This Pineapple Banana Bread is an unexpected treat ~ ripe bananas, crushed pineapple, and shredded coconut make for a dreamy cake, and don’t forget that sweet/tangy pineapple glaze!
My loaf pan gets more of a workout in my kitchen than just about any other pan. When I crave a little something sweet, it’s usually some type of CRUMB CAKE, or POUND CAKE. And I actually prefer my sweet treats in the morning with my coffee, rather than later in the day. Sometimes they revolve around PUMPKIN, CITRUS, or CHOCOLATE. But, like today, BANANA often stars in my sweet breakfast recipes ~ this Pineapple Banana Bread is the latest. I should have thrown coconut into that title, too, since there’s an equal portion of that in there. And a little almond extract and a palmful of poppy seeds just to make things interesting.
This cake/bread is everything I crave…it’s moist, with a loose, raggedly crumb, and lots of flavor (and substance) from the banana and pineapple. The glaze is made from the leftover pineapple juice and confectioner’s sugar and just tips it over into the sweets category; but for me it’s strictly a breakfast and coffee break luxury.
Bananas and canned pineapple make this a year round treat. I always seem to have half a bag of coconut in my cupboard, and you could even add some chopped pecans, if you like, but isn’t it true, there is nothing more intoxicating on a snowy day than realizing you have everything you need right in your kitchen to make something sweet and warm from the oven like this.
I confess I’m a glaze-a-holic. At this point I feel like a quick bread is naked without one. I had leftover juice from draining the crushed pineapple, so it was a natural leap to make the glaze. But I did consider leaving it plain and eating it with a nice smear of whipped cream cheese. You make the call, either way will be good.
Reader Rave ~
“Superb banana bread worth getting excited about. I use vanilla extract, purée from four canned pineapple slices in heavy syrup, omit poppy seeds, add chopped pecans, and about 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips. I bake for the full 70 minutes, to get a nice crust with a soft inside. I will be making this forever.” ~ Suzanne
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1 Tbsp poppy seeds (optional)
- 1 ripe banana, well mashed
- 1/2 cup well drained crushed pineapple (reserve the juice!)
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- reserved pineapple juice
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F
- Cream the butter and the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, or do it with electric beaters. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the extract and poppy seeds.
- Blend in the drained pineapple, the mashed banana, and the coconut.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and just mix on low speed until everything is blended.
- Spray or lightly butter a standard loaf pan and line it with parchment paper with long overhanging ends (this is optional) so you can lift it out for glazing.
- Spread the batter evenly into the pan and rap it against the counter once or twice to release any air bubbles.
- Bake for about 65-70 minutes, until risen, golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out without wet batter clinging to it.
- Cool on a rack before glazing.
- To make the glaze, mix the confectioner's sugar with enough of the reserved pineapple juice to make a spreadable glaze.,
Notes
recipe adapted from Taste of Home
Don’t forget to pin it!
82 Comments
AKrem
August 21, 2019 at 5:44 pmI doubled the recipe right away & I’m everyone was happy that I did . I also added coarsely chopped walnuts an extra egg & extra bananas ( because I had a surplus) . Before cooking I sprinkled a topping of coconut,walnuts & sugar that I chopped together. Normally I love heavy glaze but I only had about a cup of powdered sugar left……so thin glaze it is.?My son said Mom this is soooo good as he’s eating his 2nd piece. You can taste all the different flavors…….high praise from a 12 yr old .
Suzanne
June 18, 2019 at 7:04 pmSuperb banana bread worth getting excited about. I use vanilla extract, purée from four canned pineapple slices in heavy syrup, omit poppy seeds, add chopped pecans, and about 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips. I bake for the full 70 minutes, to get a nice crust with a soft inside. I will be making this forever.
gigi
April 14, 2019 at 3:34 pmI just made this….I reduced cook time to 45 minutes b.c everything I bake comes out dry in my electric oven. I checked for doneness and toothpick came out clean. I didn’t use icing b/c it’s just for me and when I tried it without it, it was delicious. Great flavor, and finally my DRY BAKED GOODS CURSE is over lol. Thanks for sharing
Cheryl
November 18, 2018 at 12:56 pmJust made this with my gluten free flour, perfect. My house smells amazing! Thank you for sharing.
Essie
July 26, 2018 at 11:12 amI tried it and had no baking powder, so I substituted 1/2 cup of molasses and 1/4th tsp of baking soda for it. The cake came out too crumbly for me. It tastes great, but is falling apart. What can make it moust and not so dry and crumbly?
Lynn
September 27, 2017 at 10:25 amDoes this call for sweetened or unsweetened coconut?
Sue
September 27, 2017 at 10:28 amI use the sweetened kind, Lynn.
