Banana Coconut Bread
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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.
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Wow, why didn’t I think of this amazing combination before? My normal go to banana bread recipe (after trying many recipes) was America’s Test Kitchen’s. I prefer it without chocolate chips, my husband likes it with chocolate. But after trying this, the whole family agreed this combo was THE BEST banana bread we’ve tasted. I’ve made 3 loaves already and it has come out perfect every time. Also freezes well. THANK YOU!!! We liked it as is, especially the toasted pecans. Yum.
I made this banana bread however, I used sweetened coconut and omitted the pecans. This is an amazing treat. Within 2hours of baking the pan was empty. Love this. Preparing to make it again
Hi Jenn, preparing to make this today but only have bread flour on hand. Will bread flour work ok or will that make it too dry?
Hi Jim, Bread flour isn’t optimal here but in a pinch, it should work (just keep in mind that the texture of the bread won’t be as tender). The batter may be a little thicker; if it appears to be too thick, add 1 to 2 tsp. of water per cup of flour. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Jenn, as usual on your recipes, it turned out wonderful! I found some AP flour so did not have to resort to the bread flour. The coconut and toasting the nuts really did the trick. Thank you once again for all your help. Jim
Loved it, and I did not toast the pecans, but will next time. I made 2 loaves and had a slice warm. Seriously considering hiding the second loaf!
Made this with one twist – used coconut extract instead of vanilla. It was DELICIOUS! We are ecstatic about this site… as novice bakers and chefs… Thank you!
Hi, I’m confused! The banana bread with coconuts and pecans?
At one point it says bake it 50-55 minutes and another place it says bake 50-55 minutes ..I wanted to make it tomorrow..
WHICH IS IT??
Hi Meredith, I don’t see two different baking times in the recipe — it should be baked for 50 to 55 minutes. Please LMK if I can help in any other way!
This is so moist and delicious. I added extra coconut and baked at 325, as I do for all loaves to avoid the hard thick crust.
Oh, I just noticed that I deviated from the recipe by using sweetened coconut. It was definitely sweet but it was made as a treat so I didn’t mind that.
I made this the other day and was extremely disappointed. To me there wasn’t much flavor. I’ve read the other reviews and the majority were 5 star reviews. I’ve double checked the ingredients to make sure I didn’t miss any, and I didn’t. I did use organic coconut because the store didn’t have unsweetened.. What do you think I could have done wrong, if anything? Could it have been the organic coconut?
Hi Pam, So sorry to hear this was a disappointment! No, I don’t think the organic coconut would have had an impact. Were your bananas very ripe? If not, it could impact the sweetness of the bread. Also, this banana bread is a bit drier than some of my other ones – – perhaps that was the issue?
Absolutely delicious! Moist, fluffy, perfect banana flavour… I didn’t do any changes except that I used walnuts instead of pecans because it’s what I had at home. I took it out after 50 minutes and it turned out great! Will definitely make again!
I am not found of banana bread, but this recipe is delicious. I didn’t change anything. Made two loaves for 30 people and everyone absolutely loved it. They all wanted the recipe. The only thing I would do next time is to cover the sides of pan from outside with baking silicon band. This would prevent the sides of the cake to get too dry and collapse when cutting. Thanks for the recipe.
Second time around. Really a lovely recipe Doubled it up and used same time just bigger breadpan Great result. Feel like a Chef!!!
OMGoodness! This is the best! I did make a few changes. I used a little less sugar, used sweetened coconut and Macadamia nuts instead of pecans. I also put a little coconut and nuts on top before cooking. It was amazing! My Husband loved it! I made a double batch and shared with a couple of neighbors. They also loved it! Thanks for this fantastic recipe.