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This Coconut Banana Bread is everything a homemade quick bread should be — incredibly moist, packed with sweet ripe bananas, shredded coconut, and crunchy pecans, with a tender crumb that’s hard to resist. The buttermilk keeps every slice soft and flavorful, making it just as perfect with your morning coffee as it is for an afternoon snack or simple dessert.
If you love homemade quick breads, be sure to try my Pumpkin Bread, Apple Bread, Lemon Zucchini Bread, and Peach Bread.
✨ Why You’ll Love This Coconut Banana Bread
✨ Ultra Moist Every Time: Buttermilk, oil, and plenty of ripe bananas create an incredibly tender loaf that stays moist for days.
✨ Perfect Balance of Flavor: Sweet bananas, chewy coconut, toasted pecans, and just the right touch of vanilla make every bite irresistible.
✨ Easy Pantry Recipe: Simple ingredients and straightforward steps make this recipe perfect for beginner and experienced bakers alike.
✨ Makes Two Loaves: Enjoy one now and freeze the second for later, or share one with a friend or neighbor.
✨ Great Any Time of Day: Delicious for breakfast, brunch, an afternoon coffee break, or an easy dessert.
Coconut Banana Bread Ingredients + Key Notes
All-Purpose Flour: Gives the bread its sturdy yet tender structure. Be sure to measure it correctly by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off.
Baking Soda: Provides the lift that helps the loaves bake up light and tender.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the banana, coconut, and vanilla flavors.
Eggs: Add richness, moisture, and structure while helping the batter hold together.
Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the bread and contributes to its beautifully soft crumb.
Vegetable Oil: Keeps the bread exceptionally moist and tender, even several days after baking.
Vanilla Extract: Adds warm, bakery-style flavor that complements the bananas and coconut.
Very Ripe Bananas: The star of the recipe! The darker and spottier the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your bread will be.
Sweetened Shredded Coconut: Adds chewy texture and sweet coconut flavor throughout every slice.
Chopped Pecans: Bring a buttery crunch that pairs perfectly with the bananas and coconut. Toast them first for even more flavor if you’d like.
Buttermilk: One of the secrets to this recipe’s incredibly tender, moist crumb while adding just a hint of tanginess to balance the sweetness.
How to Make Coconut Banana Bread
Prepare the pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly coat two 9×5-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.
Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
Combine the wet ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the eggs, sugar, and vegetable oil until smooth and well combined.
Finish the batter: Add the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated. Stir in the vanilla, mashed bananas, shredded coconut, chopped pecans, and buttermilk, mixing only until everything is evenly combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the bread tender.
Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared loaf pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 60–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached.
Cool and enjoy: Let the loaves cool in the pans for about 10–15 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy warm or at room temperature. It’s delicious on its own or spread with a little softened butter.
⭐ Pro Tips
⭐ Use bananas that are deeply speckled: The darker the peel, the sweeter and more flavorful your banana bread will be. Bananas that are mostly brown produce the best results.
⭐ Mash the bananas well: A few small lumps are perfectly fine, but well-mashed bananas distribute more evenly throughout the batter and create a consistently moist crumb.
⭐ Toast the pecans first: Toasting brings out their rich, buttery flavor and adds another layer of deliciousness to every slice.
⭐ Tent with foil if needed: If the tops are browning too quickly near the end of baking, loosely cover the loaves with aluminum foil and continue baking until the centers are done.
⭐ Cool before slicing: As tempting as it is to cut into a warm loaf, allowing the bread to cool helps it set properly and makes for cleaner slices with the best texture.
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead Tips
Storing: Once completely cool, wrap the loaf tightly in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. The flavor and texture are often even better the next day.
Reheating: Enjoy slices at room temperature, or warm them in the microwave for 10–15 seconds. It’s especially delicious with a little butter while still warm.
Freezing: Wrap the whole loaf or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil or a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature before serving.
Make-Ahead: This bread is an excellent make-ahead recipe since it stays moist for several days. Bake the loaves a day in advance, let them cool completely, then wrap tightly until you’re ready to serve or freeze.
🍽️ What to Serve With Coconut Banana Bread
Morning Favorites: Enjoy a warm slice with scrambled eggs, a veggie omelet, or a bowl of fresh fruit for an easy breakfast.
