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. 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 full fat Greek yoghurt. You could also use any plain/natural thick-set yoghurt too.

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 are. The fibre in bananas is believed to have benefit to our gut health, & of course they are rich in potassium, vitamin B6 & Vitamin C. 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 well wrap 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, it is perfect for Banana Bread.

Go to Original Banana Bread Recipe

4. Freezes Really Well

I am not a fan of freezing some baked good, 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.  I recommend using up by 2 months. 

Notes On Ingredients & Substitutes

Instead of the Greek yoghurt, you can use any plain/natural, thick-set yoghurt.

The alternative to UK Mixed Spice, is US Pumpkin Spice. You can make your own, from cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, mace & anise.

Make Your Own Mixed Spice

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, you could replace this banana bread recipe’s Mixed Spice, by increasing the Cinnamon by 1/2 tsp & Ginger by 1/4 tsp.

Sugar

I use granulated white sugar in this version, but light brown 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.

Vanilla Extract

To make your own Vanilla, go to my Homemade Vanilla Extract recipe.

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. (See photo.)

Size Of Tin To Use

I use a 2lb loaf/bread tin 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.

SIGN UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER – I would love it so much if you could sign up for my newsletter. I will send out monthly emails, showing the latest recipes and articles, and latest info. Being a small site, building a following, is even more important and will keep it up and running and for free to everyone. Occasionally there will be the odd seasonal emails, but is really a means of reaching you, if you are not already in one of the Facebook groups I admin. Please note too, that these email addresses are not shared or sold onto another party. Thanks so much Caro xxx

Join My Facebook Group

Why not also join my Facebook group – Easy Online Baking Lessons, dedicated to this baking lessons website, as well as providing one-on-one support with myself & my team? Be sure to answer all security questions when requesting to join. Click to join the group.

Share The Love

Please see the sharing options or even printing, at the right/bottom of your screen (bottom of your screen for mobiles, and down the right-hand side on computers). You can even pin this to your own Pinterest page. Alternatively, you can save or print the recipe, via the Recipe Card below. You could also leave some feedback if you like or rate the recipe (foot of page). Thanks