There are almost always a couple of bananas in the fruit bowl that have turned so brown that nobody feels like eating them. Those are exactly the ones you need here. Very ripe bananas bring a sweetness and juiciness that extra sugar can never replace, and when you bake Nutella-filled banana muffins in the air fryer, they come out golden and light without you having to switch on the big oven.
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What makes these muffins special is the centre. Once they have cooled, you cut a small hole in the middle and fill it with Nutella, so there is a creamy surprise waiting with the first bite. The batter simply gets stirred together, and you need neither an electric whisk nor a stand mixer.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Why I love Nutella-filled banana muffins in the air fryer
Muffins are made for the air fryer. The basket is small, and the hot air circulates close around the moulds, so the muffins rise beautifully and get a golden top. For eight muffins it does not make much sense to heat up a whole oven when the air fryer can do the job.
I am also glad that the recipe is so forgiving. The bananas make the batter moist, so the muffins do not turn out dry, and the filling lifts them from an ordinary everyday bake to something people fight over when the coffee is served. If you do not have Nutella in the cupboard, you can use another hazelnut spread, and peanut butter makes a good variation.
Why the filling only goes in after baking
It is tempting to press a dollop of Nutella into the batter before the muffins go into the basket, but it is not worth it. In the heat, the hazelnut spread turns dry and loses its soft consistency. If you wait until the muffins are completely cold, the filling keeps its creamy texture, and it is precisely the contrast between the light, airy cake and the soft centre that makes them so good.
Testing Nutella-filled banana muffins in my kitchen
I baked the muffins in my Cosori Dual Blaze, which has heating elements both above and below the basket, so they bake evenly all the way through. At 160 °C for 15 minutes they got a golden top and a moist crumb, and a toothpick came out clean from the centre. I kept the basket closed for the first 10 minutes so they would not collapse.
The preparation takes about 15 minutes, and afterwards the muffins need to cool for roughly 30 minutes before they can be filled. All in all it takes 60 minutes, but most of the time they take care of themselves. With a large basket like the one in the Philips XXL, you can usually bake all eight at once, while a smaller air fryer will manage them in two batches.
The more brown spots the bananas have, the better. And put the dough scraper down as soon as you can no longer see any dry flour – a slightly lumpy batter gives the lightest, airiest muffins.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The most common mistake is stirring for too long once the flour has gone in. The more you stir, the denser the muffins get, so fold the flour in gently with a dough scraper and stop as soon as it has disappeared. The second mistake is filling the moulds all the way up. The muffins rise, and if the top gets too close to the heating element, it turns dark before the centre is baked through. So fill them only about three-quarters full. If the tops take on colour too quickly anyway, lower the temperature to 150 °C and give them a few extra minutes. The third mistake is impatience: if you fill the muffins while they are still warm, the Nutella melts and runs out. Let them cool completely on a wire rack before you cut the holes.
How to serve Nutella-filled banana muffins
The muffins work just as well on a weekday as at a party. Here are my favourites:
- With your afternoon coffee or a glass of cold milk
- In a packed lunch as a sweet surprise
- As a dessert with a dollop of Greek yoghurt and slices of fresh banana
- With chopped, toasted hazelnuts sprinkled over the filling
- On the cake table at a children’s birthday party
Storage and reheating
The muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you want to bake ahead, you can freeze them without the filling for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature, and fill them only afterwards. If you fancy warm muffins, give them 2-3 minutes in the air fryer at 150 °C. If they have already been filled, the Nutella turns soft and a little runny, so eat them straight away.
Banana muffins with a creamy centre are the best way to rescue the brown bananas. The batter is stirred together in no time, the air fryer takes care of the baking, and the filling makes them something really special. You will find the full recipe with amounts and steps at the bottom of the page.
FAQ
In this recipe, the muffins bake at 160 °C for 15 minutes. Push a toothpick into the centre: if it comes out clean, they are done, otherwise they can have another 2-3 minutes.
In the heat, Nutella turns dry and loses its creamy texture. So fill the muffins once they are completely cold – if they are still warm, the filling melts and runs out.
Yes, but freeze them without the filling. They will then keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. Let them thaw at room temperature, and fill them afterwards.
Recipe
Nutella-filled banana muffins in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Cost of the dish
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Our estimate is based on average food prices for the current year 2026.
Estimated price for the whole dish:
Airfryer size
All our recipes are tested in a Philips Airfryer 2000 Series NA230/00 – 6.2 L
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 8 Muffin pans - made of silicone, sized to fit in the basket
- 1 Small pot
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Potato masher - or a fork
- 1 Dough scraper
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 Measuring spoons
- 1 Toothpick
- 1 Cooling rack
- 1 Small knife
- 1 Spoon - teaspoon
Shopping list
Ingredients
How to make it
Preparation
- Melt 75 g butter in a small saucepan over a low heat, and let it cool slightly while you get everything else ready.
- Peel 2 pcs bananas, and mash them in a mixing bowl with a potato masher or a fork until there are almost no lumps left.
- Stir 75 g sugar, 1 pcs egg, 2 tsp vanilla sugar and the melted butter into the mashed bananas until the mixture is smooth.
- Divide the batter among 8 silicone muffin moulds, filling them about three-quarters full. If you add more, the top rises too close to the heating element and turns too dark.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 160 °C fan.
- Place the moulds in the basket with a little space between them, and bake the muffins at 160 °C for 15 minutes. Keep the basket closed for the first 10 minutes so they do not collapse. If there is not room for all 8 at once, bake them in two batches.
- Push a toothpick into the centre of one muffin. If it comes out clean, they are done. If wet batter is stuck to it, bake them for another 2-3 minutes at 160 °C.
- Let the muffins rest in the moulds for 5 minutes. Then take them out and leave them to cool completely on a wire rack, about 30 minutes in total. If you fill them while they are still warm, the filling melts and runs out.
Filling and serving
- Use a small knife to cut a little cone out of the centre of each muffin, about 2 cm wide and 2-3 cm deep. Do not cut all the way to the bottom, so the filling stays inside the muffin. Trim the tips off the cones so the tops can be used as lids.
- Stir 100 g Nutella until smooth, and fill the holes with a teaspoon – a generous teaspoonful in each. Put the tops back on as lids, or leave the filling showing, and serve.
Our notes for the recipe
Use bananas with lots of brown spots on the skin – they are the sweetest and give the juiciest muffins. Stir the batter only until the flour has disappeared, and keep the basket closed for the first 10 minutes. If the tops turn too dark before the centres are baked through, lower the temperature to 150 °C and give them a few extra minutes. Filling after baking:
The Nutella goes in only once the muffins are completely cold. If it is baked into the batter, it turns dry and loses its creamy texture. For a neater result, pipe the filling in with a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle. Variation:
Sprinkle chopped, toasted hazelnuts over the filling, or stir a handful of chopped dark chocolate into the batter. Nutella can also be replaced with another hazelnut spread or with peanut butter. Serving:
Serve the muffins with your afternoon coffee or with a glass of cold milk. They are also good in a packed lunch. Portion size:
The recipe makes 8 muffins, which is 2 per serving. If your air fryer does not have room for all the moulds at once, bake them in two batches.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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