Brunch Spread: Pair it with Easy Breakfast Casserole, Hashbrown Casserole, or Biscuits and Gravy Casserole for a special weekend brunch.
Coffee Shop Treats: Serve with a hot cup of coffee, chai tea, or a vanilla latte for the perfect afternoon pick-me-up.
Sweet Finishes: Dress up a slice with softened butter, whipped cream cheese, or a drizzle of honey for an extra-special treat. Toasted slices are especially delicious.
Tried This Recipe?
I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and a comment below to let me know how your Coconut Banana Bread turned out. Your tips and experiences help other readers, too!
Don’t forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @gonna_want_seconds—I absolutely love seeing your creations and sharing them with our community.
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Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today—happy baking, friends! ❤️ Kathleen
Coconut Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups very ripe bananas mashed
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup pecans chopped
- 1/2 cup buttermilk well shaken
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Coat two 9x5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour (3 cups), baking soda (1 teaspoon), and salt (3/4 teaspoon). Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs (3), sugar (2 cups), and vegetable oil (1 1/3 cups) on medium-low speed until combined. Beat in the flour mixture. Add the vanilla (1 tablespoon), banana (2 cups), coconut (1 cup), pecans (1 cup), and buttermilk (1/2 cup), and beat just to combine.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans; smooth with an offset spatula. Bake 60-65 minutes or until the cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Sooooo Yummy!
Fans Also Made:
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Notes
- Use bananas that are deeply speckled: The darker the peel, the sweeter and more flavorful your banana bread will be. Bananas that are mostly brown produce the best results.
- Mash the bananas well: A few small lumps are perfectly fine, but well-mashed bananas distribute more evenly throughout the batter and create a consistently moist crumb.
- Toast the pecans first: Toasting brings out their rich, buttery flavor and adds another layer of deliciousness to every slice.
- Tent with foil if needed: If the tops are browning too quickly near the end of baking, loosely cover the loaves with aluminum foil and continue baking until the centers are done.
- Cool before slicing: As tempting as it is to cut into a warm loaf, allowing the bread to cool helps it set properly and makes for cleaner slices with the best texture.
Nutrition
I'm not hooked to my recipe! In fact I want a new one, and I think this is it!
Normally banana loaves are dense and “tight”. This one however is crumbly, moist and just too delicious not to give a try!!!
Coconut and banana together? I'm in heaven. 🙂
I for one have never made a banana bread that rose so beautifully. You have baking talents!
I can just imagine what your kitchen smelled like while this was in the oven. Maybe I should make one this avo?
The addition of coconut just brings banana bread to a new level. This is a great recipe and I am going to discard my old one for this one. Thanks.
What beautiful bread! And I love your platter! I think I have the same one! 😉
Hi Kathleen,
Love your idea of adding more extras in your banana bread. I once used shredded coconut to bake banana bread as well. Both of the fragrance and taste were excellent. It's a big hit in a party.
Did you just say coconut?!?!? Love it! It's true that everyone has a favorite banana bread recipe, but there is always room to try another one. This looks fantastic.
I love trying different recipes for banana bread since it's one of my favorites! Thanks for stopping by my blog….I'll be posting a banana bread soon too. It's the one they serve at Starbucks…got the recipe for it at one of their shops! Yours looks great and I'll be trying it too!!!
Kathleen, we can always use another banana bread recipe. Different moods call for different foods, grins. This will be fun to add to the repertoire!
Sounds wonderful with the coconuts and pecaans. Bananas are one of my favorite things to bake with.
I don't have a favorite one – I'm still looking! I love this with the coconut and pecans! Looks moist and scrumptious!
I love banana bread, especially with coconut. Yours looks delicious.
Thats amazing Kathleen, Coconut with bananas is a gorgeous and novel idea !…
I love banana bread; I love your addition of coconut!
Thanks for visiting my blog; I see that you have lots of yummy food here.
I just became your follower!
This is a great banana bread recipe! The picture is excellent!
yummy! i love banana bread, especially toasted with a nice layer of butter! i love the picture too!
I think the coconut will be delicious:)I just made a new one also..New recipes are fun to try:)
It looks great!
Your banana recipe looks great! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I only recently tried making banana bread for the first time, it was my friend's recipe that I, however added my touch to, and it was so good. I know I'd like to try other recipes,too