Coconut Banana Bread

Quick Look: Coconut Banana Bread

• ⏱️ Prep: 5 minutes (plus 15 minutes for coconut soaking)
• 🍳 Cook: 55–60 minutes
• 🕒 Total: About 1 hour 20 minutes
• 👥 Servings: 10 slices
• 📊 Calories: ~351 kcal/serving
• 🔥 Cook Method: Oven-baked at 350°F
• 👩‍🍳 Flavor Profile: Sweet banana with warm, toasty coconut
• ⭐ Difficulty: Easy

What Makes This Coconut Banana Bread So Good

• The milk-soak technique rehydrates the coconut flakes so they stay soft and moist inside the bread instead of turning chewy or tough. No other step makes a bigger difference in the final texture.
• Ripe bananas do the heavy lifting. They bring natural sweetness, moisture, and that deep banana flavor you want in every slice of this one and any classic banana bread. The riper, the better.
• One bowl, no mixer. The batter comes together in minutes and everything is mixed by hand, which also means you won’t accidentally overwork the gluten and end up with a dense loaf.
• Real coconut flavor in every bite. Because the flakes are soaked and then folded throughout the batter, you get coconut in every slice rather than just on top.

• Bananas – This is a wonderful recipe to use your over-ripe bananas or ripe bananas. As long as bananas are not still green, they’re good to go.
• Flour – All purpose flour works perfectly for most quick bread recipes. When measuring the flour, be sure to spoon it into the measuring cup and then level off the cup with the back of the knife. When you dip the measuring cup straight into the bag of flour, it gets packed in there. You never want packed flour, because that’s too much flour.
• Eggs – They’ll need some time to warm up to room temperature before you use them. Give them about 30-45 minutes on the counter to adjust.
• Butter – Melt the butter, but let it cool off a little bit before adding it to the batter.
• Vanilla Extract – If possible, try to use pure vanilla extract and not imitation.
• Coconut Flakes – You can grab these from the store or make your own! For more info on the homemade process, just keep on scrolling. (Remember that homemade coconut flakes are not sweetened.)
• Baking Soda – Make sure the baking soda is not expired! In order for your baking soda to be potent, you need to use it within 6 months of opening the container.

See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and instructions.

Soak the coconut flakes first. Cover coconut flakes with milk and let them sit for while you prepare the batter. Don’t skip this step and don’t discard that milk. The soaking keeps the flakes soft and tender inside the baked loaf.

PRO TIP: Note that you will need to squeeze out the milk but don’t discard it. You can drink the coconut milk or use it in pancakes, coffee, or cereal!

Mash the bananas, then build the batter in the same bowl. Leave a few small lumps when you mash. Those small chunks of banana keep the crumb moist as it bakes. Whisk in the eggs, sugar, cooled melted butter, and vanilla, then fold in the flour, baking soda, and salt just until the batter comes together.

Switch to folding rather than whisking once the flour goes in: overworking the batter develops the gluten and makes the bread dense and tough.

Squeeze the milk and fold in the coconut and bake. Once the coconut flakes are in, the batter is ready for the pan. Bake quick banana bread at 350°F until it reaches 200°F internal temperature at the center. (Could take 55-70 minutes, depending on baking dish and oven).

PRO TIP: If the top is browning too fast before the center is done, lay a loose sheet of foil over it and keep baking.

Tips for the Best Coconut Banana Bread

• Don’t rush the cool-down. If you try to take out the bread too soon, it is likely to break or get stuck to the bottom, or even collapse. Give it at least 20-30 minutes in the pan before slicing. A serrated bread knife makes the cleanest cuts.
• Make it your own. This batter handles mix-ins well. Fold in a handful of chocolate chips, chopped macadamia nuts, or walnuts along with the coconut flakes. A pinch of cinnamon in the dry ingredients also works beautifully.
• Slice and wrap for grab-and-go. Individual slices wrapped in plastic wrap keep well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and make for an easy breakfast all week.

How to Freeze Coconut Banana Bread

• Cool your coconut banana bread to room temperature before freezing.
• You can slice the bread into individual portions or freeze it whole. For quick breads, I like to place a piece of parchment paper in between each slice to keep them from sticking together.
• Place the bread in a large zip-lock freezer bags and let the air out. Place the bag in a freezer. You can also wrap bread in saran wrap first, before placing it into a freezer bag, to really ensure no air gets to the bread.
• Defrost the bread on the counter top. Individual slices of bread will just take a few minutes to defrost.

Storing Recommendation

• Coconut banana bread can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator. You can sliced it and store it in individual portions or store it whole and slice as needed.
• If you know you’ll eat it within a few days, you can easily store the bread at room temperature for 2-3 days. Just make sure to cover it airtight so it doesn’t dry out.
• In the refrigerator, it’ll keep for 5-7 days when kept in an airtight container.

More of the Best Quick Bread Recipes

There’s something so satisfying about quick breads. No yeast, no rising time, no fuss. If you love baking them as much as I do, my coconut key lime bread takes that same tropical inspiration in a totally different direction with a tart, citrusy crumb. For something a little different, apple bread recipe is a fall staple in my house, and zucchini bread recipe is the best way to use up garden zucchini. If you love coconut in your baked goods, my coconut coffee cake belongs on your list too.

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.