Just reading the ingredients of this Tropical Quick Bread recipe will probably have your mouth watering, making it easy for you to make the decision to snap up the ingredients for this easy recipe so you and your family can taste its pineapple deliciousness. The tropical flavors blend beautifully, and the texture of the bread is moist and so on point for inclusion in just about any meal at any part of the day. Have it as a breakfast loaf, snack on it at lunch, or add it to your dinner spread. It’ll probably be the first thing everyone reaches for when you invite anyone over to share a meal or call the family to the table.
This is one of those Hawaiian recipes that will please just about anyone, from coworkers during a potluck to visitors and family who arrive at your home with empty stomachs. Fortunately, this pineapple bread is really easy to make, so if you’re short on time, it’s easy enough to toss a few ingredients in a bowl and come away from the oven with a delicious loaf of pineapple and coconut bread a little over an hour later. If you have anyone in the house while you’re making this bread, you’ll probably find them standing in front of the oven when the bread’s wonderful aroma starts to fill your home.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This bread is a people pleaser and will have your guests fighting over the last slice.
- This recipe excels as a breakfast loaf but is also enjoyed as a dessert at night.
- Tropical Quick Bread is easy even if you’re a novice baker.
- This bread is the perfect accompaniment to a beach picnic.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Apple Sauce — If you want an even moister bread, try adding some apple sauce to the recipe. Bananas and plantains will also work but will change the flavor profile, so use sparingly to see whether you enjoy the additional tastes.
Walnuts — Nuts are a tasty and fun addition to bread with their nuttiness and crunch. If you’re not a walnut fan, pecans and almonds work, too. A handful of nuts is enough.
Sugar — Get creative with the sugar and try coconut sugar or honey in place of regular white sugar. Light brown sugar is also a solid option for sweetness.
Flour — For gluten-free bread, substitute a 1:1 GF blend that includes xantham gum in it, which will help keep the bread in good form. You can also use a portion of whole wheat pastry flour for some fiber (although that option isn’t gluten-free).
Dairy — Make the recipe vegan by substituting plant-based butter and flax eggs. A flax egg is 1 tbsp ground flax and 3 tbsp water.
How to Make It
This super delicious pineapple bread recipe is easy to make as long as you follow the simple steps. It’s virtually impossible to mess things up because the ingredients are very routine and the process doesn’t require any special timing other than the baking. It does take a little over an hour to bake though, so you might have some trouble if you’re impatient to try the bread!
Tips for Success
- Don’t try to eat the bread before it cools. It may fall apart on you! Patience!
- Avoid over-mixing any of the ingredients. Try to mix them just enough so that they’re combined.
- Shake the mesh strainer a few times to really get the extra moisture off the pineapple.
- Experiment with different additional ingredients (like nuts and bananas) to make this bread your own!
Storage & Reheating
The best place to keep the bread if, for some strange reason, you don’t finish the loaf entirely upon its exit from the oven, is to put it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can let it sit out for the afternoon, but try to keep it out of the sunlight and away from heat sources, or you might age it prematurely. Refrigerator storage works as long as you plan on finishing it within three days.
It’s pretty easy to see when the bread is no longer good to eat. It’ll start to smell different and the texture will change. Just whip up a new loaf if you don’t get to the entire thing on time!
This quick bread stores well in the freezer, but make sure to use a freezer-bag or sealed container to avoid having ice build up on the bread. You can eat it up to three months after you store it, so freezing is a great option for making things ahead for a big party or event.
Serving Suggestions
- Tropical quick bread stands well on its own as a midday treat or as a dessert after dinner.
- One of the best ways to enjoy this bread is to use it as a breakfast loaf with your favorite cup of coffee.
- Hawaiian recipes with pineapple pair wonderfully with pork dishes or almost any salty dish.
Notes
This Tropical Quick Bread recipe is something I love because you can enjoy it solo with a cup of coffee just as easily as you can serve it with friends or family for dessert. You can eat it at any time of day, and it’ll just magically fit into the meal like it was always meant to be there.
Tropical Quick Bread
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature or 1 stick
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1 cup Sour Cream Full-fat provides the best structure and moisture
- 1 can Pineapple Chunks 20 oz, drained for 10 minutes and roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 cups Sweetened Shredded Coconut
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- The Finisher: 1/2 cup of the coconut reserved for the topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spread all of the shredded coconut on a baking sheet. Bake for 6–10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until it is lightly toasted and fragrant. This prevents the coconut from being “chewy” and instead adds a deep, toasted flavor.
- While the coconut toasts, pour the pineapple chunks into a fine mesh strainer. Let them sit for at least 10 minutes to remove excess juice. If the pineapple is too wet, it will create “gummy” pockets in your bread.
- In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on high speed for 3 minutes. You are looking for a light, pale texture that resembles frosting.
- Add the eggs one at a time. Then, alternate adding the dry ingredients (flour, soda, salt) and the sour cream in batches. Crucial: Mix only until the white streaks of flour disappear. Over-mixing at this stage will make the bread tough.
- Fold in the drained pineapple and 1 cup of the toasted coconut using a spatula.
- Pour the batter into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of toasted coconut over the top.
- Bake for 65–70 minutes. Pro Tip: After the first 35 minutes, loosely tent a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the pan. This allows the center to bake through without burning the delicate coconut on the surface.
- Let the bread rest in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. This allows the internal steam to settle, making it easier to slice.
