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!
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 & full instructions.
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.
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.
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
- Standout Cinnamon Banana Bread
- Easy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Cinnamon Apple Quick Bread
- Carrot Zuchinni Walnut Muffins
- Mamaw’s Fresh Apple Cake
- Lemon Supreme Monkey Bread
IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, BE SURE TO LET ME KNOW!
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Hummingbird Banana Bread with Toasted Coconut
Ingredients
- ½ C vegetable or canola oil
- ½ C white granulated sugar
- ½ C brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2.5 C flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ C sour cream
- 8 oz crushed pineapple, with juice
- 3-4 medium ripe bananas, mashed
- ¾ C sweetened flaked or shredded coconut
- ⅓ C chopped pecans
- ½ C toasted sweetened flaked or shredded coconut, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Spray 9 inch loaf pan with non stick cooking spray. Toast ½ C coconut on baking sheet under oven broiler. Set aside.
- Using a stand or hand mixer, mix together oil and sugars in a large bowl. Add eggs and vanilla and mix to incorporate.
- In a small mixing bowl, use a fork to mix together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add a little four mixture at a time to oil, sugar and eggs, mixing the batter all the while. Batter will become very thick during this step but will loosen up in the next.
- Fold in one at time: sour cream, pineapples with juice, bananas, coconut and chopped pecans. Using a rubber spatula, fill loaf pan with batter. Top evenly with ½ C toasted coconut.
- Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour to 1 hour, 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in several places comes out clean. If toasted coconut begins to overbrown while bread is baking, cover loaf with foil.
- Remove from oven and let cool slightly before removing from pan and serving.
Shirley F
What a wonderful recipe!! I noted my bread pans measure 9 inches, but this looked like an awful lot of dough, so I did split it between two pans —and I’m SO glad that I did, because I still needed to bake for an hour and 15 +minutes and one of the loaves very slightly sunk, so wasn’t quite baked thru, even though I used a cake tester and had kept it covered with foil over the last 20 minutes…( I have since found that quick breads should reach an internal temp in the middle of 205 degrees Fahrenheit)
Notes: I had fresh pineapple that I had measured out with very little juice, and so my bread may have been a little bit wetter than using the canned crushed pineapple. I also used 1/4 less cup of white sugar and it was still plenty sweet. My coconut is unsweetened as well, but still had a great coconut flavor. Next time I may substitute the oil with coconut oil to enhance just a bit. It was nice not having to add any frosting or glaze. These loaves are SO beautiful with that toasted coconut on the top.
This recipe has been pinned to my special folder on Pinterest, which is called “the best of the best”!! Only the top 5% of my recipes make that cut to that folder. But that way, I can grab a recipe very quickly and know it’s going to be perfect!
Thanks again for a wonderful recipe!
Hi, Shirley! Wow! Thank you so MUCH for baking this bread! I love that you used fresh pineapple. Fresh is always delicious! And I’m super honored this recipe made it into your Pinterest folder. That really makes my day! Thank you again!
Thomas Marlene
I’ve been looking for this recipe for years and now I’m happy to see this again and I saved it where now it won’t be lost! Thank you so very much!!! ♥️
Hi, Marlene! You are so welcome! I am so glad you found it too! (I just love to hear when readers find lost recipes here. It’s one of my most absolute favorite things.) Happy Baking!
Cheryl Russell
In the oven now and OMG my house smells AWESOME!! Thank you for sharing!!
Hi, Cheryl! You are so welcome! I hope you loved the bread as much as we do! It’s a fave. ❤️
Billie Altenhofen
Very nice and moist and flavorful
Hi, Billie! Thank you so very much!
Rose Sorendo
Best banana bread ever! I have celiac so I had to use (King Arthur) gluten free flower. I baked in two loaf pans for45 to 50 minutes. It’s hard to make moist gluten free baked goods but this recipe was a winner! It’s now added to my recipe box and will definitely be made many times again.
Hi, Rose! Oh, this just made my day! I am so tickled this recipe worked for you and that you loved it. Made my day!
Connie
Hi Stacey, I make coconunt banan bread often and just recently made some withheld pineapple(Hummingbird Bread). Your recipe sounds amazing! Will this make two 8×4 loaves? Thank you for sharing!
Hi, Connie! Thanks! Yes, this recipe will make two 8×4 loaves. Enjoy!
Tammy J
I divided the batter into two 8” loaf pans and did not toast the coconut prior to baking. The coconut still toasted while baking and the 2 loaves were perfect, just cut back on the baking time. Will definitely use this recipe again!
Hi, Tammy! I am just tickled you loved this recipe! It is one of my favorites.
Tess
Can I use almond flour of coconut to make it gluten free
Hi, Tess! I haven’t made this recipe with those flours, but I don’t see why they wouldn’t work. Let me know how it turns out. Enjoy!
Debbie
Amazing!! This is so good and so moist! I baked this yesterday and we enjoyed it so much!! I will be making this bread again!!! Thank you so much! I am so glad I found your blog. Not only are the recipes so eye appealing and yummy looking, the pictures and suggestions you give for decorating are wonderful! You have been given a God-given talent for hospitality! What a blessing!!
Oh, Debbie! You have truly made my day! I am so glad you are here at Southern Discourse. I look forward to hearing from you again!
Linda Waldo
Hi! This sounds amazing! Is the flour all purpose ? Just checking before I make it, so excited thank you for sharing !
Hi, Linda! Your are right; it’s all purpose flour! I can’t wait to hear how it turns out. I know you’ll love it!
Joy
Thank you for sharing your recipe
Hi, Joy! You are so welcome! Enjoy!
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!
Denise Johnson
Hi,
How do I adjust this recipe for altitude of 7,140’.
Thanks.
Denise
Hi, Denise! Google would be the best place to find that answer. I know that KingArthurBaking.com has some great information about augmenting recipes for high altitude baking. Let me know how it goes. This is a great little bread recipe; I know you’ll love it! Enjoy!
Kelly
This recipe sounds so good and hubby wants me to make it this weekend. My one question, do you toast the coconut before topping the bread with it or does the coconut toast while the bread is baking?
Hi, Kelly! I am so excited you are making this recipe! The coconut is toasted before the bread is baked. See the recipe card at the very bottom of the post for exact instructions.
Looking forward to hearing all about it!
LINDA K DECARLI
Question about 3-4 medium bananas – Is that equal to 1cup or 1+ 1/2 cups or 2 cups mashed. The recipe looks good and I would like to make it.
Thank you.
Hi, Linda! It is equal to 1.5 C of mashed bananas. I am so excited you are making this recipe. Can’t wait to hear about it!
Carol
This bread has become one of my favorites! It has just the right touch of sweetness and is perfect for breakfast, afternoon tea or sharing with friends. It’s also very easy to make with things I normally have on hand anyway. Thanks for sharing!
Hi, Carol!
Your comment absolutely made my day because I feel the exact same way about this bread! Not to mention that I adore pineapple wih coconut. I am so glad you are making and sharing this bread with others.
Becky Cribb
What size loaf pan?
Hi, Becky! Please refer to the recipe card for all the specifics!