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. 
This looks so homey and delicious!
RDQ: where should I add the cranberries? did you substitute them for the raisins? can i use fresh cranberries?
Sorry – I updated the recipe to reflect that I used dried cranberries in place of the raisins.
Looks just delicious! I’m crazy lately about cranberries too. Talk about a versatile fruit! I just used them this evening to make a cranberry-apple conserve that served as the sauce for almond-crusted pork tenderloin. It was a big hit.
I also wonder if you can use fresh cranberries since they are in season!
You could definitely make this with fresh cranberries if you wanted.
How long did you bake this if you halved it in a 8 by 8 pan? So excited to try it 🙂
I think I started checking it at 30 minutes and left it in for about 45 based on the color of the top layer.
I’ve seen this recipe around before but it never fails to look so delicious! Gorgeous flavours 🙂
Me again. It is DELICIOUS! I halved the recipe and used 1 cup of fresh cranberries, though I think I could have used more.
Thanks so much!
Glad to hear it Lisa! I will definitely have to try this with fresh cranberries next time I make it.