Pineapple Coconut Banana Bread Recipe

This pineapple coconut banana bread is a moist loaf made with 2 ripe bananas, ½ cup crushed pineapple plus ¼ cup of its juice, and ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut. It takes 10 minutes to mix and 50 to 60 minutes to bake, and makes one 9×5 inch loaf, about 10 slices.

The one thing that decides how it turns out is the pineapple. Drain it well, then add back only the juice the recipe asks for. You get a tender, fruity crumb that is baked all the way through, with a little extra coconut pressed onto the warm top.

Draining the Crushed Pineapple

Tip the crushed pineapple into a fine sieve set over a bowl. Press hard with the back of a spoon until it stops dripping. Measure ½ cup of the pressed fruit and ¼ cup of the juice. Keep any leftover juice for a smoothie.

Why bother when the juice goes back in anyway? Because a can of crushed pineapple holds a different amount of liquid every time. Undrained, the batter gets too wet, the loaf browns outside long before the middle sets, and you cut into a gummy band right through the center. Measured juice is moisture you control.

Fresh pineapple works too. Chop it very fine or pulse it a few times in a food processor, press it the same way, and use the juice that runs out.

Butter or Coconut Oil in This Loaf

You can use ½ cup melted butter or coconut oil. They bake differently. Butter gives a richer, slightly more cake-like slice and a deeper brown crust. Coconut oil makes the crumb a little moister and denser, and it doubles the coconut flavor from the shredded coconut.

Want the moisture of oil without a strong coconut taste? Use refined coconut oil. Either way, let the melted fat cool for a few minutes so it does not start to cook the eggs when they go in.

Mixing and Baking One Loaf

The Batter

Heat the oven to 350°F and line a greased 9×5 inch pan with parchment. Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in one bowl. Whisk well. Lumps of baking soda leave bitter, soapy spots in the slice, so keep going until the cinnamon is evenly spread through the flour and you cannot see a single streak of it anywhere.

Mash the bananas in a large bowl until no big pieces remain. They should be heavily speckled with brown, and 2 large ones give about 1 cup. Stir in the pineapple, coconut, both sugars, the melted butter or oil, eggs, vanilla and the reserved juice.

Add the dry ingredients and stir only until you stop seeing streaks of flour. A few small lumps are fine. The batter should be thick but still pourable, like the bowl above. Stirring past that point builds gluten and gives a tough, tunnelled loaf.

Baking and the Coconut Top

Spread the batter in the pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Sugar and coconut color quickly, so check at about 40 minutes: if the top is already deep brown, lay a loose sheet of foil over it and keep baking.

Start testing at 50 minutes. Push a toothpick into the very center and avoid the pineapple pockets, which stay wet even when the crumb is done. Moist crumbs on the pick are fine. Wet batter? Give it 5 more minutes. The top should spring back when pressed, and an instant-read thermometer reads about 200 to 205°F in the middle.

Cool the loaf in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift it onto a rack. While it is still slightly warm, scatter extra shredded coconut over the top so it sticks to the surface. Then let it cool completely before you slice. Really. A fruit-heavy crumb keeps setting as it cools, and a warm slice tears and looks underbaked even when it is not.

When the Middle Sinks or Stays Wet

• Gummy band in the center: the pineapple was not drained, or the loaf came out early. Press the fruit next time and trust the thermometer, not the color of the crust.
• Sunken top: usually underbaking, or too much banana. Measure the mash to 1 cup instead of adding a third banana.
• Dark top, pale inside: the oven runs hot or the foil went on too late. Tent it at 40 minutes.
• Too sweet: sweetened coconut flakes were used. Unsweetened coconut keeps the loaf balanced and browns more slowly.

Adding Nuts and Other Changes

For banana nut bread with pineapple and coconut, fold ½ cup chopped macadamia nuts, pecans or walnuts into the batter with the last of the flour. Macadamias fit the tropical flavors best. Toast them for 6 to 8 minutes first for more crunch.

You can also spread a slice with cream cheese, or with a spoonful of homemade pineapple jam for more fruit. The same pineapple and coconut pairing goes into pineapple coconut balls and a layered pineapple cake filling.

Keeping and Freezing the Loaf

Wrap the cooled loaf or keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. The fruit makes it moister than plain banana bread, so it stays soft longer, but it also turns damp if wrapped while warm.

To freeze, wrap single slices in plastic wrap, then put them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw a slice on the counter for about 30 minutes, or warm it briefly in a toaster oven so the coconut top crisps again.

If You Have More Ripe Bananas

Want a plain loaf to compare? Start with my classic banana bread. For a citrus version, try orange zest and cranberry banana bread. Maple glazed banana bread has a sweet drizzle for coffee time, and white chocolate cranberry banana bread is the richer holiday loaf.

Pineapple Coconut Banana Bread Questions

Can I use pineapple tidbits or chunks instead of crushed?

Yes, but chop them fine first and press out the juice. Large chunks sink and leave wet pockets in the slice.

Do I have to drain the crushed pineapple?

Yes. Drain it, then add back exactly ¼ cup of the juice. Undrained pineapple is the most common reason this loaf stays gummy in the middle.

Can I make it as muffins?

Yes. Fill 12 lined muffin cups about three quarters full and bake at 350°F for roughly 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out with moist crumbs.

Pin this pineapple coconut banana bread for your next batch of spotty bananas. Added nuts, or swapped in coconut oil? Tell me in the comments how it went.