Pineapple Coconut Tropical Banana Bread
Pineapple & Coconut Banana Bread is my tropical version of well-loved banana bread. My new recipe with pineapple, citrus and coconut, transforms this popular bake into a truly tropical experience!
Pineapple Coconut Banana Bread
The Tropical Banana Bread Experience!
***Click to jump to section***
- Original recipe 22/02/2022, updated photos 01/09/2024
What Is This Tropical Banana Bread?
With many banana bread lovers out there now due to the pandemic, I thought it would be nice to brighten up the banana bread loaf, with some tropical flavours. With pineapple chunks in the batter, this special banana bread cake is topped off with a citrus and pineapple glaze and a coating of coconut. A delicious tropical experience! Perfect for Banana Bread Day!
Why Use This Recipe?
- Quick & Easy
- Healthier & Tastes Good
- Inexpensive To Make
- Freezes Really Well
1. Quick & Easy Recipe
My banana bread recipes, are so quick to make. Using digital scales you can even measure, make & bake in one bowl. Not only saving you more dirty bowls to wash, but time too. You can easily prepare and bake the cake in an hour.
The process could not be simpler too. Beginner bakers or kids can even make these. Simply ‘creaming’ butter & sugar together and then adding in the other ingredients, before spooning into the tin to bake. No special baking techniques required.
2. Healthier & Taste Good
This Pineapple & Coconut Banana Bread is also a little healthier, for a few reasons. I use 50% wholemeal/wheat flour, including the bran. I use butter and sugar, but I use less butter than regular cakes or cupcakes, and I like to use dark brown sugar sometimes. I have also made using unprocessed Coconut Sugar, (which also requires a little less sugar – see Ingredients & Alternatives section below).
For the recipe, I also increase the fat & dairy content (that is required for the bake), by using some Greek-style yoghurt. You could also use any plain/natural thick-set yoghurt too, & low fat works too provided it is still thick set.
Banana Goodness
Of course there’s bananas too, which are providing the recipe & us with many things. Once the bananas are ripe, the starch converts to sugars (glucose, fructose & sucrose). Bananas however have a relatively low glycaemic index (GI) of 42-58 dependent on how ripe they are1. The fibre in bananas is believed to have benefit to our gut health2, & of course they are rich in potassium, vitamin B6 & Vitamin C3. They are also great if you are dehydrated, and especially good for post workout, as they are rich in electrolytes that you might have lost.
(See in the photo my Easy Banana Bread Recipe)
As for the banana bread, the bananas are providing sugar (once they are ripe), as well as helping with structure of the bake. You might know that banana can be used in replace of eggs in some recipes. But they also can be used as substitutes for butter and oil. I do advise caution however, and not to just change a recipe without checking first. Baking is a science and often takes lots of practice bakes to get them right.
3. Inexpensive To Make
Even with the extra flavourings, Pineapple & Coconut Banana bread is relatively inexpensive compared to other lavish cakes or cupcakes. Not using lots of butter or buttercream, and bananas that are past their best, these can work out cheap to make. I have not included the cost, as that is going to vary from country to country.
The Pineapple extract is optional but imparts so much more pineapple flavour than the pineapple juice alone. If not using, pump up the citrus flavour by doubling the orange and lemon extract or even added zest.
Tip For Black Bananas
My habit is to freeze bananas that are past their best. I tend to freeze in the banana skin, as I find it is the banana’s own natural protection. I will freeze them by wrapping in baking/parchment paper and then a food baggie. You can also mash them and just freeze the flesh, but make sure to wrap well and a good idea is to weigh it too and write on the bag, the date & weight.
Once you leave the frozen banana out to defrost too, it will mean once you come to open the skin, the banana will be pretty much mashed for you already. While it doesn’t look great, (the skin will be black), it is perfect for Banana Bread.
4. Freezes Really Well
I am not a fan of freezing some baked goods, but I tested slices of this Pineapple Coconut Banana Bread. I froze individual slices, wrapped in baking/parchment paper, then tin foil & a labelled food bag. I defrosted at room temperature and they tasted excellent. And I froze with the glaze, which was still very good. It is recommend not to freeze any longer than 4 months4.