Carla Bisagni-Holmes
August 18, 2017 at 11:12 amI’ve got this baking right now! I used fresh pineapple, omitted the poppy seeds, and added a couple of scoops of unflavored protein powder (for a protein boost, since my husband and I are gym goers). Also, I doubled the recipe, and used 2 miniature loaf pans, 3 small loaf pans, and 2 medium loaf pans. I’m going to also top it with a bit of coconut as well. My kitchen smells so good right now!
Stephanie @ Casa Watkins Living
July 17, 2017 at 11:24 pmMmmmmmm goood. Absolutely delicious looking!!! I’ve included your recipe in a roundup of amazing pineapple recipes. :) http://casawatkinsliving.com/2017/07/13-amazing-ways-to-cook-with-pineapples/
Sue
July 18, 2017 at 6:58 amThanks Stephanie!
Jeanette
June 3, 2017 at 4:35 amThe bread is baking as we speak. I used a little less sugar, because my husband has to cut back on sugar. I’m hoping is doesn’t affect the bread. Like two tablespoons less.
Ginny
May 11, 2017 at 12:50 pmHi Sue.
I am baking this as we speak but I doubled the recipe subtracted coconut, added the juice to the batter, added walnuts and almond extract. Doubled everything else. So probably not the same recipe now but I used your recipe as a platform….which I love to do. I will let you know how it comes out. Thanks for the inspiration.
Sue
May 11, 2017 at 1:11 pmI love to do that with recipes, too Ginny, so more power to you ~ hope it comes out yummy :)
teresa
April 30, 2017 at 11:59 amthis is my family’s favourite banana bread!!
i have also made it as muffins….also delicous!
thanks for sharing your recipie1
Sue
April 30, 2017 at 12:39 pmOooooh wow, muffins, I need to try that, thanks so much Teresa :)
Megan
January 1, 2017 at 8:22 amJust wanted to let you know I’m making my second batch of this today. Made it last week and I ate entirely too much in one sitting, it was that good! One of the best quick breads I’ve ever come across – the almond extract is a game changer. Just discovered your blog…can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Sue
January 1, 2017 at 8:30 amThanks SO much Megan, I’m glad you found me! I’m just photographing another banana bread this morning :)
Lisa Langston
December 23, 2016 at 5:20 pmI am new here and already I’m a big fan! I too am a big banana fan also, I am going to have to make both these recipes. Thank you for a great blog and wonderful recipes!
Jennifer Lopez
July 28, 2016 at 3:42 pmJust got back from Hawaii last night, I brought tons of Kona Coffee so I am making this today. Hope it turns out. I read all the reviews so I am cutting off about 10 minutes to the cooking time. Hope it is ok, even though I know different ovens and elevations bake differently, I can go further if need be.
Nora
April 12, 2016 at 3:46 pmLoved this recipe but the baking time is way too long for my oven. 45-50 min is max.
A delicious treat! Thank you.
Sue
April 12, 2016 at 4:03 pmThanks for the feedback Nora, and glad you liked it!
Nora
August 24, 2016 at 1:33 pmStill my go to loaf. Love it. A confession: I make it in the food processor! Cream the butter/ sugar well on high, throw in whole banana, eggs, vanilla. Whiz it. Scrape sides well. Add pineapple, poppy seeds, coconut, whiz, scrape. Then dump in whisked dry ingredients and pulse just till mixed in.
One bowl. No fuss no muss. Works great.
Sue
August 24, 2016 at 4:26 pmWow, easy-peasy :)
Mary
April 9, 2016 at 7:48 pmJust made this, and my husband loves it. So do I. Thanks for sharing such a simple, yet delicious recipe.
Sue
April 9, 2016 at 8:02 pmThanks for taking the time to let me know Mary :)
Donna
March 23, 2016 at 9:42 amDon’t like coconut but like the flavor .if I used coconut flavoring how much would you suggest.
Sue
March 23, 2016 at 9:50 amI would say start with 1/2 tsp, but it kind of depends on the flavoring or extract that you are using.
Teri
March 22, 2016 at 1:50 pmThis was delicious and a big hit with my family – thanks for sharing!
Debra
February 26, 2016 at 2:50 aminstead of poppy seeds can you use chia seeds
Sue
February 26, 2016 at 6:33 amHmmmm, not sure. I mean, chia seeds soak up liquid and turn gelatinous, so I think they might affect the texture!
Carolyn Hill
March 1, 2016 at 11:38 amThat’s what I was just wondering too, about chia seeds. Maybe if I reduce the flour? Did you try it Debra, and if you did, how did it turn out?
Kathy
January 4, 2016 at 3:20 pmThis recipe is simply delicious! I made muffins rather than the loaf. I used fresh pineapple and 2 mashed bananas. My new favorite banana bread recipe. I am making it again tonight!
