Air Fryer Banana Nut Bread
Description
Moist, tender air fryer banana nut bread made with ripe bananas, brown sugar, sour cream, and toasted pecans. Bakes in a mini loaf pan at 320°F in under 30 minutes — perfect for an easy breakfast, snack, or homemade gift.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt, omit if using salted butter
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ⅓ cup sour cream, full-fat, room temperature
- 4 medium very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl with a stand or hand mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium-high for 2–3 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
- Add the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients. Mix in the sour cream, mashed bananas, and vanilla until just combined. The batter may look slightly curdled — that's fine.
- Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold gently with a spatula just until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.
- Fold in nuts. Stir in the chopped pecans or walnuts.
- Fill the pan. Grease a mini loaf pan with non-stick spray. Fill each cavity about two-thirds full (don't overfill — the bread will rise).
- Air fry. Place the pan in the air fryer basket. Set the temperature to 320°F and air fry for 22–28 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool. Let the bread rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Equipment
- Air fryer (basket or oven style)
- Mini loaf pan (oven-safe; 3- or 4-piece set recommended)
- Stand mixer or hand mixer,
- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Wire cooling rack
- Toothpick (for doneness test)
Notes
Recipe Notes
- Banana ripeness: Use bananas with mostly black peels. The riper, the sweeter the bread.
- Pan choice: A mini loaf pan is essential. A standard 9x5 pan won't bake through evenly in an air fryer.
- Temperature varies by model: Cosori, Ninja Foodi, and Instant Pot Vortex all run slightly differently. Start checking at 22 minutes.
- Don't preheat. Starting in a cold basket helps the center bake through before the crust sets.
- Storage: Room temp 2–3 days, fridge up to 1 week, freezer up to 3 months.
- Toast the nuts for 3–4 minutes in a dry skillet before folding in — it deepens the flavor significantly.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 229kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 5gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.004gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 376mgPotassium: 89mgFiber: 1gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 119IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 2mg