Banana Coconut Bread
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If you’re looking for a fresh twist on classic banana bread, this recipe is it. Coconut and pecans make every slice extra delicious, and the loaf freezes beautifully.
Banana and coconut are a natural pairing, and this moist, tender quick bread is one of my favorite ways to enjoy them together. The shredded coconut adds a subtle sweetness and delicate chew that makes every slice just a little more special than classic banana bread. It’s easy to make—you can have the batter mixed in about 20 minutes, then let the oven do the rest. Enjoy a warm slice fresh from the oven, or toast one for breakfast the next morning.
“Best banana bread EVER! This is definitely a keeper and one that I will be proud to share in gift baskets!”
What You’ll Need To Make Banana Bread With Coconut And Pecans
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides the structure for the bread. Measure by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off to ensure accuracy.
- Baking Powder: Acts as a leavening agent, helping the bread rise and become fluffy.
- Butter: Adds moisture and richness to the bread.
- Sugar: Sweetens the bread and helps create a tender crumb.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together and add richness.
- Very Ripe Bananas: Provide moisture, natural sweetness, and big banana flavor. They should be dark yellow with lots of brown spots, or even fully brown. (Pro Tip: To ripen quickly, bake bananas in their peels at 300°F for 15 to 20 minutes until soft and blackened. Extra-ripe bananas freeze well too—see my post how to freeze bananas for details on freezing and thawing.)
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the bread with its aromatic richness.
- Shredded Unsweetened Coconut: Adds a subtle tropical flavor and texture.
- Pecans: Contribute crunch and a nutty flavor, especially when toasted.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients. Start by whisking together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Whisking them together first ensures the baking powder and salt are evenly distributed throughout the flour, so you won’t get an occasional bitter or salty bite—and it also means less mixing is needed once the dry ingredients meet the batter.
Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients. In the mixer bowl, beat together the melted butter and sugar until combined. It’ll look a bit lumpy, and that’s fine. Add the eggs, bananas, and vanilla and mix until smooth.
Step 3: Mix in the dry ingredients and add-ins. Add the flour mixture to the bowl and mix on low until just combined. Be careful not to overmix—at this stage, mixing develops the gluten in the flour, which can make the loaf dense and tough instead of tender. Fold in the coconut and pecans by hand.
Step 4: Prepare the pan. Scrape the batter into the greased loaf pan and give it a gentle tap on the counter to settle it and release any air bubbles.
Step 5: Bake and cool. Bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out mostly clean (a few moist crumbs are fine, since the bananas keep the loaf from ever baking fully dry). The top will crack as it bakes, which is completely normal for a banana bread. Let the loaf cool in the pan for about ten minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack; that short rest lets it firm up enough to hold together as you unmold it.
This loaf keeps very well at room temperature for up to 4 days. For longer storage, it freezes beautifully; wrap it well and it’ll keep for a couple of months, ready whenever a banana bread craving hits. Toasting individual slices brings back that just-baked warmth and crisps up the edges a bit, which is my favorite way to serve it after the first day.
More Banana Bread Recipes You’ll Love
Banana Coconut Bread
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup very ripe bananas, mashed with a fork until smooth (from about 3 bananas)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- ½ cup pecans, toasted and chopped (see note below)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9 x 5-inch (23 x 13-cm) loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the melted butter and sugar until just combined. Beat in the eggs, bananas and vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the bowl and mix on low speed until just combined. Do not over-mix. Gently stir in the coconut and the pecans (the batter will look lumpy).
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center is relatively clean (tester should not be totally dry; the bananas keep it moist) and the top is golden brown. Do not overbake. Let the loaf cool in the pan for about ten minutes, then turn out onto a wire cooling rack. Slice while still warm. It will keep nicely covered with foil, at room temperature, for 3 to 4 days. Toast individual slices to get the same fresh-baked effect.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This is a fabulous recipe. I make it every week. Sometimes I use coconut butter instead of real butter, I add an extra 1/2 cup of coconut, and macadamian nuts with or in place of pecans
Made this banana bread today and it is the best banana bread I’ve ever made. It’s a wonderful recipe – not wet or dense. The toasted pecans and coconut add lovely flavour. Thank you Jen for yet another terrific recipe!
PS – Do you have a pineapple bread recipe?
Glad you liked it! I don’t have a pineapple bread recipe – sorry! I’ll have to add it to my list of recipes to potentially develop. 🙂
fantastic, decadent quick bread! made it with coconut oil, and since my bananas were verging on blackening – so, insanely sweet – i cut back on the sugar a bit. definitely will make again, though might try it with a few scrapes of lime zest next time!
Hi Jenn, I made the banana bread with coconut and pecans, it’s tasty but a little dry which I’m sure is my fault because a similar item I baked last week (not your recipe!) also came out drier than I think it should be. I followed your recipe but had to make two changes: sub cake flour for all purpose, using accurate adjustments (didn’t have enough all purpose); added about 6 minutes to baking time because the tester didn’t come out clean at the exact time. I’m not new to baking at all but have been baking more frequently lately because I have time. Maybe something in my technique? My oven is new but it’s been tested and the temperature is accurate.
I really like your site, your recipes, and your cookbook! I especially appreciate the straightforward directions and your commentary, it’s relevant and a pleasure to read but not excessive. (Sorry for the long post!)
Hi Deborah, Glad you enjoyed it but sorry to hear it was a bit dry. Dryness is usually caused by measuring the flour incorrectly. Did you use the spoon and level method to measure the flour? Even a few extra ounces can make a big difference. This article/video explains it nicely.
Thank you so much! I do level off that way but unless the recipe calls for sifting, I haven’t even “fluffed” the flour lately, just scooped it up to overfilling then leveling off. I’ll be more mindful of that. I am a big King Arthur flour fan by the way, just hard to find any lately. Thank you so much for your reply!
Simple, well-balanced recipe that will turn out great as long as you don’t burn your bread! I’d suggest airing on the side of caution and checking around 48-50 mins, but this may also vary on your oven, bread pan materials or a few other variables. I pulled mines at 51 mins and was very pleased with how it turned out. For extra texture, sprinkle some coconut on top before you bake. Some may want the bread a bit sweeter, so sweetened coconut or serving with ice cream won’t steer you wrong. Thanks for your help Jenn and keep up the great work!
I am about to make it however before I move forward, I noticed on the list of ingredients that there is no dairy. when I say dairy, I mean milk. Is that alright?
Yes, I think you’ll find this comes out nicely despite the lack of milk. Hope you enjoy!
This is really perfection. Not too sweet, not too dense and heavy. Toasting the pecans really elevates the flavor.
I just made the challah and they are amazing!
So good and beautiful!
Thank you, Jennifer!
I have made this a few times as an alternative to classic banana bread and it has turned out very well each time. The texture and flavours are really nice. I have also once made it by omitting the pecans and adding chocolate chips and it turned out really well that way too.
Like previous reviewers, I omitted the 2 tbsp of sugar because I had sweetened coconut on hand. I also added cinnamon and substituted walnuts for pecans. This was such a comforting banana bread!