Sue
January 4, 2016 at 3:55 pmYay – I’m happy to hear it Kathy!
Taniesha
December 20, 2015 at 3:30 pmI’m baking this as we speak but did twerk the recipe a little I don’t like coconut flakes so I used coconut flavor. So I hope it turns out good.
Michelle
March 5, 2016 at 4:46 pmhahahaha tweak not twerk!!! lololol
Jen
September 27, 2015 at 2:11 pmI love baking. I have made many different banana breads.. This one sounds delightful..I’m baking it right now.. May have put a little too much pineapple juice in? We shall see.. Thx Sue.. Keep those recipes coming..?
Alecia Lott
September 10, 2015 at 6:58 pmSue, I’m kinda late to the party but…Yum!! This is my new favorite banana bread, I love the tropical flavors and wish I had some Kona coffee to go with it. :) I was skeptical at first about the poppy seeds but the crunch is perfect, and unlike many other banana breads it’s not overwhelmingly mushy and banana-y. Now don’t hate me but I did some things differently: I’m a vegan so I used 1/2 cup of coconut oil instead of the butter, and subbed powdered egg replacer for the eggs. I added 1 tsp. vanilla, because…just because vanilla is never a bad idea! I dislike shredded coconut (the texture, ugh) so left that out, but the coconut oil was unrefined so it gave just a hint of the flavor. And I forgot to make the glaze!! It was excellent without it, though. Great breakfast bread that my husband and I devoured. Thank you!
Sue
September 10, 2015 at 7:24 pmThanks Alecia — it’s great to know that a vegan version works so well :)
Renee
July 27, 2015 at 8:22 pmI just found your website and this recipe and I’m glad I did! I will definitely make this in the next few days. The photography is awesome too. The only thing I cannot relate to is a day with snow.
Lisa Shaw
June 6, 2015 at 8:30 amFirst…I LOVE your site and your recipes The recipes are always full of such amazing flavor! This is in the oven as I type and smells AMAZING!! I made a few switches to make it a “bit” healthier or so I convinced myself its healthier! LOL ! I used 1/2 whole wheat pastry flour, cut the sugar in half and used coconut sugar instead of cane sugar and doubled up on the bananas for some sweetness. I’m gonna try the cream cheese and pineapple like someone suggested! I can’t wait to taste it!!! Thanks for this yummy recipe!!
Lilie
April 3, 2015 at 12:25 pmThis sounds delish and will be making this today. Just wondering though what size is the 1 banana? Or is there a measurement? Bananas come in tons of sizes. Lol
Sue
April 3, 2015 at 12:47 pmI just used a regular, standard size banana Lille. A little bit of variation won’t hurt the recipe, but let’s just say about 1/2 cup of mashed banana.
Jennifer
March 24, 2015 at 10:57 amWould this work with fresh pineapple? I am always looking for new things to use up fresh pineapple.
Sue
March 24, 2015 at 11:25 amYes, absolutely, I have used fresh pineapple and it was great!
Nadia
March 15, 2015 at 7:13 pmI`ve tried it yesterday. And the result is amazing! Thank you for such a brilliant recipe!
Tracie
March 10, 2015 at 3:03 pmLove love love this bread made it today!
Sue
March 10, 2015 at 3:09 pmThanks so much for taking to time to let me know Tracie :)
Louise
February 25, 2015 at 5:59 pmSo, I hate to be the downer – but this is not one of my favorite recipes from The View. I’ve made tons of Sue’s recipes and they have been superb but I found this one a bit dry and without enough flavor. Sorry…..
bonni weinstein
February 9, 2015 at 4:47 pmMade this with Splenda instead of sugar and it was great. Then mixed the pineapple juice with cream cheese to frost it with. As a diabetic, the carbs from the flour were enough to deal with–and Splenda doesn’t really become a glaze, no matter how much you add.
Sue
February 9, 2015 at 10:07 pmGreat to know, Bonni- thanks for sharing!
Cris
February 20, 2016 at 5:40 pmI love the idea of cream cheese in lieu of powdered sugar!! Making my first batch right now!!
Deb
August 16, 2016 at 10:29 amWould pwd Swerve work for glaze?
Sue
August 16, 2016 at 11:28 amAs I understand it you can use Swerve in place of sugar in a one to one ratio, so I think so, Deb. Let us know what you think.
Lisa
February 2, 2015 at 6:39 amWould omitting the coconut affect anything other than taste? My daughter LOVES pineapple and loves banana bread, but hates coconut. Thanks!
Sue
February 2, 2015 at 7:03 amNo I don’t think it would change anything, Lisa, go for it!
