Coconut & vanilla banana loaf
This is a perfect way to use those annoying bananas you swore you’d eat before they went spotty. It’s a buttery, almost cakey loaf, but that doesn’t mean you can’t put more butter on top! Or golden syrup for that matter. Delicious with a cuppa for morning or afternoon tea!
The bananas really need to be over-ripe – as a banana ripens, some of the starch in the banana turns to sugar, and also the flavour intensifies – which is what we want. To speed up the ripening process, pop the bananas in a paper bag with an apple or an orange and leave overnight or a day or two.
Ingredients
1 cup mashed very ripe banana (about 2 big bananas)
1/2 cup unsweetened yoghurt
150g butter, at room temperature
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
2 free-range eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp pure vanilla essence
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp mixed spice
1 cup desiccated coconut
Method
Preheat the oven to 170c. Grease and flour a medium sized loaf tin and line the bottom with baking paper.
Cream the butter and sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
Sift the dry ingredients except coconut into a bowl, and stir in the coconut to combine. Add to the creamed mixture along with with the banana and yoghurt and fold until just combined.
Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and bake in the oven for around an hour and 10 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Serve warm with butter – and golden syrup if you like!
I’ve made this twice in the last month to use up bananas. I love it, but I’ve taken it to work the past couple of times and it has been a hit with my colleagues!
how lovely x
Possibly a silly question but is it all purpose flour or self raising? Thanks!
All purpose flour x
I’m ready to make this but don’t have any vanilla. Will it be ok without?
Very nice bread, didnt take long to whip up and perfect for a picnic lunch, thanks for the recipe ????
Hi Chelsey I have too much beetroot in my garden now I was thinking if I use a carrot cake recipe but replace grated carrots by grated beetroot will that work? Maybe but naughty but just thinking.
Cheers Frans
Which one of your cookbooks is this from please? And, are there other lovely, hearty recipes like this in that book. I’m wanting to purchase one of your books and looking for inspiration with loaves,cakes and biscuits for the kids. I’d love to know which book would be best. Cheers
Tasty is perfect for the kids – no refined sugar! x
I just tried this today on a very wet Dunedin morning as I wanted something productive to do and I had some brown bananas. Even though I forgot to add the yoghurt until the last minute and had to take it out of the loaf tin and remix it it has still turned out beautifully. I bought the fine coconut which was perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing. Thanks so much for sharing this awesome recipe Chelsea.
Well I forgot to put the eggs in. It didn’t cook as long I took it out with 20 mins to go because it was very brown. It still tastes nice, but is a little doughy in the middle. I thought it was weird that it was like a dough rather than a batter when I put it in the oven, I should have listened to my instincts! Anyway, for other people’s benefit – it can be made egg free :)
Could this be made into a cake instead? And iced?
Hi Chelsea, do you think I could substitute the yoghurt in this? If so what would a dairy free alternative be?
coconut yoghurt x
Just tried this recipe & will no doubt be one of our
favorites as it delicious & easy to make.
Marion
I made this as muffins for school lunches – it made 16 muffins and took about 20 minutes to cook. They are divine, happy kids here!
just come back from a rugby tournament with a mountain of bananas – going to try out this recipe to take to the next tournament!!!!! what sort of size is considered a medium loaf tin????
Just finished making this, well the version in your Homemade Happiness cookbook which uses lemon juice and zest instead of spice, and uses coconut cream as an alternative to the yoghurt. Didn’t have lemon, forgot the vanilla essence and used self raising flour (left out the baking powder to compensate for this, but did add the baking soda). I also only used half the amount of white sugar.
Turned out tasting great, could not wait any longer than the 1hr 10 mins baking time. It was a little undercooked in the middle still, oops. The only problem I had was that the mixture was too much for the loaf tin, had enough leftover to fill 6 muffin pans.
Superb recipe again. There are not too many recipe books or on-line recipes where the photo matches the end result of the amateur – but I have to say that every time I make one of these recipes I am never disappointed in the result. Will wrap some slices in clingwrap and foil and freeze for delicious puddings in the days to come. Warmed up with a dollop of hokey pokey ice cream will be a treat for the future.
Would it work if you put the mixture into muffin trays? (I am an armature baker-so this could be a really dumb question)
Yes, but cook for less time. Maybe 30 minutes.
