Everybody needs a good banana bread recipe in their repertoire for using up those brown-spotted, overripe bananas sitting on the counter. My family’s love of bananas goes in fits and spurts where sometimes I can’t keep up with their demand and other times I end up with bunches of bananas going spotty and brown that need to be used up. Coconut lime glazed banana bread is so different from your more traditional banana bread. The glaze on top adds extra sweetness, along with the sweetened, toasted coconut, and makes each bite special. I especially love the tartness of the lime and always zest my lime for the extra flavor it adds. Not to mention those bright green specks of lime zest nestled between toasty golden brown coconut just look pretty! This bread is perfect for summertime snacking too because of the light, tropical flavors. It makes a great afternoon poolside snack and you can pretend you are on a beach in the Caribbean instead of at your 6-year old’s swim lessons. Unless you are actually on a beach in the Caribbean, in which case I’m insanely jealous. Incidentally, does anyone else have the song “You put the lime in the coconut and drink ’em bot’ together/You put the lime in the coconut and drank ’em bot’ up!” running through their head now? If you also have lots of overripe bananas and want to try some more unique banana bread recipes, you might also like our Nutella Swirl Banana Bread, Double Chocolate Banana Bread, or these Banana Walnut Muffins.
What You’ll Need
Flour – I always use unbleached all-purpose flour for baking banana bread. Sugar – You’ll need granulated sugar for the batter and powdered sugar for the glaze. Bananas – The spottier the better. Large eggs – These acts as binders to give the banana bread a chewy, moist texture. Vanilla Extract – This important baking ingredient balances out the other flavors and ties everything together. Salt – Just enough so the loaf of banana bread doesn’t end up bland. Baking Soda – This is a leavening agent that gives the loaf of bread a little quick lift so it isn’t too dense. Salted Butter – Butter gives a better flavor to banana bread than using oil. Milk – Just a bit of liquid is needed to keep the batter from being too thick and dry. Apple juice makes a great substitute if you have it on hand. Sour Cream – Adds a little tang and moisture to the bread. You can use greek yogurt as a substitute. Coconut – I like to use shredded, sweetened coconut but you can use unsweetened coconut flakes if you prefer. Limes – You need both the lime zest and the juice. Be sure to zest the limes before juicing them.
How to Make This Recipe
Recipe Tips
You can decrease the sugar in the recipe by up to ½ if you prefer a less sweet bread. Sometimes ripe bananas are so sweet on their own that you just don’t need quite as much sugar. Don’t forget to grease and flour your pan or line it with a parchment paper sling to make it easy to remove the banana bread. If the coconut is getting too dark or burning on top, cover the bread loosely with a piece of aluminum foil while it is baking. Check doneness with a long wooden skewer. It should come out clean or with just a few crumbs. Loaf pans are all a little different and it can affect the baking time for quick breads.
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
