Air Fryer Banana Chips

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Learn how to make your own air fryer banana chips with just four simple ingredients, using my foolproof recipe! Ready in just minutes, my homemade banana chips are the perfect blend of crunchy, sweet, and salty. They’re an ideal healthy snack for kids’ lunches, picnics, camping trips, and anytime you need a quick bite.

Simple snacks are a favorite in my household especially when it’s a crunchy chip! Yet, while I love traditional banana chips, they aren’t the healthiest option since they are deep-fried and full of fat and calories.

So I asked myself, can you make banana chips in an air fryer? I use my trusty air fryer all the time because it’s a great way to create healthier versions of more indulgent treats. So, of course, I figured out how to make banana chips in an air fryer – and they turned out amazing!

My air fried banana chips recipe is always a hit with my family. They turn out perfectly crunchy and delicious every time. I promise you’ll never get tired of this tasty snack!

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🥘 Ingredients

You don’t need any fancy ingredients to make this recipe – it’s so easy! You likely already have everything in your pantry. For the full measurements, scroll down to the recipe card.

Fresh Banana Slices: I use ripe but still firm, peeled, and sliced plantains or bananas for this recipe. You don’t want to use completely raw bananas, as they won’t taste as sweet. The same goes for healthy plantain chips, if you want to use plantains instead of bananas. Using less ripe plantains will result in a more starchy and less sweet chip compared to a regular banana chip recipe.

Lemon Juice: I use fresh lemon juice because it prevents the bananas from turning brown and gives them a bright flavor! 

Salt: A little salt gives these chips more flavor and brings out the natural sweetness of the banana.

Oil / Cooking Spray: A neutral spray oil makes the chips light and crispy without overpowering the natural banana flavor. I usually use coconut oil, olive oil, or avocado oil.

🔪 How To Make Air Fryer Banana Chips

Learning how to make banana chips in the air fryer is simple and requires very little effort. All you have to do is follow my easy steps, and you’ll soon have chips that any banana lover will approve of.

Check out my video below to watch my step by step instructions as well!

Preheat Air Fryer, Prepare Bananas: To begin, I preheat the air fryer to 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius). Next, I slice the bananas into thin slices.

Season Banana Slices: First, I place the banana slices on a baking sheet. Next, I coat them with lemon juice and sprinkle them lightly with salt. Then I spray the banana slices with a little oil and repeat the process.

Air Fry Banana Chips: Once seasoned, I place the banana slices in a single layer in the basket of the air fryer (this helps prevent sticking). Then I put the basket into the air fryer and cook the chips for 40 minutes.

Check Halfway Through: Air frying banana chips will give you a crispy chip, but I always check them halfway through the cooking time to loosen any slices that might be starting to stick to the basket. This helps them cook more evenly. Once I’ve loosened the bananas, I let the chips finish cooking.

Remove From Air Fryer: Finally, I remove the thin chips from the air fryer and place on a cooling rack. Then I repeat the cooking process with the rest of the banana slices. Depending on how many banana slices I have, I may end up cooking multiple batches before they’re all done.

📖 Variations

Add Savory Spices: For additional flavor and depth, I’ll sometimes add chili powder, paprika, turmeric powder, curry powder, a touch of cayenne pepper, or cumin to this great snack.

Air Fryer Salt And Black Pepper Chips: Sprinkle these chips with salt and pepper for a classic combination of flavors.

Kerala Banana Chips: Turn this air fryer banana chips recipe into a popular snack from South India simply by adding ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric and a little more salt.

Lime Juice: Instead of the lemon juice, I’ll sometimes swap in freshly squeezed lime juice for a slightly different flavor.

Sweet Spices: My kids love it when I turn this banana chip air fryer recipe into a dessert by adding a sprinkle of granulated sugar, coconut sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cardamom or even pumpkin pie spice to make these chips sweet and spicy.

Homemade Plantain Chips: Instead of using ripe bananas, try using ripe plantains for this air fryer recipe! You can easily make tostones (air fryer plantain chips) by substituting the same amount of plantains for the bananas in this recipe. Plantain bananas are part of the banana family, but they are typically larger and thicker than bananas, and slightly more savory than sweet.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

I often enjoy these homemade air fryer banana chips on their own, but they also go really well alongside your favorite smoothie, oatmeal bowl, or breakfast bowl for a quick and balanced breakfast. I’ll even use them as a substitute for regular chips as a side for lunch. Here are some of my favorite ways to serve them:

With Breakfast: Serve some of these chips with this mango protein smoothie or blueberry pineapple smoothie. You could also pair them with this strawberry yogurt or overnight Weetabix.

With Salads: Top this apple walnut salad with some banana chips for added crunch. 

With Dips: When the crispy chips come right out of the air fryer they are wonderful when served with this healthy guacamole and pineapple pico de gallo. 

With Dessert: Banana crisps also work as a quick plant based dessert after a main meal, or as a topping for yogurt or ice cream! They are delicious paired with this chocolate banana ice cream recipe or mango nice cream.

🧊 Storage Directions

To store, I let the leftover banana chips cool completely and then place them in an airtight container with a paper towel. The paper towel helps to absorb any excess moisture and keeps the chips crispy. They will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days. I don’t recommend freezing these chips, they don’t defrost well.

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