Toasted Coconut Banana Bread
I’m the queen of buying bananas, thinking I’ll eat them, and then having them go “old”. Maybe it’s my subconscious letting this happen because it usually leads to banana bread… but, I guess we’ll never know! Either way, this is a recipe that I’ve been making for years and never get sick of it. It’s the perfect moist, banana-y treat!
As with most of my recipes, feel free to add whatever you’d like and switch things up to make it your own. Personally, I love the slight tropical, woody flavor that a little toasted coconut adds, but chocolate chips or nuts are always great! When it comes to spices, cinnamon and nutmeg are pretty classic, but sometimes I love the addition of a little ginger to feel some spice.
This banana bread is gluten free and also uses almond flour. Feel free to use all GF flour or a flour of your choice instead. I like added a corse almond flour for a little extra texture and nuttiness. Again, make this as you like!
Toasted Coconut Banana Bread
Equipment
- Loaf tin
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter plus more for greasing pan
- ½ cup unsweetened desiccated coconut or shreds if you prefer
- 3 very ripe bananas
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1½ cup gluten free flour blend
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat of the oven to 350 F (175 C). Grease a 6 cup loaf pan generously with butter. If your breads tend to stick in your loaf pan, you may place a cut piece of parchment at the bottom of the pan, but still ensure it is greased well5 tbsp unsalted butter
- Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl. Once melted, remove from the microwave and cool slightly.5 tbsp unsalted butter, ½ cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
- Meanwhile, heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add coconut, and toast undisturbed. Once you start smelling the coconut, shake around the skillet or move the coconut around using a spatula. You should see that the coconut it turning golden brown. Be sure to keep a watchful eye as once the coconut begins to toast, the process goes pretty quickly. Once golden, turn off the heat and cool slightly. (If you want your banana bread extra coconut-y, toast extra, reserve it on the side and sprinkle on top once the batter is in the loaf pan!)
- To the slightly cooled butter, add the 3 peeled bananas and, using a fork, mash the bananas into the butter. I like to make sure it is mostly mashed, but leaving behind a few small chunks of banana. Be careful as the butter may still be warm. Add the rest of the ingredients, including the toasted coconut, to the bowl and mix to combine.5 tbsp unsalted butter, 3 very ripe bananas, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 1½ cup gluten free flour blend, ½ cup almond flour, 1 tsp salt, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1½ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg
- Add the batter to your greased loaf pan. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. At this point, check your loaf, if your oven tends to run high or if any toppings are getting too dark, you may need to cover the banana bread at this point with a tented piece of foil. If it is not golden enough, keep uncovered. Cook for an additional 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick, once inserted, come out dry. Let the banana bread cool 30 minutes before flipping it out of the pan.