A few years ago, the holidays were more hectic than usual. We had a sick elderly family member, the kids had all their usual holiday activities. So Thanksgiving morning rolled around and I realized I didn’t have as many sweet treats as I like. Most specifically, my dad likes a dessert that’s not super sugary sweet. Something like….banana bread.
Most of my morning was spent trying to get organized for Thanksgiving. Guess what I am terrible at? Yeah. Exactly that.
I get sidelined so fast. The day before got out of control time-wise (totally my fault). One minute I’m building a menu, next minute I’m on the Costco website looking at knives. Actually, I did just pick up a set of Pure Komachi 2 knives there for around $35. Best impulse buy I’ve made all year. Anyway.
Bananas don’t require planning though. They just sit on the counter browning and sweetening, waiting. And it just so happened I had two very ripe ones, a can of coconut milk, and a bag of shredded coconut that had been hanging around since who knows when. So I made this decadent tropical banana bread.
The cardamom is what gets people. My neighbor knocked on my door once while this was in the oven just to ask what I was making.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This one’s worth keeping around for whenever those bananas go past the point of no return.
- One bowl, no mixer needed: A fork and some elbow grease is all it takes. Nothing to drag out or wash. You can even use this recipe to make banana nut bread muffins.
- The cardamom changes everything: Skip it and you’ve got regular banana bread. Trust me you’ll taste the difference.
- Toasted coconut on top: That half cup you save for last is sprinkled on top the batter before the oven works its magic turning it a golden brown with a nice crisp. Hands down, it’s the best part of the loaf. IMO.
- Uses up those bananas: The riper, the better. Black-spotted and soft is exactly what you want here.
- Freezer-friendly: Slice it, wrap it, freeze it. Now you’ve got a handy snack or breakfast lined up for the next two months.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Short list. A few things worth knowing before you start though.
- Bananas: Two very ripe ones. Past the point where you’d eat them plain. The darker the skin, the sweeter your bread. If yours aren’t ready yet, pop them unpeeled in a 300-degree oven for about 15 minutes until the skins go black. Works fine.
- Coconut oil: Melt it first, then let it sit a few minutes before it goes in. Hot oil straight into eggs scrambles them. Ask me how I know.
- Shredded coconut: Seven ounces minus a half cup. Hold that half cup back for the top. Sweetened or unsweetened both work, I’ve used both and can’t really tell the difference honestly — wait, I said I wasn’t going to say that. You know what I mean.
- Coconut milk: Full-fat canned, not the carton kind. Shake it before you open it. You’ll have leftovers. I usually dump mine in rice or a smoothie.
- Cardamom: Half a teaspoon. Don’t skip it. It’s the whole reason this bread tastes like something new.
- Coconut extract: Optional, but I always use it. A teaspoon is enough. More than that and it starts tasting like sunscreen, which, hard pass.
Tips for Success
A few things that actually make a difference here.
- Really ripe bananas: Under-ripe bananas make bland, dense bread. The ones that look too far gone are exactly right.
- Stop mixing when the flour is in: Switch to folding. Stirring hard builds gluten and you end up with a rubbery loaf.
- Cool the coconut oil first: Warm is fine. Hot is not. Give it a few minutes after melting before it goes anywhere near the eggs.
- Check the center with the toothpick: Banana bread looks done on the outside way before the inside is. Middle, not the edges.
Storage and Reheating
Room temperature in an airtight container, up to three days. After that the coconut oil makes the outside a little tacky. In the fridge it keeps about a week. Let a cold slice come to room temp before eating, or 15 seconds in the microwave does the trick.
This one freezes well. Slice the whole loaf first, tuck parchment between slices, and zip it up in a freezer bag. Keeps two months easily. Pull out what you need and thaw on the counter, or 30 seconds in the microwave and you’re set.
Serving Suggestions
Good plain, better with butter. A thin spread of cream cheese is also really good if you want to feel a little fancy about it. Hot coffee alongside is the obvious move, but I’ve served this as dessert with vanilla ice cream and nobody at that table had a single complaint.
FAQs
Can I add nuts to this?
Yeah, totally. Macadamia nuts are the most natural fit here. About a half cup, roughly chopped, folded in with the coconut. Toasted walnuts work too if that’s what you’ve got on hand.
My bread sank in the middle. What went wrong?
A few possible culprits. Too much moisture from the bananas, overmixed batter, or it came out of the oven before the center actually set. Also worth checking your baking powder. Old baking powder loses lift and the bread just won’t rise right.
Do I have to use organic sugar?
You won’t taste a difference between this and regular sugar in a finished loaf that has cardamom and coconut running through it.
Notes
I’ve been making some version of this bread for a few years now. The coconut milk piece came in after a trip to a little bakery a friend dragged me to. She’s one of those people who always knows the tucked-away spots nobody talks about. I don’t even remember the name of the place, but I stood in the parking lot eating a slice before we made it back to the car. I went home and started messing with my own recipe until it tasted close enough.
Tropical Banana Nut Bread
Ingredients
- 175 g Unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 175 g Dark soft brown sugar plus an extra tablespoon for sprinkling
- 3 Medium eggs room temperature
- 175 g Self-raising flour
- 1 tsp. Ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp. Whole milk
- 1 Large cooking apple such as a Bramley or Granny Smith
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C or 160°C for a fan-assisted oven). Lightly grease an 8-inch round cake tin and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper to ensure a clean release.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter and dark soft brown sugar. Using a wooden spoon or an electric hand mixer, beat the mixture vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes until it turns pale, light, and fluffy.
- Add the room-temperature eggs to the butter mixture one at a time. Beat thoroughly after each addition until the egg is completely integrated before dropping in the next to keep the emulsion from splitting.
- Add the self-raising flour and ground cinnamon straight into the wet base. Use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to carefully fold the dry ingredients into the batter just until the flour disappears. Stop immediately to avoid over-activating the gluten grids, which can make the cake tough.
- Add the 2 tablespoons of whole milk and stir in very gently to loosen the batter consistency slightly.
- Prepare your apple: peel it completely and cut it away from the core. Slice half of the apple into thin, uniform wedges for the topping. Chop the other half into small pieces roughly ¼-inch wide.
- Drop the small, chopped apple pieces directly into your cake batter and fold gently with a spatula to distribute them evenly through the matrix.
- Tip the thick cake batter straight into your prepared tin, using the back of a spoon or spatula to smooth the surface flat and push it into the corners.
- Arrange the reserved apple slices decoratively across the top of the batter. Take the extra tablespoon of dark brown sugar and sprinkle it uniformly over the apple slices to guarantee a crisp, sweet crust.
- Place the tin on the middle oven rack and bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes. The cake is finished when a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the exact center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool down flat inside the tin for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife along the inside edge to loosen the sides, remove the cake from the pan, and transfer it to a wire cooling rack. Serve warm alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a pour of warm custard.
