Banana-Coconut Bread with Lime Glaze

Banana-Coconut Bread with Lime Glaze! Craving a little taste of the tropics? This banana bread with coconut flakes will whisk your taste buds away on an island getaway! Finished off with a tangy lime glaze, it's a perfect way to switch up your typical banana bread game to something with a twist of the exotic!

This post was originally published on June 13, 2012 and updated on March 31, 2020

Banana bread is a popular recipe, and it's not hard to see why. It's a great way to use up overripe bananas, it's quick and simple, and it's usually a crowd-pleaser! But if you find yourself making it as much as I do, you may be ready to switch things up and make it a bit more exciting.

This recipe for banana bread with coconut had been sitting in the blog archives for quite sometime, and I thought it might be time to dust it off and give it an update. Coming together in no time at all, it retains its "quick and easy" title, but with a tropical update -- coconut!

Using coconut oil, coconut flakes and coconut extract {if desired} really drives the flavor home and pairs so well with banana. A simple lime drizzle gives it an extra bit of pizzazz and flavors reminiscent of an island cocktail!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Tips for Perfect Banana-Coconut Bread
• Variations on this Banana Bread
• Other Recipes Using Ripe Bananas
• Banana-Coconut Bread with Lime Glaze

Ingredients

• coconut oil or butter
• granulated sugar
• eggs
• bananas
• all-purpose flour
• baking soda
• salt
• coconut extract or vanilla extract
• coconut flakes
• fresh lime juice
• powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease loaf pan with coconut oil or butter. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer {or a regular bowl}, beat together coconut oil or butter and sugar. Beat until fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the coconut or vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat until the mixure is uniform.

Add the mashed bananas until incorporated. It may look curdled -- that's ok!

In a separate bowl whisk together the dry ingredients - flour, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients slowly to the wet mixture. Fold or mix gently until just incorporated. Add the shredded coconut and fold in until just mixed.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and top with and additional ¼ cup of coconut flakes. Bake for 35 minutes, then lightly cover the top with a piece of foil {this will prevent the top from burning while the inside is still baking}. Bake for an additional 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with some moist crumbs.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 20-25 minutes.

Tips for Perfect Banana-Coconut Bread

One of the reasons banana bread is a favorite in most households is because it's basically foolproof! This version is no different. Just mix together wet and dry ingredients and, voila!, sweet, moist banana bread for all to enjoy. There are, however, a few tips that can help ensure that your banana bread is scrumptious every single time.

• The riper the banana the sweeter the bread! I usually let my bananas get pretty brown before I use them for banana bread. Here's a great guide for knowing when your bananas are ready for baking.
• Use softened, not melted, coconut oil or butter. This will help create the correct consistency when the sugar is added and beaten in. If your coconut oil is liquid, simply place it in the refrigerator until it begins to solidify. You'll want it to become the consistency of room temperature butter.
• Combine the wet ingredients {coconut oil, eggs, bananas and extracts} separately from the dry ingredients {with the exception of creaming together the coconut oil and sugar}. This helps ensure that the wet mixture and dry mixture are both well-mixed before combining. Because...
• You don't want to over-mix! When you agitate flour too much, it activates the gluten which is what makes for a gummy or tough consistency. This works well for regular, kneaded breads, but isn't what you want for baked goods like quick breads and muffins. To get the proper texture, gently fold the wet and dry ingredients together {I like to add the dry to the wet even though I've read it should be the opposite} until everything is just incorporated. You may have a few lumps here and there, and that's ok!

• Grease your loaf pan. There's nothing worse than baking something delicious, only to find that you can't remove it from the pan without turning it into crumbles. I like to spray my loaf pan {I usually use coconut oil spray for baking}, and then use my hand to rub it in and make sure it gets into all the nooks and crannies, like the corners and edges. If you're extra worried about easy removal, you can cut a piece of parchment to fit into the bottom of the greased loaf pan. When the bread is fully baked and partially cooled, you can run a butter knife or offset spatula along the outer edges and gently flip it over for fuss-free removal from the pan.
• Don't over-bake! There are conditions that can cause variations in cook time, so I like to test baked goods about 5 minutes before the timer goes off with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out with moist crumbs, it can be removed from the oven. If it's coated in batter, then a bit more baking is required. Sometimes things will look done on top, but aren't fully cooked in the middle, so it's always important to test before removing from the oven!
• Let your bread cool for a while before removing or cutting! I know it's hard to wait {ooooh that smell!}, but cutting into fresh-from-the-oven banana bread or cake is usually a recipe for crumbly disaster.

Variations on this Banana Bread

If banana bread with coconut isn't exciting enough for you, there are other ways you can jazz this up with just a few additions!

• Chocolate Coconut Banana Bread. Add about ½ cup chocolate chips to the batter and omit the lime glaze.
• Coconut Macadamia Banana Bread. Get nutty! Add to the tropical vibe by including up to a cup of chopped macadamia nuts to the batter before baking.
• Coconut-Banana Bread with Rum Glaze. Give it a boozy kick by adding a teaspoon of dark rum to the glaze. You'll need to add a little extra powdered sugar to offset the liquid and keep your glaze from getting too runny.
• Coconut-Lime Banana Bread. Add some lime zest to the batter for more citrusy flavor. About 2 teaspoons should do it.
• Turn it into muffins! For quicker cooking, you can scoop the batter into individual muffin tins. The size of your muffins will determine the bake time, but I like to start with 12 minutes and then add additional time from there. Use a toothpick, skewer or the end of a sharp knife to check for doneness.

Other Recipes Using Ripe Bananas

Still have some overripe bananas that need a purpose? Try these other banana recipes that satisfy a sweet tooth:

• Banana-Oat Mini Muffins
• Almond Butter Swirl Banana Bread Squares
• Brown Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
• Flax Pancakes with Banana-Coconut Compote
• Banana Whoopie Pies
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Upside Down Cake
• Dark Chocolate Orange-Walnut Banana Bread