An (Air) Fried Banana Split? They Do Exist! Avalon Bay Air Fryer 100W Feature #Ad

I received an Avalon Bay Air Fryer for the purpose of this review. This post was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own.

Momma Told Me: There's no such thing as 'healthy' fried anything.

Many of you know I grew up in a household full of modern appliances and gadgets. It seemed, growing up, every other month there was a trip planned to the local Sears showroom or Dak outlet to shop for a new kitchen or home entertainment 'toy.' However, one thing we never had was an Air Fryer. Now, that may be in part due the fact my father, to this day, swears there is quite simply something 'not right' about calling a food 'fried' when it has not in fact been fried in a fat. Or perhaps it is because the very notion of 'fried' food has such a negative connotation, health wise, Momma never dared encourage the term be used on a regular basis.

Regardless, as a young girl, I made several attempts to bargain for fried foods, every year at the County Fair. In fact, there was an entire booth dedicated to frying the most delicious foods (most of them already quite sinful in themselves.) From funnel cakes and candy bars to deep fried Kool-Aid, I'd stare wide eyed up at the colorful list of treats. One year I felt I'd grown rather smart- I decided I would ask for the fried fruit basket, a selection of strawberries, bananas, and fried kiwis. Momma was quick to shoot that down, proclaiming, "There is no such thing as healthy fried food, it is ALL bad for you!"

As an adult I've always felt quite guilty putting a french fry in my mouth, or eating 'fast food' options I know are cooked in oil. At home I seek alternative recipes that often involve broiling and baking in the oven, but it's never quite the same. Let's just say, inevitably, one side of whatever I'm cooking always turns up more well done than another.

Enter the Avalon Bay Air Fryer 100W- A highly affordable, and compact, appliance who's only drawback has been the capacity of preparation allowed. I suspect, however, the compact size and 2-3 serving preparation lends itself to the efficiency of the air frying process. And just what is Air Frying? It's an entirely dry cooking process which uses a top grill to circulate heated air around the food of your choice via a suspended basket. This circulated air is so super-heated it surrounds every surface with an evenly distributed blanket of 'cooking' air.

You won't get the flavor my father attributes to 'fried' foods, but you will get efficiently cooked food with amazing texture, every time. Best of all the process is quite consistent, so not more burnt or dried pieces. And the unit itself is extremely intuitive to use, with a temperature guide located on the top, offering general heat and timing guidelines for common foods. Cooking can begin from a cold-start appliance, simply add 2-3 minutes to the timer and ensure that the proper temperate is set. The Avalon Bay Air Fryer 100W will do the rest!

One of the first things I made with my new Air Fryer was what I call a Fried Banana Split. Using simply ingredients you likely already have in your pantry I added an amazing texture to a classic banana split by Air Frying Cinnamon Bananas. For a simulated 'fried' coloring you can even plan cook your bread crumbs in a Vegan Coconut Oil Spread prior to breading! Not only did the Honey Coconut Oil Spread smell amazing melting in the pan but it gave my air fried bananas the perfect color! The rest as as easy as dipping ripe bananas in flour, egg, and bread crumbs (we use Panko,) then dusting in cinnamon sugar. The Avalon Bay Air Fryer did the rest!

Always remember that your Air Fryer needs to 'dry cook' ingredients to work most effectively, so work with a dry-wet-dry pattern when breading foods. This will mean a flour, egg, crumb layer in most recipes. In just 10 minutes, from a cold-start appliance, our Cinnamon Air Fried Bananas were ready. I simply removed the Air Fryer tray, separated the basket via the easy lift button, and shook and excess crumbs through the basket's grate into the collection chamber below. And cleaning up the appliance took 2 minutes- no messy grease!

Even if you're not a big banana person, these churro like bananas hit the spot, warm on the inside, against a pile of ice cream and fresh fruit. It's definitely the BEST way to enjoy a banana split with just a little extra indulgence and no extra guilt. In fact, you can cut up to 80% of the added fat out when air frying, over traditional oil based frying. What would you love to make first in an Air Fryer?

What Daughter Says: Enjoy the fried texture without the fried guilt when you Air Fry.

Air Fried Cinnamon Bananas

***Click here for printable Air Fried Bananas Recipe.

Ingredients:

3 TBS Vegan Butter Substitute (Coconut Oil Works Well)

8 Ripe Bananas

2 Whole Eggs OR 3 Egg Whites

1/2 C Corn Flour

3 TBS Cinnamon Sugar

1 C Bread Crumbs (Panko Preferred)

 Directions:

1. Heat butter substitute in pan on medium head and add bread crumbs. Stir 3-4 minutes, or until they have reached a light golden color. Remove from head and place in medium sized bowl.

2. Peel and halve your bananas. Roll each banana half in corn flour, eggs, and bread crumbs (in that order) and place side by side in air fryer basket in a single layer. Dust with Cinnamon Sugar

3. Set Air Fryer to 280F and timer to 10 MINS (from cold start, 7 for pre-heated.) Once done cooking remove air fryer bin and gently shake basket to remove any excess crumbs.