This recipe is delish! My new favorite. I only had just under half a cup of white flour so used wholemeal flour for the rest and it tasted amazing. Added a bit of milk to moisten the mixture a little. Oh and I used greek yogurt. Best way to use ripe frozen bananas! ☺
This is a family favourite…such a great recipe and am always sharing it round with the neighbours, kindy teachers, etc and everyone loves it!!! xx
I made this today, Gluten free with Aquafaba (from a can of Chickpeas) instead of egg due to Allergies and turned out great! Thanks for the recipe Chelsea :)
Hi Chelsea, the flavours are fantastic. My loaf is a bit crumbly when I am cutting it up, its not overcooked as its nice and moist. Any tips?
That may be the coconut – use the finest dessicated stuff you can find :)
Can I make these as muffins instead? The loaf is amazing!
So coconut, almond, banana and strawberry loaf … absolutely BEAUTIFUL … hot, straight out of the oven! Mmmmm!!!!
So I’ve just put together this coconut and banana loaf with a bit of a twist … 1/2 the suggested quantity of gluten free (I’m coeliac) flour), 1/2 flour substituted with ground almonds, and a little less sugar to compensate for the strawberry and cream yoghurt. Watch this space, as I smell it bake. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating …
I’ve got no mixed spice in the cupboard- what could i use instead? Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice???
This recipe is amazing my kids have always hated banana loaf but they couldn’t get enough of this recipe, I’m making it for the second time this week!
Hi Chelsea. I love your recipes. This one sounds yum and can’t wait to make it. I’m a bit surprised you used vanilla essence though instead of extract. Anything I’ve read or heard about vanilla essence is that it is synthetic and extract is more pure and therefore is better. is there a reason why you use it in this recipe? Can I substitute with extract for same quantity or less?
Oops – I forgot to put the yoghurt in! I’ll have to see what it’s like
This looks divine! Chelsea what would you suggest as an alternative to yoghurt if making it dairy free? (I’d be using an olivite/olivani type alternative to butter.)
Made this for a Pot Luck dinner/dessert tomorrow night.Has come out perfectly, even after I had to use a blender to cream the butter, sugar and eggs due to my mixers being out of action! Great recipe, Thanks Chelsea :)
Hi, I just made this and swapped one of the cups of white flour with a cup of almond flour. Trying to cut out white flour I did 4 smaller bananas, it made a huge loaf but cooked way quicker so took it out after about 50 min only difference from yours is its colour is darker inside but this could be the almond flour.
Love this recipe, coconut the hero. well have to save me pennies to buy you book.lol. your wonderful,many thanks for sharing.
Made it without the coconut, I and the kids loved it
Will add the coconut next time
Hi. Can you please tell me if the coconut can be left out and if not what can I substitute the coconut with as I have 2 family members that can’t eat coconut but would love this in their lunches.
You can leave it out, or try adding a little almond meal :)
Im going to try it egg free tomorrow. Will try vinegar and maybe some ground linseed. Fingers crossed. If i can get that to work, the next challenge will be to make it dairy free and gluten free as well.
I used coconut vanilla bean yoghurt instead of normal yoghurt. It added to the coconut flavour so was delicious.
what is mixed spice???
Hi
Do you have the same recipe using grams (I don’t use cups and would love to make this!)
Thanks
Hi there Chelsea
Would this recipe work if you substitute the plain flour for gluten free flour? Also would I use the same amount of flour..
Hi Chelsea, would this recipe work with gluten free flour? And sour cream instead of yogurt?
Thanks :-)
Sour cream would be fine – I’m not sure about the gluten-free flour but it should be okay.
I had some bran flakes to use up, so substituted one of the cups of flour for a cup of bran flakes, and added 1/4 cup more yoghurt to counter any dryness from the bran and turned out delish! Many thanks!
Hi Chelsea, would this recipe be suitable to freeze? cheers!
Yes it would, tightly sealed.
Hi Chelsea, can i use something else to replace the butter? maybe coconut oil? Ideas?
Thanks!
Yes, try it with coconut oil!
Hi chelsea
What can i use as a substitute for yogurt?
Thanks :)
You can just leave it out or add another tbsp of butter or so when you cream it :)
Hiya
Try toasting a slice in the morning, add a little butte, bit naughty but very yum.
Got to try this I always have dodgy banana’s .
Have a Merry Christmas Chelsea
YUM! Just made this, turned out great!
I tried it with butter and golden syrup, I preferred just butter – or even just on its own!
Can’t wait to try the Choc caramel hazelnut slice tomorrow.