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Easy Air Fryer Banana Dessert

This super tasty air fryer banana dessert takes about three minutes to come together and twelve to cook up in the air fryer for a luscious quick dessert. It can also be easily made vegetarian or vegan too!

Black cast iron pan with a baked banana and melting ice-cream with a wooden spoon in it.

Why you’ll love it:

  • It has tons of flavor.
  • It’s easy to make.
  • It”s fruity yet super decadent.
  • It’s kid-approved.
  • You can dress it up (add chopped nuts, cinnamon, whipped cream, ice-cream, etc.) or enjoy as is.
  • It’s versatile and can be easily tweaked to accommodate allergies or vegan/vegetarian diets.
  • Air frying the whole banana with the toppings stuffed in under the skin means no messy clean-up or toppings that slide or melt off.

If easy quick desserts sound like they might be your thing, you should also check out this three-minute vegan vanilla mug cake or this 6-minute vegan banana foster.

Ingredients and substitutions

This air fryer banana dessert recipe is super versatile. Take a look at the image below to get an idea of the ingredients you may need and scroll down to see what can be swapped/omitted/substituted.

labelled ingredients including chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, chopped nuts and banana.

Chocolate chips: Please don’t skip these, the chocolate is so yummy with the roasted banana. If you can’t find any chocolate chips you can substitute them with your favorite chocolate chopped up. I use dairy-free dark chocolate chips but you can use whatever you prefer.

Mini marshmallows: For a tasty campfire flare there is nothing quite like toasted mini marshmallows. If you can’t find mini ones you can just chop up larger marshmallows. They can get sticky when chopped so I actually find it easier to use scissors. Do remember that regular marshmallows are neither vegan nor vegetarian, you can use Dandies, Sarah’s Candy Factory, or Trader Joe’s vegan ones instead.

Brown sugar: It adds a yummy touch of sweetness to the banana and helps the caramelization along. You can substitute with other types of sugar if you don’t have any brown sugar. I don’t advise using liquid sweetener or things will get very sloppy inside your banana.

Banana: Unlike most banana dessert recipes, I recommend you use a ripe yellow or just slightly overripe medium-sized banana, not a really brown one. Using overripe bananas tends to result in roasted banana goo.

Butter: This adds a nice kick of flavor, and I actually recommend using salted butter, not unsalted, as it plays nicely against the sweetness of the sugar, chocolate, and marshmallows. Use high-quality butter or vegan butter. If you don’t have any butter, you can substitute it with half the amount of coconut oil. Optionally you can also leave it out if you’re counting your calories.

Cinnamon: I love cinnamon and banana but it is optional so if you don’t like cinnamon, leave it out.

Chopped nuts: Sprinkling some nice chopped nuts over your finished roasted chocolate marshmallow banana is really the icing on the cake and adds another layer of texture. I love chopped peanuts, pistachios, or almonds for this, and if they’re salted or roasted even better. If you don’t like nuts or are allergic to them, feel free to leave them out.

Close up of an air-fried banana topped with toasted marshmallows and chocolate with melting ice-cream on the side.

How to make it

This air fryer banana dessert is so easy to make it practically makes itself, but I’ve outlined the process in detail below with process photos in case you have any doubts.

The first step is to make a “cradle” for your banana out of aluminum foil. Many air fryers require a little extra force to get the basket in and out and that can be absolutely detrimental if your lush roasted banana with gooey chocolate falls on its side if it’s jarred.

A cradle takes just a minute to make and ensures you won’t be crying over spilled roasted banana toppings.

Take about 75 cm of aluminum foil and tear it off. Roll up into a loose rough cylinder about three inches wide the same direction it was previously rolled in.

Flatten the middle bit with your hand (this is where the banana will sit) and roll the foil on either side in, tucking it under as you roll. Put your banana in the cradle and adjust if necessary, rolling the sides in more to tighten if necessary, You can see what the finished product should look like in the first image below.

With a sharp knife, slice the top of the banana open from the stem to the bottom (but don’t cut open the bottom bit of the skin) to make a pocket.

split image with a banana and aluminum foil on the left labelled one, and the banana split with brown sugar inside on the right labelled two.

Gently spread the skin and pour in the melted butter over the banana, using a pastry brush if necessary to make sure the banana is coated with butter.

