Banana Coconut Bread

Can you believe the texture of this banana bread?! It has a soft and moist yet tight crumb and still the top is super crunchy and high. This banana bread recipe is simply a keeper. You must do it! You are just one bowl away from banana bread heaven and, since I added some coconut, to a tropical banana heaven, which really sounds much more fun.

Now, ask me if there’s a banana bread I don’t like. The answer is all of them. I never liked any of the banana breads I had tasted. No matter how many nuts or spices any banana bread has, I will always frown my whole face in disappointment. It’s like banana bread and me could not agree with each other.

But as I mentioned in my Passionfruit Cheesecake Bars recipe post, thanks to my collaboration with Triple-S’ foundation “Alimenta tu Cuerpo, Alimenta tu Alma” campaign, I’ve been rediscovering and playing around with locally harvested ingredients. And bananas, even if an ordinary fruit, have never received too much love from me. So I thought it was time to give them a chance by recreating one of the most popular recipes in this planet right now. Thank you very much lockdown!

For this banana bread I wanted something simple and mellow so I swapped the traditional spices for a touch of coconut. What’s more tropical than coconut and bananas? You can totally use the traditional spice mix (see notes) if you want to, of course. But again, I’m looking to embrace the foundation’s fantastic message of celebrating local foods and flavors that not only nourish our bodies but also our souls. That’s why coconut was a perfect touch to add here. Grab a piece of this banana bread with a cup of coffee and be reminiscent about a sunny warm morning that makes you want to be smiling the whole day!

Hints on how to make this Banana Bread:

1. The texture of this banana bread is the kind that is tight and a bit dense for a bread feeling instead of cake feeling.

2. For this banana bread recipe you may use frozen bananas if you don't have fresh ripe bananas on hand. Every time a banana on my counter is about to spoil, I throw it in the freezer, and that’s how I stashed 5 bananas!

3. When the banana bread was ready to be taken out of the pan, I protected my hand to turn the pan upside down and very carefully took it out with my other bare hand to prevent damage to the crackly surface of the bread. Have your plate ready so you can turn it over as quickly as possible because it will still be pretty warm.

4. This cake, as it happens with lots of baked goods and confections, tastes even better the second day, especially if you can place it in the fridge to chill a few hours and then let it come down to room temperature.

5. Store any leftovers (if any!) in the fridge and gently reheat in a toaster oven or microwave.

Substitutions for this banana bread recipe

1. You may use coconut or olive oil for this recipe. Coconut oil could make it a bit dryer and olive oil could make it a bit rich, but I’m sure both would be delicious.

2. You may use vanilla extract instead of coconut. If you want more of a spiced cake, add a teaspoon of cinnamon and between ½ to ¼ teaspoons of your favorite mix of ginger, nutmeg or cloves.

3. You may use gluten free flour mix to make it a completely gluten-free banana bread.

Banana Coconut Bread

Ingredients

◯ Butter – 7 TBSP
◯ Vegetable oil – 1 TBSP
◯ Raw granulated sugar – ¾ cup + 2 TBSP to sprinkle on top
◯ Mashed bananas – 2 cups, about 5 medium bananas
◯ Organic pure coconut milk – 1 TBSP
◯ Eggs, large – 2
◯ Coconut extract – 2 Tsp
◯ Fine sea salt – 1 Tsp
◯ Baking powder – 1 Tsp
◯ Baking soda – 1 Tsp
◯ Unbleached all-purpose flour – 2 cups

Details

Yield:
a 9” x 5” loaf pan

Total time:
1 hour, 15 minutes

Active time:
15 minutes

Baking time:
60 minutes

Equipment:
9” x 5” loaf pan, large bowl, hand whisk, wooden spoon

Steps

To make the banana coconut bread:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease with butter a 9 x 4 pan or spray it with some baking spray. Or do both as I did.

Pour melted butter and oil in a large bowl. Add sugar and whisk until a paste forms. Add bananas and coconut milk and whisk again, breaking any big chunks. Switch your whisk for a wooden spoon. Add eggs and mix well, until no streaks of yolk are visible. Add coconut extract and mix. Sprinkle salt, baking powder and baking powder on top and mix until no streaks of them are visible and then stir a little more vigorously for a few seconds to make sure any pockets of baking powder or baking soda are completely broken and incorporated to the batter. Lastly, add flour and gently mix until no large streaks of flour are visible, making sure you are scraping well the bottom and sides of your bowl. Don’t mix beyond this point.

Scrape batter into your prepared pan and smooth out the top. Sprinkle the remaining one tablespoon (or a bit more ; ) of sugar through the top. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, testing around 60 minutes with a toothpick for doneness. Make sure to test the upper third of your cake, where sometimes moisture gets trapped and could need an extra two or three minutes of baking. Remove from oven. Let it cool 10 to 15 minutes before removing it from the pan (see notes). Let it cool down completely and if possible chill it in the fridge a few hours and let it come down to room temperature before serving.