Ingredients & Substitutes
This tropical banana bread cake is made with the following ingredients:
For the cake batter:
- Butter
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Yoghurt
- Banana
- Pineapple
- Flours*
- Bicarbonate Of Soda (Baking Soda)
- Salt
- Mixed Spice*
- Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg*
- Coconut*
For The Decoration:
- Icing Sugar (Powdered Sugar)
- Pineapple Juice
- Pineapple, Orange & Lemon Extract
- Coconut
Sugar
I use granulated white sugar in this version, but light brown & dark brown (or a combination there of), will work too. (For my Healthier Banana Bread Muffins, I use dark brown sugar & a little honey). Also if you want to use unprocessed Coconut Sugar, I recommend using 136g (2/3 cup) for a good result.
Flour
The ‘healthier’ recipe is for 50% wholemeal/wholewheat flour to 50% white flour. A swap to 50% wholemeal flour can actually help digestive issues and helped my son who wasn’t able to manage too much ‘heavy’ starchy foods.
Eggs
Medium sized eggs are standard in the UK for recipes, and the US equivalent is Large to Extra Large size.
Make sure you take the eggs out the fridge to come to room temperature too.
Yoghurt
Instead of the thick-set Greek-style yoghurt, you can use any plain/natural, thick-set yoghurt & even the no-fat version.
Citrus & Pineapple Flavourings
I recommend Foodie Flavours Pineapple Extract, so addictive. But if you can’t source it, I recommend doubling the amount of lemon & orange extract. Or even adding in some lemon and orange zest, that would be lovely too.
Spices
The alternative to UK Mixed Spice, is US Pumpkin Spice. You can make your own, from cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, mace & anise.
Check out my friend Tanya’s website Global Bakes, and her recipe for Speculaas Spice Mix. It is very similar, but I would just omit the coriander and white pepper, and reduce the cinnamon by half. And if you can’t get mace or aniseed, replace with anise or ground star anise.
Alternatively, replace Mixed Spice by increasing the cinnamon by 1/2 tsp & Ginger by 1/4 tsp.
Coconut
Desiccated coconut is used on top of the glaze, but can optionally be added to the cake batter too. US equivalent of desiccated coconut is unsweetened shredded coconut. However, you might want to chop the shredded coconut.
Equipment
Size Of Tin To Use
I use a 2lb loaf/breadtin for this recipe. (About 21 x 11 x 7cm or 8 x 4 x3″). If you want to use a 1lb tin, (16x11x7cm/ 6x4x3″) the ingredients are reduced by about 25%. See detailed ingredient amounts at the very end of the Recipe Card below.
Recipe Yield
One 2lb loaf cake is produced, that yields about 12 slices. All nutritional information listed in the Recipe Card, is based on a yield of 12 slices.
***You can now follow the step-by-step, detailed instructions with photos, or jump to the Recipe Card – an abbreviated version of the recipe, for sharing, saving & printing.
Jump to RecipeStep-By-Step Instructions
1.Open the can/tin of pineapple, and drain really well, remembering to reserve the juice. If using pineapple rings, cut to about 1cm or ⅓” wide.
2. Cube the butter while measuring/weighing out, as small surface area & the butter will soften quicker. Rough cubes about 1cm or ⅓” size is ideal. Make sure your eggs are at room temperature too.
3. Once softened, ‘cream’ the butter & sugar together with a hand-mixer or stand-mixer, starting on low speed & increasing to medium until paler and a relatively smooth paste is formed. Note if using granulated sugar, you don’t need it to be completely smooth.
4. Next, add one egg at a time, mixing in-between each addition, only until evenly distributed.
5. Gently fold in the yoghurt by hand, followed by the mashed banana.
6. Set your oven to heat to: 180°c/Fan Oven 160°c/350°f/Gas Mark 4. If your oven takes a long time to come to temperature, do this before starting to beat the butter & sugar.
