Posted by Mia Wren on 16th Jun 2026

Banana Bread in the Air Fryer: How to Bake a Proper Loaf in a 1lb Tin

If you've got a glut of bananas going black on the side and you can't quite face heating the whole oven for one small loaf, the air fryer is the answer. It bakes banana bread beautifully with a proper domed top, a moist crumb, and a clean release in about half the time it takes the oven to even warm up.

The catch is the tin. Most loaf tins are built for a full-size oven and simply won't drop into an air fryer basket. A 1lb tin will. We baked the loaf in these photos in a Wrenbury 1lb loaf tin sat inside an air fryer, and it came out exactly as it should.

Here's how to do it, what temperature to use, and why the tin matters more than the recipe.

Golden banana bread in a 1lb loaf tin sitting inside an air fryer basket — Straight out of the air fryer basket — no oven, no studio.

Can you really bake banana bread in an air fryer?

Yes — an air fryer is just a small fan oven. It circulates hot air around the tin, which is exactly what bakes a loaf. The differences worth knowing:

It's quicker to heat. No 15-minute oven preheat for one small loaf.
The fan browns the top fast. Air fryers move a lot of air, so the top can colour before the middle is set. That's the one thing to manage, and it's easily solved with a square of foil.
Space is the limit. You're working with a basket, not a shelf, so the tin has to fit. This is where a 1lb tin earns its place.

Why a 1lb tin is the right size for an air fryer

A standard 2lb loaf tin is roughly 25cm long. Most air fryer baskets won't take it. A 1lb tin is closer to 16–17cm long and slips into most baskets with room for the air to move around it — which is what you need for even browning.

The Wrenbury 1lb loaf tin is heavy-gauge carbon steel, so it spreads the heat evenly and won't buckle under the fan. The non-stick coating is made without PFOA or PTFE, and a light grease is enough to turn the loaf out cleanly. It's oven safe too, so the same tin does a small loaf in the air fryer and a tea loaf in the oven.

One thing to check before you buy any tin for this: measure your basket. You want at least 8 x 4 inches of usable space for a 1lb tin to sit flat with air around it.

Empty Wrenbury 1lb carbon steel loaf tin on a kitchen worktop — The 1lb tin before it goes anywhere near batter — short enough for the basket, heavy enough to bake evenly.

The banana bread recipe (scaled for a 1lb tin)

This makes one 1lb loaf — about five or six slices. The quantities are smaller than a standard recipe because a 1lb tin holds less; fill it no more than two-thirds full or it'll dome over the rim.

You'll need:

2 very ripe bananas (about 200g peeled), mashed
100g caster sugar, or soft light brown sugar for a deeper flavour
1 medium egg
60ml sunflower or vegetable oil (or 60g melted butter)
150g self-raising flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
A pinch of salt
Optional: ½ tsp cinnamon, or a handful of walnuts or chocolate chips

The riper the bananas, the better. Black-skinned, soft, almost too sweet to eat — that's exactly what you want.

How to bake banana bread in an air fryer

Mash and mix: Mash the bananas in a bowl, then stir in the sugar, egg and oil until combined.
Fold in the dry: Add the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Fold gently until just combined — don't beat it, or the loaf turns tough.
Grease and fill: Lightly grease the 1lb tin. Pour in the batter, no more than two-thirds full, and level the top.
Preheat the air fryer: Set it to 160°C and give it 2–3 minutes to come up to temperature.
Bake: Lower the tin into the basket and bake at 160°C for 30–35 minutes. Air fryers vary, so start checking at 25 minutes.
Tent if needed: If the top is browning before the middle is set, lay a loose square of foil over the tin for the rest of the bake.
Test it: A skewer pushed into the centre should come out clean, or with a few dry crumbs — not wet batter.
Cool and turn out: Leave it in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a rack. It slices best once fully cooled.

Banana bread batter mixed in a white bowl — Wet ingredients first, then fold the flour in gently.

Banana bread batter being poured into a greased 1lb loaf tin — Into a lightly greased 1lb tin, two-thirds full so it has room to rise.

What temperature and how long?

Bake at 160°C for 30–35 minutes for a 1lb loaf. That's lower than you might use in a conventional oven, and on purpose: the air fryer's fan is fierce, and 160°C gives the middle time to set before the top over-colours.

Every air fryer runs slightly differently — ours sat happily around 160–175°C — so treat the time as a guide and the skewer as the truth. If yours runs hot, drop to 160°C and check early. If the top is racing ahead, the foil tent is your friend.

The loaf coming out of the basket — straight out, no studio.

Getting a clean release every time

Banana bread is sticky stuff, and the bit that catches people out is the loaf gluing itself to the corners. Two things prevent it: a light grease before you pour, and a good tin. A heavy carbon steel tin with a coating that actually releases means you're not running a knife round the edge and tearing the crust. If you've had bread stick before, it's almost always the tin, not you — more on that in our guide to choosing a loaf tin that won't let you down.

Finished banana bread loaf turned out of the tin onto a wooden board — Turned out clean, ready to slice. A light grease and a good tin is all it takes.

Frequently asked questions

Can you put a metal loaf tin in an air fryer?

Yes. A metal tin is fine in an air fryer, exactly as it is in an oven — it just needs to fit the basket with a little space around it for the air to circulate. A 1lb carbon steel tin is ideal.

What size loaf tin fits in an air fryer?

A 1lb tin (around 16–17cm long) fits most air fryer baskets. A 2lb tin (around 25cm) is usually too long. Measure your basket first — you want at least 8 x 4 inches of usable space.

Why is my air fryer banana bread burnt on top but raw inside?

The fan is browning the top faster than the heat can set the middle. Drop the temperature to 160°C and lay a loose square of foil over the tin once the top has coloured. Bake until a skewer comes out clean.

Do I need to preheat the air fryer?

A 2–3 minute preheat helps the loaf start rising straight away, but it's not essential. If you skip it, add a few minutes to the bake and check with a skewer.

Can I use the same tin in a normal oven?

Yes. The Wrenbury 1lb tin is oven safe, so the same tin does a small loaf in the air fryer or a tea loaf in the oven. Bake at 170°C in a fan oven for around 35–40 minutes.

Can I bake a bigger loaf this way?

Only if it fits. If you want a full-size 2lb loaf, you're better off in the oven — see our note on 1lb versus 2lb tin sizes to pick the right one.

The short version

An air fryer bakes banana bread quickly and well, as long as you bake at 160°C, watch the top, and use a tin that fits. A 1lb carbon steel loaf tin is the piece that makes it work — short enough for the basket, heavy enough to brown evenly, and non-stick enough to turn the loaf out clean.

If you want a tin built to last, the Wrenbury 1lb loaf tin carries a 10-year guarantee and is part of our full loaf tin range. And if you'd rather your bakeware survived a decade of bakes, here's how to make a baking tin last 10 years.