Banana Coconut Bread
Although we do not eat a lot of sweets in my house, it’s always nice to have something on hand to offer guests that stop by along with a cup of coffee. Quick breads are perfect for this as they are easy to make and work anytime of the day. I have been trying very hard to make all of my baked items just a little healthier, by substituting some whole wheat pastry flour for part of the all-purpose flour, or by substituting olive oil in place of butter.
The first substitution always works out just fine, but changing the butter in a recipe to olive oil can be just a little trickier. Since butter is more of a solid at room temperature than olive oil, you always need a little less oil than butter. I swapped out some of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat pastry flour and switched the butter to olive oil in this tasty banana coconut quick bread with great results. It is very moist and the coconut adds just a little additional sweetness.
If you keep your loaf well wrapped, it will stay nice and moist for up to five days. Living in Florida, I keep my desserts in the refrigerator to ensure they are safe. To garnish your loaf, you can bake about 1/2 a cup of coconut in a moderate oven until lightly browned. Once your loaf has baked and cooled, sprinkle the toasted coconut on top before serving.
Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele
Banana Coconut Bread
The bananas and oil keep this quick bread nice and moist.
Ingredients
- 8 Tablespoons or 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
- 3/4 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
- 1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Coconut
- 3 Large Eggs
- 3 Large Ripe Bananas
- 12 Tablespoons or 3/4 Cup Buttermilk (or Sour Milk)
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lightly grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
- Peel and mash your bananas.
- In one bowl, stir together the two flours, cinnamon, coconut, and baking powder.
- In another bowl, beat the bananas and olive oil on medium speed with a hand mixer.
- Add the eggs one at a time beating well between each.
- Add the buttermilk and vanilla and mix.
- Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and blend on low just until mixed.
- Pour your batter into the loaf pan, smoothing the top with a spoon.
- Bake the loaf for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean.
- If the loaf begins to brown too much while baking, lightly cover with aluminum foil.
- Cool for 20 minutes then turn out onto a platter.
- Slice & enjoy!
