Air Fry Bananas For A Caramelized Dessert Topping

As air fryer owners know, the appliance can be used to work wonders. One thing it can do that you may not have thought of? Make caramelized bananas. Using the air fryer takes less than half the time as making caramelized bananas in the oven does and it saves you the effort that is required when cooking it on the stove. Plus, the result will be caramelized bananas that are crispy on the outside but soft on the inside — all thanks to the wonders of the air fryer.

The air fryer process couldn't be easier. All you have to do is cut up a few bananas into slices, then drizzle the bananas with a mixture of butter and brown sugar, coating both sides. The mixture can be customized — you can add in vanilla extract, cinnamon and sugar, or some combination thereof. Then, place them in the air fryer and bake at 390 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately eight minutes, but you can adjust depending on your preference for doneness. Then, voila, within less than 15 minutes total, including prep time, you have a fresh batch of caramelized bananas ready to be eaten on their own or as part of a more intricate dessert.

Thanks to the butter and sugar, the caramelized bananas will be sweet and rich — in other words, they are prime to be used in desserts. The simplest way to make them into a decadent dessert is to use them as a topping for a bowl of ice cream — combined with other toppings, such as whipped cream and chocolate sauce, you'll have one tasty ice cream sundae.

But, if you're looking for a more complicated dessert — perhaps one to impress dinner guests — you can make a homemade classic banana cream pie, but with a twist. This pie calls for sliced bananas on the top of the finished pie, but if you switch those regular banana slices out for your caramelized bananas, you'll have a sweeter, more unique pie to serve.

Another idea is to integrate breakfast into the caramelized banana options — either serving a sweet breakfast in the morning or whipping up some breakfast foods for a filling dessert (maybe after a light dinner). One of the best options for this route is to make fluffy banana pancakes, topped with a heaping of caramelized bananas.