Kirkley
January 27, 2015 at 7:05 amI really want to try this recipe because it sounds & looks delish, but I don’t have any almond extract. :( Do you think using vanilla extract in its place would be ok? *fingers crossed*
Sue
January 27, 2015 at 7:10 amAbsolutely, the vanilla will be great Kirkley!
REA
January 16, 2015 at 11:01 amThis looks so GOOD!!!! There goes me cutting down on eating sweets for new year’s resolution.
http://LivingItUpAlternatively.blogspot.com
Sue
January 16, 2015 at 11:28 amAs sweets go, this is pretty tame, Rea! (at least that’s what I tell myself) Thanks for visiting!
Lynn | The Road to Honey
January 13, 2015 at 6:38 amMmm! This looks divine. I’ve had my fair share of banana bread in my life but never with pineapple. Top this with some toasted coconut and you have the perfect tropical delight.
http://www.theroadtohoney.com
Nancy
January 11, 2015 at 6:47 pmThis bread came out great! I have a wonky electric oven so I could have gone a bit less on the baking. Made a bit more icing, soooooo good thanks!
Amy @ Amy's Healthy Baking
January 11, 2015 at 12:05 pmI do the same thing with baking! I love how it means I don’t have to pay as much for heating (in my head, anyway) and I get something delicious out of the deal too. Like your gorgeous loaf! I love the idea of combining banana bread with pineapple and poppy seeds. I definitely need to try that flavor combo sometime! Pinned!
Barbara
January 8, 2015 at 5:37 amI do love your take on banana bread, Sue. Am getting so tired of the same old recipes….adding pineapple and coconut sounds great, think I’d go for the pecans as well! The pineapple glaze looks so good running down the sides!
Amanda
January 7, 2015 at 2:46 pmPineapple is such a great addition to banana bread! This sounds delicious!
John@Kitchen+Riffs
January 7, 2015 at 10:31 amWe do a lot of baking in January, too. As well as the other 11 months of the year. ;-) Just can’t help ourselves! This is wonderful — thanks. And Happy New Year!
grace
January 7, 2015 at 9:52 amho. lee. smokes. that’s some tender, soft banana bread, sue! it’s like a pillow! fantastic recipe–the glaze is outstanding too!
Robin
January 7, 2015 at 7:59 amI LOVE this idea. Can’t wait to make it. Actually from what I have seen of your recipes they are all intriguing. Thank you for “cutting loose” in the kitchen. Keep them coming.
Sue
January 7, 2015 at 8:00 amThanks Robin, welcome in!
Chris @ The Café Sucré Farine
January 7, 2015 at 5:48 amWe’re on the same wave length Sue. We’ve been drinking Pineapple Banana Green Smoothies this week – so good, but if you don’t tell anyone, I think I’ll swap mine in today for a BIG slice of this delicious looking bread!
Christina
January 6, 2015 at 10:03 pmOh my, oh my, oh my! What can I say? LOVE the look of this bread! I’m going to have to buy bananas just to make them go brown so I can make this awesome delight!
denise@magnoliaverandah
January 6, 2015 at 6:50 pmDefinitely pinned. And how nice is it to have the oven on on cold days and thankful that you don’t need to pop to the shops for any ingredients. This looks fantastic and like you hate wastage and like the way you put the pineapple syrup to good use. Happy New Year.
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
January 6, 2015 at 3:19 pmWe are on the same wavelength with our banana bread posts. Love the tropical twist you gave this!
Kiran+@+KiranTarun.com
January 6, 2015 at 3:13 pmThis looks so tropical with pineapple, coconut and banana!! What a lovely loaf :)
Kitchen Belleicious
January 6, 2015 at 11:25 amokay so this is it! This is the best banana bread I have seen. I have used raisins in mine, coconut and nuts but never pineapple and i love that idea!
Sue
January 6, 2015 at 12:16 pmThanks Jess, I am on a best banana bread quest!
Dom
January 6, 2015 at 9:22 ammmmm… pineapple and banana… lovely and tropical, just what we need here in the very grey skied London!… Happy New Year to you xxx
Sue
January 6, 2015 at 12:17 pmWe have a pretty grey skied California these days, too! Have a Happy New Year, Dom!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
January 6, 2015 at 7:14 amLoving this combination of flavours! Must try :)
SusanR
January 6, 2015 at 7:04 amHeading to the kitchen to start baking this right now! My espresso machine died last night. So sad! I need something yummy for breakfast!
Sue
January 6, 2015 at 7:54 amNot sure this can compensate for your loss, but it is yummy :)
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert
January 6, 2015 at 5:56 amHaha – naked bread! This is a wonderful treat Sue. Love the flavor combinations and baking anytime of the year works for me! This loaf is perfectly crave-able and a breakfast luxury I would truly enjoy! Bravo :)
Monique
January 6, 2015 at 5:37 amI bet this is fantastic!