7. Sieve over the 2 flours, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), salt & spices into the wet mixture & toss in the bran from the bottom of the sieve.
8. Start to mix by hand with a wooden spoon or spatula, before adding in some freshly grated nutmeg if using,
9. Add in the reserved pineapple juice (or orange juice if using a fresh pineapple) & the orange extract.
10. Add the coconut (optional), before mixing by hand. Make sure no dry patches are left at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be relatively thick, (see Photo 4 and the video for reference), but if your batter is thicker, please go ahead and add in a few more tbsps of juice.
11. Gently fold in about 1/3 of the drained pineapple pieces, then repeat with the remaining pineapple pieces just until combined & evenly distributed.
See Photo 4 for how your batter should look.
12. While waiting for the oven to come to temperature, go ahead with greasing & lining your bread pan/tin. You can use some homemade lining paste (cake goop).
Decant a few tsps of the paste into a small jar to prevent contamination, & brush on 2 generous layers, in upward strokes. As seen in Photo 5 below & on the video.
See my Lining Paste/Cake Goop review for how to make at home.
Alternatively you can grease with some spray oil, such FryLight Cooking Oil, or cake release.
13. If not greasing the bread tin with Lining Paste/Cake Goop, paper lining is recommended. To see how to properly and easily cut the parchment paper to fit a bread pan (and any other shaped tin), please see my Lining Cake Pans Lesson.
If you used lining paste, you will not need to paper line the bread pan. (Works great on bundt pans too).
14. Spoon the cake batter into the prepared bread tin, making the top as level as possible.
15. Give the pan a few taps on the counter/worktop before popping in the centre of the pre-heated oven.
16. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the cake is rise and the top set and golden brown.
17. Cover the top of the cake with foil and continue to bake for another 30-40 minutes until fully cooked through. Total time of 50-60 minutes. (Inserting a wooden cocktail stick in the centre, should come out clean of crumbs & the cake will have domed well & split down the centre.
18. Leave to cool in the tin, on top of a cooling rack for 20-30 minutes, before turning out onto the rack alone.
19. Leave to cool completely before adding the glaze. This can take about 30 minutes.
20. When the cake is nearly cooled, prepare the glaze. Sieve the icing/powdered sugar into a bowl before adding in 2 tbsp of the reserved pineapple juice, orange zest, 1 tsp orange extract, 1 tsp lemon extract and 10 drops of pineapple extract (optional). Begin to mix until a very thick paste is formed.
21. Add 1/2 tsp of the pineapple juice, mix and check the dripping consistency of your glaze. You want thick but pourable or in this case a slow drip. Lift a spoon high and watch how the glaze drips off the spoon. If still too thick, add 1/4 or even 1/8 tsp increments of more juice until the correct thickness is obtained. See the photo and video for reference.
**Don’t forget to also taste test the glaze to adjust to your preference.
22. Once the cake is cooled, place parchment paper under the cooling rack to catch any glaze.
23. Spread on the glaze or spoon on to completely cover the top of the cake, being sure to spoon into any of the crevasses.
24. If you want drips down the side, carefully spoon small amounts of the glaze along the edge of the banana bread. You can completely coat if you love glaze, or keep the remaining glaze to serve.
25. As soon as the glaze is applied, sprinkle on plenty of the coconut to completly cover the top. Finish off with some left-over pineapple pieces if wished.
26. Leave to set before attempting to slice.
Serving & Storing
1. Once the glaze is set to touch, transfer the cake to a platter or large plate before slicing.
2. Use a large sharp knife to cut slices (the cake should yield about 12 slices).
3. Serve as is with your favourite tea or coffee & imagine yourself on a tropical island!
4. Store in a cake tin or under a cake dome, at room temperature for up to 3 or 4 days. If wrapped well in paper & foil, up to 1 week. Note that tropical banana bread doesn’t last as long as banana bread.
