Our quick & easy Tropical Coconut Banana Bread is sure to remind you of tropical islands and cocktails with little umbrellas. All the goodness of banana bread mixed with the island flavors of bananas, rum & coconut.
Tropical Banana Bread
I love banana bread, which is a good thing, since I have quite a few banana trees in my backyard. And when these banana trees put out a hand of bananas, they put out a HAND OF BANANAS! So I like to call my posts dealing with anything bananas "How do I use up my 100+ bananas" today.
One great way is to make this delicious tropical coconut banana bread. Now you're probably wondering what makes it tropical? It's a mix of flavors that will have you thinking tropical islands and cocktails with umbrellas in them, like toasted coconut, island rum and bananas, of course.
So I've been on a roll this week, whipping up all sorts of banana recipes and the aromas drifting through my house are nothing short of heavenly. I've baked Peanut Butter Banana Bread, Double Chocolate Banana Bread and Nutella Swirled Banana Bread, and I am so thankful that I have a big freezer and lots of willing friends to help me eat up all these goodies.
I never get tired of baking quick breads. They are so easy and almost foolproof so you always know that something delicious is going to be generated. This tropical coconut banana bread recipe follows a similar recipe to my Easy Banana Bread but with the addition of tropical ingredients and a little extra richness from Greek yogurt.
Easy steps to make Coconut Banana Bread
- Cream sugar and shortening together. Add eggs and stir.
- Add vanilla, rum and yogurt and mix well.
- Stir in mashed bananas until well combine.
- Combine all dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
- Mix into banana mixture.
- Fold in nuts and toasted coconut.
- Pour into greased and floured loaf pan and bake about 75 minutes.
- Let cool in pan 10 minutes then turn out onto rack. Cool completely then slice and serve.
Frequently asked question about Banana Bread
How long does banana bread last?
Banana bread will keep for about 5-7 days at room temperature with no problem. A little more than a week if refrigerated.
Can I freeze banana bread?
Absolutely! I get so many bananas off my tree that I make banana bread by the dozens. They will keep in the freezer about 6 months.
Why is my banana bread raw in the center?
Most of the time this is due to the bread not being baked along enough. Make sure it is done by testing with a long skewer in the center of the bread. Also, if the outer bread is getting done too much before the center, tent with tin foil to keep the outer edges from getting burnt. I usually check 35 minutes in and again at 45 to see if it needs to be covered.
If you love the taste of toasted coconut, I guarantee you'll love this bread. Have it for breakfast, a snack or even dessert. That is if you have any left by the time it cools off. It's so tasty warm, smeared with a little butter, that you just might want to hide it away so no one else knows about it. Just kidding, well maybe. 🙂 Enjoy!
More Easy Quick Breads
Bacon Cheddar and Onion Quick Bread
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Tropical Coconut Banana Bread with Rum
Ingredients
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup shortening
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons rum
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1-½ cups)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup toasted coconut*
- ½ cup pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease & flour 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.
- Cream sugar and shortening together. Add eggs, vanilla, rum and yogurt and mix well. Stir in mashed bananas.
- Combine all dry ingredients except coconut and nuts. Mix into banana mixture. Fold in coconut and nuts.
- Pour mixture into prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 75-85 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Check bread after 30 minutes to make sure top is not getting overly brown. If so, tent it with aluminum foil until done.
- Remove from oven, set on rack, and let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and finish cooling on rack.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was first published April 2, 2017. Pictures and instructions have been updated to make it easier to make.
