Description
Moist and flavorful banana bread infused with the tropical taste of coconut and optional nuts.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ripe large bananas, mashed (about 1.5 cups)
- 1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, divided
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract.
- Add the mashed bananas and sour cream (or yogurt) to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Gently fold in 3/4 cup of the shredded coconut and the chopped nuts (if using).
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup shredded coconut over the top of the batter.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the banana bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Slice and serve.
Notes
- Ensure bananas are very ripe for maximum sweetness and flavor.
- Do not overmix the batter after adding the dry ingredients to prevent a tough bread.
- For a richer flavor, use full-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt.
- If you don’t have unsweetened coconut, you can use sweetened, but you may want to reduce the granulated sugar slightly.