Hummingbird Banana Bread with Toasted Coconut

Name: Hummingbird Banana Bread with Toasted Coconut
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1/2 C vegetable or canola oil; 1/2 C white granulated sugar; 1/2 C brown sugar, (packed); 2 large eggs; 1 tsp vanilla; 2.5 C flour, (spooned and leveled); 1 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/3 C sour cream; 8 oz crushed pineapple, (with juice); 3-4 medium ripe bananas, (mashed); 3/4 C sweetened flaked or shredded coconut; 1/3 C chopped pecans; 1/2 C toasted sweetened flaked or shredded coconut, (for topping)

Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

What good southerner can resist anything named hummingbird? Moist and tender Hummingbird Banana Bread is loaded with sunny pineapples, ripe bananas, sweet coconut and buttery pecans. Just like the classic southern Hummingbird Cake, this dense quick bread will be your new favorite for a little taste of the tropics!

Hummingbird Banana Bread Loaf with pineapples, bananas, coconut and pecans.

Get ready to whip up a little sunshine in your very own kitchen! Refreshing pineapple, sweet coconut and loads of rich, vanilla-ey ripe bananas create a wonderfully dense and aromatic quick bread that will have you dreaming of vacation. An island cousin to your favorite homemade banana bread recipe, a buttered slice of heaven has never tasted so good!

RELATED RECIPE: Coconut Lime Bars

What Is Hummingbird Banana Bread

Based on one of Southern Living’s most popular cakes, the Hummingbird Cake- submitted to the magazine in 1978 by one Mrs. L.H. Wiggins of Greensboro, North Carolina- this spin on banana bread is filled with all the same flavors- pineapple, banana and coconut. However, instead of a cream cheese icing, this irresistable bread is topped with a good dose of toasted coconut in order to maintain it’s official status as a bread.

What You Need To Make Hummingbird Bread

vegetable or canola oil
white & brown sugar- brown sugar adds a deeper flavor
eggs
vanilla
flour
baking soda– helps your bread rise
salt
ground cinnamon– a wonderful aromatic that enhances the tropical flavors
crushed pineapple with juice
ripe bananas
sweetened flaked coconut
chopped pecans
sour cream– adds extra moistness

see recipe card for measurements and instructions

Hummingbird Banana Bread Loaf Topped with Toasted Coconut

How To Make Hummingbird Bread

Mix the wet ingredients. This easy recipe starts with mixing the oil and sugars together. Then eggs and vanilla are added in.

Add the dry ingredients. Flour, baking soada, salt and cinnamon are mixed together in a separate bowl then added a little at a time to the wet base until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated. The batter gets very thick and dough-like in this step, but it loosens back up in the next step.

Fold in the sunshine. This is the step when the magic happens. One at a time, fold in the sour cream, pineapples + juice, mashed bananas, coconut and pecans. Pour into a greased loaf pan and top with toasted coconut.

Bake. Sit back and relax for about an hour as the smells of island life fill your kitchen. Your bread is done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Stacey's Tip: Toast Coconut under the oven broiler on a baking sheet.

A slice of Hummingbird Banana Quick Bread with butter

Tips for Perfect Hummingbird Banana Bread

This recipe is all about maximizing the sunshine. Here are a few tips to get the most out of this Hummingbird Bread recipe.

Bananas– When it comes to choosing your bananas for this recipe, the riper the better. And that’s good news for those spotted, brown bananas sitting on your counter. Overripe bananas tend to be sweeter and can have a honeyed, vanilla flavor which will shine in this recipe. Additionally, leave the bananas a little chunky when you mash them. This will help the banana flavor stand out too, as well as add to your bread’s hearty texture.
Pineapple Juice– Many recipes will have you drain the juice away from your canned crushed pineapple. However, I think the juice infuses an extra bit of flavor. So the dry ingredients have been adjusted a little to accomodate the extra moisture of this flavor kick.
Sweetened Coconut– Sweetened coconut has a more intense tropical flavor than unsweetened. Since that’s what this bread is all about, make sure to choose sweetened flaked, or shredded, coconut when purchasing your ingredients.
Pecans– Pecans have a buttery richness that balances the sweet, tropical flavors of the fruit and are the traditional choice for this recipe. In a pinch, though, walnuts make a good substitute.

Close of up Hummingbird Banana Bread slice

Storing & Freezing

Hummingbird Banana Bread can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months if wrapped tightly in a freezer proof material. Furthermore, it can be kept for up to 3 days in the refrigerator if covered or wrapped tightly.

Other Quick Bread Recipes You’ll Love

IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, BE SURE TO LET ME KNOW!

RATE IT, LEAVE A COMMENT OR SNAP A PHOTO.