5. Banana bread can be frozen for up to 4 months. Wrap individual slices in baking/parchment paper, then foil & a labelled food bag. Defrost at room temperature or in the fridge. Freezing with the glaze is fine
Readers’ Pics & Feedback
Recipe Card
Tropical Pineapple Coconut Banana Bread
Equipment
- Weighing scales or measuring cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Fork
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium sized bowl
- Hand/stand mixer
- Small measuring jug
- plate/bowl to mash bananas on
- Knife & chopping board
- Sieve
- Rubber or silicone baking spatula
- 2lb Loaf Tin (21 x 11 x 7cm or 8 x 4 x3″)
- Lining Paste, melted butter or cake release spray (Go to Lining Paste recipe)
- Small pastry or artist brush for greasing
- Large spoon
- Timer or Phone Timer
- Cooling rack
- Large sharp or serrated bread knife
- Medium bowl for glaze
- Small bowl for coconut
Ingredients
For The Banana Bread
- 72 grams Butter (unsalted, soft & cubed – ⅓ cup, 2½ oz)
- 200 grams Granulated Sugar (1 cup, 7 oz*)
- 3 Eggs – medium (US large to extra large)
- 225 grams Banana, mashed (2 or 3 bananas depending on size & doesn't include skin – 8 oz)
- 200 ml Greek Style Yoghurt (full fat or low fat, but thick set plain yoghurt – 7 fl oz, approximately)
- 155 grams Plain Flour or Strong Flour (1⅓ cup, 5½ oz All Purpose or Bread Flour)
- 155 grams Wholemeal/Wholewheat Flour (1⅓ cup, 5½ oz, in addition to flour above)
- 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda (Baking Soda)
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 ½ tsp Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Ginger
- ½ tsp Mixed Spice (Pumpkin Spice)
- ⅓ Nutmeg, freshly grated (or 1 tsp powdered nutmeg)
- ½ tsp Anise (optional)
- 5 tbsp Pineapple Juice (reserved from can of pineapple chunks. Approximate amount, see notes. Alternative orange juice).
- 150 grams Pineapple chunks/rings (canned/tin) (5¼ oz for cake. I used from a 290g/10¼ oz tin/can, remember to reserve the juice)
For The Topping
- 125 grams Icing Sugar, sieved (1 cup, 4½ oz, Powdered Sugar)
- 6 tsp Pineapple Juice (Approximately. Reserved from the tin/can of Pineapple above. Alternative, orange juice.*)
- 10 Drops Pineapple Extract (optional, but so good. I recommend Foodie Flavours )
- ¼ tsp Lemon Extract (optional)
- ½ tsp Orange Extract (optional. If not using Pineapple extract you can increase Orange & Lemon*)
- 50 grams Coconut, desiccated (Shredded unsweetened coconut, 1¾ oz, ¾ cup, approximately)
* denotes – see notes
Instructions
Prepare Cake Batter:
- Begin by opening the tin/can of pineapple rings or chunks, draining & reserving the pineapple juice. If using slices, cut into pieces about the size of pineapple chunks – about 1cm or ⅓” wide.
- ‘Cream’ the softened cubed butter & sugar in a large bowl, with a hand or stand-mixer. (Small size cubes will soften quicker). Beat it on medium-high until soft & spreadable. Note however, that the granulated sugar will still be large crystals at this stage so you don’t need to mix for too long.
- Next, add in one egg at a time, mixing in-between each addition, just until evenly incorporated. Then gently fold in the yoghurt, followed by the mashed bananas.
- Heat the oven to: 180°c/Fan Oven 160°c/350°f/Gas Mark 4. If your oven takes a long time to heat up, do this before starting.
- Sieve over the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) & spices into your wet mixture. Mix by hand just until all combined, making sure to check the bottom of the bowl for any dry patches.
- Add the pineapple juice, orange extract, fresh nutmeg & coconut ( the last 2 being optional). The batter will be thick, but if your batter is thicker than in the step-by-step photos before this Recipe Card, add a few drops more of the juice to thin slightly.
- Next, carefully fold in the chopped pineapple pieces, till evenly distributed.
