There is banana loaf and there is this banana, pecans and coconut loaf. Seriously good guys! OMG, I just realised, I have not posted something sweet in ages! Why, you may ask. Well, no idea! Maybe because baking does not happen every day although I have to say we did make loads of treats over the last few weeks so keep tights we are here for a sweet ride.
The next posts will be dessert, dessert, dessert. I promise, at least 2-3 to keep the balance here 😊.
I always say I’m not a banana desserts lover in the slightest but I have now an addiction for this banana loaf. It is such a real treat especially if you are a banana treat fan, this is WOW, an amazing one indeed for you to enjoy 😋.
We came back from a very long walk the other day – myself and kids did 64k steps – yayy, hold on, that was between the three of us, ha ha. Still good, right? We had to bake something and this was it! Team work again and this was ready in a giffy.
It was such a good walk and felt good after so many days of relaxing and being fairly lazy (physically). We did try to keep the brains alive with homework, reading, quizes etc. I was happy at least we have tried to keep the brain going from dying. And then the walk was gooood!
Oh, holidays are great, the Easter break was holly awesome, but wow, how lazy we can become sometime, it’s surreal.
This Easter break was pretty awesome and really welcome after some pretty tough times lately.
Kids are getting involved…
It really was a great break, kids always try and invade the kitchen space lately to help with chores which is great. They’ve been cooking breakfast for us (the lazy parents) coffee was served in bed every morning, which was super nice n’ cool stuff! They are super amazing and we are so greatful to have been blessed wiith such good kids, they are in their teens too, well, almost. Sonny is 14 and our princess is 12.
They are soo good and have shown particular interest for getting busy in the kitchen lately. I might have been mentioning this quite a few times lately but I cannot help it. I am happy!
They particularly enjoy cooking and baking. Emptying or loading the dishwasher being their least favourite of all, but they still do it to help mummy. How sweet!
Baking!! Well, I don’t always enjoy it to the max but my daughter in particular loves it so we kind of complement each other here. She loves baking and I love cooking. A real dream came true for me. It’s great when kids reach that stage and get involved to help, I just love it.
Coming back to this lovely loaf, it’s a truly delicious treat that we have enjoyed a lot, so much so that we’ve ended up making it a couple of times.
We have slightly changed the ingredients and added more the second time around. We loved this one the most (by far) out of the two batches.
The other one was a pretty plain banana loaf, yes it was ok, just ok.
If you do like cakes that contain fresh fruit you may like this apple deliciousness , or this healthier version of a cake containing poppy seeds and blueberries or you might go for this beautiful peach delight . All delicious cakes, guaranteed.
Shall we get on with some baking then?
Banana pecan and coconut loaf
Ingredients
- 280 g banana mashed 3 bananas + 1 to add on top
- 190 g sugar I used cane sugar unrefined
- 4 eggs medium room temperature
- 50 g desiccated coconut
- 50 ml olive oil any other oil will be good
- 3 tbsp chia seeds
- 280 g self-raising flour I used wholemeal organic
- 70 g pecan nuts toasted
- 1/4 tsp salt I have used pink Himalayan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 185C or 325°F. Grease two small loaf pans or one regular size.
- In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, chia seeds, desiccated coconut and salt.
- In a separate which can be the bowl of an electric mixer, mix the sugar and the 4 eggs. Beat until it becomes a light and fluffy mixture. This should be done at a medium speed for about 4-5 minutes.
- While still mixing, add the oil little by little or pouring it in continuously until all is in.
- Add the mashed bananas and mix at low speed for 30 seconds, just enough to incorporate these.
- Using a spatula, fold in the flour mixture gently. Add the chopped and toasted pecans.
- Pour the batter into the already prepared loaf pans. Peel one banana and cut into two lengthwise. Add on top.
- Bake for about 40 minutes or so until golden brown. Use a wooden skewer to make sure it’s done.
- When ready, take out of the oven. Allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes and then take out and cool completely, ideally this should be done on a wire rack.
- Can be served warm or cold with a nice dollop of creme fraîche, ice cream or a nice Greek yoghurt. Enjoy!
Notes
My tins were super cute and small so I’ve used some ramekins too, of course to please all the gobblers around the house, especially the little munchkins.
- Bananas have to be nicely ripe in fact they’re best when their skin has brown dots or marks. Increase the sugar amount by 30-40g (1-1.3oz) if you like this loaf extra sweet but remember the desiccated coconut will add to its sweetness even if unsweetened version it’s used.
- This wonderful and delicious banana loaf can be stored into air tight containers or wrapped in plastic for 3-4 days at room temperature or more if kept refrigerated.
- It freezes really well for up to 15-20 days but thawing should be done ideally overnight and this can be at room temperature.
I made Banana Bread yesterday and I went back and forth about whether or not I should add coconut. Now I wish I would have. This sounds delicious!
Hi Krista and thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. It doesn’t matter this time was without, next time I am so sure you will add the coconut and I am sure you will love it! It is by far my favourite version now 😉
I grew up eating my mom’s banana loaf, I used to pair it with hot chocolate when I was a kid. She still makes banana loaf but now I pair it with coffee or tea. It’s a classic goodness. Love the twist of pecan nuts and coconut in your recipe. This is something she would be excited to try!
Thank you so much Tala,
I did not have banana loaf as a kid, banana was a rarity that we could not have enough of eating as it was 😉 but I so enjoy it now. It is a lovely treat to have with a cuppa, right? I am so sure your mum would enjoy this version. Let me know if she makes it 😉
I used to bake and cook with my mom all the time. It was one of my favorite things to do. She taught me so much.
Thanks Blythe,
Spending time with your mum in the kitchen is a great experience. My daughter really enjoys that now, not to mention how happy that makes me too 😊
I love banana bread. I can only imagine how extra delicious this recipe is when you add coconut to it.
Thank you Cindy, you should really try making it, I’m sure you will like it.
I love banana bread and so does my son – he absolutely loves it. He can have it anytime. I would love to make this version with coconut, it would be amazing.
Thank you Pooja, I really appreciate your feedback.