Banana Coconut Bread
In an attempt to clean out our freezer, I was faced with a common delima. What do I do with these frozen bananas? Sure, I could have just thrown them back into the freezer where they’d sit for who knows how long. But I decided instead to bake with them.
I decided by coworkers would appreciate some banana bread to go with their coffee in the morning, so I started flipping through some cookbooks. I’ve really been trying to use my cookbooks more frequently. I have a tendency to just go straight to my Google Reader or other online avenues for finding recipes.
I opted for this recipe from Joanne Chang’s Flour. Her recipes are always a hit. My Go-To Chocolate Cupcake Recipe is from her. And she beat out Bobby Flay on Throwdown for her sticky buns.
As expected, this recipe yielded a moist, flavorful banana bread. Since I didn’t have any nuts on hand, I tossed in some toasted coconut instead. The coconut provided a unique texture and a subtle hint of coconut. One of my coworkers told me the banana bread was delicious. After having a second piece, he came and said “it’s not just delicious, it’s exquisite!”
One Year Ago: Blackberry Raspberry Pie Bars and My Go-To Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
Three Years Ago: Steak Fajitas with Chimichurri and Drunken Peppers
Four Years Ago: Crispy Yogurt Chicken and Lime Meltaways
Five Years Ago: BBQ Dip and Cookies and Cream Cupcakes – Take 2
I am submitting this for this month’s What’s Baking, hosted by Jenna of Jenna’s Cooking Journey. This month’s theme was Quickbreads!
Banana Coconut Bread
Banana bread gets a unique twist with the addition of toasted coconut.
Yield: Serves 12
Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
3 1/2 bananas, very ripe, mashed
2 Tbsp sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup toasted coconut
Directions:
Set oven to 350F. Line the bottom of a loaf pan with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
Beat sugar and eggs with a whisk until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes.
Drizzle in oil.
Add mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients and coconut.
Pour into a lined loaf pan and bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Recipe adapted from Joanne Chang's Flour
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
I’m with you–every ingredient in this salad is a winner on it’s own. Together? Forgetaboutit! The colors are beautiful and I can imagine how great it tastes with the balance of bitter, sweet, and tart.
Love the new layout, also. Way to go!
Yum! I am also addicted to kale since doing a CSA here in Boston 🙂
It’s so funny, because as I was scrolling through Tastespotting tonight and saw this post, I had to click because it looked so familiar to my winter couscous bowl… and then, I couldn’t believe it when I saw my blog credited at the bottom! This is a first for me 🙂 Thanks so much for the credit!
So you’ve recently moved back to Cincinnati? Which part? My family and I live in Anderson Township.
beantownbaker — January 13th, 2013 @ 10:02 am
Thanks so much for the recipe!!
We work in West Chester and are living in Oakley right now. Trying to find a house at some point…
I think this sounds amazing, Jen! And I love how colorful it is. I am always looking for new winter salads that are colorful, flavorful, and interesting.
beantownbaker — January 13th, 2013 @ 10:06 pm
This is definitely colorful, flavorful, and interesting. I have seriously been OBSESSED with pomegranates this winter, and this salad totally feeds into that obsession.
I’m on a major quinoa AND kale kick so this salad is right up my alley. So colorful and pretty, too!
beantownbaker — January 14th, 2013 @ 3:47 pm
Pretty food is definitely always tastier than ugly food 🙂
looks a lot like the one i posted last week 🙂 obviously, i’m all over it!!
beantownbaker — January 14th, 2013 @ 3:48 pm
Very similar indeed!
This is perfect for that kale and pomegranate I have in the fridge! I’m always excited to find new things to put together ahead of time for lunches and dinners, thanks! Hope you are settling in nicely 🙂
beantownbaker — January 14th, 2013 @ 3:49 pm
I couldn’t agree more. Making food ahead of time saves the day during the week! I can’t imagine not eating leftovers… Things are going pretty well for us in Ohio so far. Hope things are going well for you and your little bundle on the way!
Sounds great to me! I love the ingredients. And the colors 🙂
This sounds right up my alley! YUM!!
I was thinking about an easy and colorful, flavorful, and power-packed healthy side dish to bring for a potluck lunch after a trail work party this coming weekend. I had these amazing cute pumpkins to harvest from my garden and love both kale and quinoa. I thought to myself, mmmm, what if I made some kind of pumpkin kale quinoa and goat cheese salad to share? One quick internet search and I came across this gem! I modified and concocted a tad, which is normal for me. Thanks so much for the recipe and ingredient confirmations! The honey, olive oil, and smokey / spicy combo was the secret ingredient for me! Happy fooding!
beantownbaker — November 3rd, 2013 @ 12:35 pm
Glad you enjoyed it! I am always tweaking recipes to make them fit what I have on hand and what we like too.