- Grease the loaf tin well, either with cake release, butter, cooking spray like Frylight, or homemade lining paste/cake goop. For the lining paste, brush on a generous coating in upward strokes. For the other greasing methods, please also paper line the tin. (To see how to cut the correct shape, go to my Cake Lining Lesson.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf tin & level off before tapping a few times on the counter/worktop.
Bake The Banana Bread:
- Bake in the centre of the oven for 50-60 minutes till risen, deep golden and cooked through. To stop over-cooking the top, cover with foil after about 25 minutes, when the top should be already set. Then turn the cake and bake for another 25- 35 minutes until a cocktail stick comes out clean of crumbs.
- Leave to cool in the bread pan, on a cooling rack for 20 minutes before turning out of the pan. Leave to cool for 20 – 30 minutes.
Prepare The Glaze:
- Let the cake cool before making the glaze topping. Sieve the icing/powdered sugar into a medium bowl & add 2 tbsp of the pineapple juice, orange zest, 1 tsp orange extract, 1 tsp lemon extract and 10 drops of pineapple extract (optional). The glaze should be paste-like.
- Add ½ tsp of pineapple juice & check the dripping consistency – thick but pourable, with a slow drip. If needed, add ¼ then ⅛ tsp juice at a time till the right thickness. See the photo and video for reference.
- Place parchment paper under the cooling rack, and either spread or spoon on the glaze, completely covering the top. There is enough glaze for drips, or to completely cover the cover.
- Straight away, add the coconut on top of the glaze & decorate with a few pineapple pieces (optional). Leave to set.
Serving & Storing:
- Once the glaze is set to touch, transfer to a large plate or platter.
- Slice with a large sharp knife, with a yield of 12 slices.
- Serve with your favourite drink.
- Store in a cake tin for 3 to 4 days. Wrapped well with paper & foil, will last up to 1 week. Note that tropical banana bread does not last quite as long as banana bread..
- Can be frozen, wrapped individually in slices, with parchment, foil & a labelled bag, for up to 4 months5 Should be defrosted in the fridge or at room temperature, with or without glaze.
Video
Notes
Banana weight is without skin.
Mixed Spice – equivalent is US Pumpkin Spice. Alternatively increase the cinnamon, ginger & nutmeg amounts.
Fresh Pineapple could also be used instead of a tin/can.
Desiccated Coconut – US equivalent shredded unsweetened coconut, but in larger pieces. See coconut article. 
Storing – the banana bread will last 3 or 4 days, if stored in an airtight container (I prefer cake tins).
Freezing – I am not a fan of freezing some baked good, but I tested slices of this. I froze individual slices, wrapped in baking/parchment paper, then tin foil & labelled. I defrosted at room temperature and tasted excellent. And I froze with the glaze, which was still very good. I recommend using within 4 months.
Go to Original Banana Bread Recipe
Go to Healthier Banana Bread Muffins Recipe
Watch Banana Bread Muffin Video
These ingredient quantities listed above are for a 2lb loaf/bread tin. (About 21 x 11 x 7cm or 8 x 4 x3″)If you want to use a 1lb tin, the ingredients are reduced by about 25%. See ingredient amounts below:
Nutritional Information – I am not a qualified nutritionist and all values are approximate. These values are based on preparing the tropical banana bread as in the ingredient list, with 1 serving being 1 slice from a yield of 12 slices. Assumes all glaze is used. Values calculated from MyFitnessPal.com.
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: easy, beginner
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Pineapple Coconut Tropical Banana Bread
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Caroline’s Easy Baking Lessons
- Banana GI information from Healthline: Bananas 101 ↩︎
- Banana fibre gut health information from National Library Of medicine – Butyrate ↩︎
- Banana Nutritional information from Healthline Bananas 101 via USDA Food Composition Databases ↩︎
- Freezing Banana Bread information from FreezeIt.Co.UK-Banana Bread ↩︎
This recipe is so easy yet so delicious. With all the step-by-step instructions and the pics makes it so easy to make the perfect cake. Thank you for another great recipe.
Thanks so much for the lovely feedback!
REALLY love this cake and I did as you said and froze some slices with the frosting and tasted amazing.