If using cinnamon, mix with the brown sugar and sprinkle over as much of the banana as you can. You can see what it should look like in image number two above.

Now it’s time to stuff the banana with marshmallows and chocolate. I find it much easier if I add a line of marshmallows first on either side of the banana (as in image three below) as it helps to keep the banana skin open.

I then top with the chocolate chips followed by the remaining marshmallows. Do make sure to cover as much of the banana as you can reach with the marshmallows and chocolate (see image four below).

Split image with a banana on the left labelled three, split with brown sugar and mini marshmallows inside, and on the right labelled four with more marshmallows and chocolate chips.

Now the easy bit. Carefully set your banana in its aluminum cradle in the air fryer. You can do more than one banana at a time, you just have to have enough space in the air fryer that they are not touching or they will steam rather than roast.

Set the air fryer to 400ºF(200ºC), and roast the bananas for twelve-fifteen minutes until the skins are dark brown and the marshmallows are toasted. You definitely want the skins dark brown as you want your banana to be roasted all the way through.

Sprinkle the chopped nuts over and serve hot with an optional scoop of ice cream (or non-dairy ice cream for vegans). Delicious.

Top down view of a black pan with a baked banana and ice-cream on a white background with toppings.

FAQ

Can you freeze air fryer bananas?

No, roasted bananas never freeze well.

Can you keep leftovers in the fridge?

Yes, tightly cover and place in the fridge when cool. I only recommend keeping for up to three days maximum as the banana will continue to soften once roasted.

Can you make this dessert ahead of time?

Yes, you can follow all the steps and then refrigerate it instead of air frying. Then when you want to eat it, air fry it. Note that you may have to air fry it a few minutes longer if it has been in the fridge and is cold.


Did you make this air fryer banana dessert? Let me know how much you loved it with a star rating, review, and/or comment below.

Take a picture of your finished dish and tag me on Instagram (@the_fiery_vegetarian) or connect with me on Facebook, I love seeing all your creations!

Yield: 1

Easy Air Fryer Banana

Black cast iron pan with a baked banana and melting ice-cream with a wooden spoon in it.

This delicious easy air fryer banana dessert recipe comes together in under 15 minutes with just a handful of ingredients and is easily made vegetarian or vegan!

Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 medium banana
  • 1½ teaspoons melted butter
  • 1½ teaspoons brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
  • 3 Tablepoons mini marshmallows
  • 2½ Tablespoons chocolate chips
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped nuts
  • One scoop vanilla ice cream to serve

Instructions

  1. Take 75cm of aluminum foil and roll up into a loose roll about 3 inches thick. Flatten the middle (where the banana will go) and roll under the sides until they meet the banana and the banana is stabilized.
  2. Using a sharp knife cut a slit from the stem to the bottom end of the banana (but don't cut through the bottom end).
  3. Carefully pull open the sides. Pour over the melted butter and brush all over the banana with a pastry brush. If using the cinnamon, mix it with the brown sugar and then sprinkle evenly over the banana.
  4. Start adding mini marshmallows, inserting them down the sides of the banana where the banana meets the skin. Sprinkle over the chocolate chips and then the remaining marshmallows.
  5. Add the banana in its aluminum foil cradle to the basket of the air fryer and cook at 400ºF (200ºC) for 12-15 minutes until the skin is dark brown and the marshmallows are melted and toasted. Sprinkle the chopped nuts over.
  6. Serve hot with ice cream.

Notes

For vegans, substitute the butter, chocolate chips, and ice cream with dairy-free versions.

Note that vegetarians and vegans should always use vegetarian/vegan marshmallows that do not contain gelatine.

Nutrition Information

Yield

1

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 415Total Fat 22gSaturated Fat 13gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 44mgSodium 122mgCarbohydrates 83gFiber 6gSugar 61gProtein 5g

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Tc

Tuesday 12th of October 2021

You do realize that marshmallows are not vegetarian?? You should be more careful of your recipes your posting as vegan or vegetarian if you don't know, learn. It's simple to look up and not offend people that take what they are eating seriously.

Deirdre Gilna

Wednesday 13th of October 2021

Hi there. Good point this is why it is always advisable to read a post before commenting! You'll note I have commented in several places that most marshmallows are not vegetarian and have recommended specific vegetarian brands to use. Have a great day!

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