Purpose Ascorbic acid (AA) is an essential vitamin for human health. Therefore, fast and cost-effective detecting of AA is essential, whether in human or food samples. The purpose of this paper is to develop an electrochemical nanosensor for AA detection. Design/methodology/approach The proposed nanosensor was developed by printing carbon nanoparticles ink and silver nanoparticles ink on a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate. The surface of the PDMS substrate was first treated by corona plasma. Then, the nanomaterials printer was used to deposit both inks on the substrate. The working electrode surface was modified by drop-casting of carbon nanotubes. Morphological evaluation was applied using scanning electron microscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Also, a potentiostat was used to detect AA by differential pulse voltammetry. Findings It has been shown that the developed nanosensor linearly worked at a range of (0–5 mM), with a limit of detection lower than 0.8 mM and a relative standard deviation of 6.6%. Originality/value The developed nanosensor is characterized by a simple and cost-effective sensing tool for AA. In particular, the nanomaterials enhanced the nanosensor’s sensitivity due to the high catalytic activity.