powder and baking soda for the perfect rise.
3. Flavoring - Ground cinnamon, but vanilla extract may be added.
4. Banana - Use very ripe sweet fruits with brown spots.
5. Sugar - Golden brown sugar is delicious with banana.
6. Yogurt - Plain yogurt or greek may be used.
7. Oil - Oil adds softness to the recipe.
8. Egg - One egg gives the perfect structure.
9. Nuts - We used walnuts, but toasted pecans will be tasty too.

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

1. Nut-free - Skip walnuts
2. Use toasted chopped pecans instead of walnuts.
3. Mix in semi sweet chocolate chips.
4. 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.

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.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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

Follow me on INSTAGRAM, TIK TOK, FACEBOOK or PINTEREST for more delicious recipes.

Did you make this recipe? I’d love your feedback! Please let me know by leaving a comment or review below or snap a photo and share on Instagram.

All contents and images are my original work, unless and otherwise mentioned. Please do not use my recipes or images without linking back to www.kitchenathoskins.com. If you wish to republish a recipe, please rewrite in your own words and don’t forget to include a link back to the original recipe.

Some of the links above are affiliate links, which pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Thank you for supporting kitchenathoskins.com.