Blueberry Banana Bread with Coconut

Make a change from your typical banana bread with this Blueberry Banana Bread with Coconut that is filled with fresh berries and topped with a crunchy streusel topping.

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As much as I love a traditional banana bread recipe, sometimes it’s fun to change things up! With recipes like this Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips, this Peanut Butter and Jelly Banana Bread, or for a healthier choice, this Banana Oat Bread.

What do you do when you get stressed out? I love to bake. Things like this banana bread.

When I originally made this blueberry banana bread, I actually made it twice in the span of a week. Which is pretty much a miracle around our house because it’s basically impossible for bananas to get overripe at my house. I swear I live with a bunch of monkeys.

But I managed to hide away some bananas to make this bread. And the first time I made it, it was very delicious, but I totally under baked it. We still managed to eat most of it – except for the gooey center – but I knew I had to make it again to blog it.

So I hid away more bananas and patiently waited a few days for them to get nice and ripe. I paid better attention the second time around so that I didn’t end up with an uncooked center, :), and we happily snacked on a second loaf of bread.

Definitely a delicious change to normal banana bread!!

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients: The dry ingredients consist of flour, baking powder and baking soda, salt, plus the spices. I use a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, but about a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice could be used, as well.

Wet Ingredients: For the wet ingredients, you’ll need eggs, mashed ripe bananas, sugar, and melted butter. A reader that made this recipe used melted coconut oil instead of the butter and loved the results. I have not tested it personally, but it could be an option.

Extras: This is your blueberries and the coconut. I like to use fresh blueberries, but frozen will work in a pinch, as well.

Topping: While I’m sure this bread is delicious without the streusel topping, I would not suggest skipping it. It totally turns this blueberry banana bread into something really special!

How to Make Blueberry Banana Bread with Coconut

1: In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients.

2: In another bowl, combine the wet ingredients.

3: Mix the wet into the dry. Stir just until it is mostly moistened.

4: Combine the remaining tablespoon of flour with the blueberries and stir to coat. This will help the blueberries to not all sink to the bottom of your loaf.

5: Add the blueberries and the coconut to the batter.

6: Stir gently – just until mixed.

7: Pour the batter into a prepared 9×5-inch loaf pan. I like to line mine with parchment paper to make it easy to remove.

8: Now for the streusel! Combine the brown sugar, flour and butter in a bowl.

9: Use a fork or a pastry cutter to cut the butter in, forming coarse crumbs.

10: Add the blueberries and coconut.

11: Mix it all together.

12: Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the loaf. Transfer to the oven and bake!

How to Tell When Your Bread is Done

The process of making a quick bread is easy.

But telling when it’s done? Not quite as easy.

The biggest complaints I get with quick bread is that the bake times vary so much. And the truth is that they really do. This can be because of oven temperatures, or even because of the pan you are using.

The best thing to do is use the baking time just as a guideline.

For some of you, it will take longer, some the baking time will be right on.

To tell if the bread is done, you’ll want to either test it with a skewer (a toothpick might work, but you’ll have to stick it in there far enough to test to the middle of the bread), or you can test with an instant read thermometer.

I like to very gently touch the middle of the bread first. If it is still liquid, don’t test yet. It still needs time to bake.

If it feels firm to the touch, use a skewer and insert in the center of the bread. If it comes out with wet batter on it still, it needs more time. You’ll know it is done when there are just a few moist crumbs.

Or if testing with an instant read thermometer, the internal temperature should be at least 200ºF.

Tips and Tricks

• As with all quick breads, do not stir the batter too much. You don’t want a tough bread, so keep stirring to a minimum.
• Because the bread has to bake for so long, it will get too brown if left uncovered. I like to watch it and place a loose sheet of foil over the top when it is browned, around 40 to 45 minutes.
• This recipe can be made as muffins, if desired. Baking time will be less – start checking them around 22 minutes, but they may take up to 30 minutes to bake.
• Cooled bread can be frozen for later. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, then place in a ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 2 months.
• Store any leftover bread in an airtight container at room temperature.

More Quick Bread Recipes

Cranberry Orange Bread
Strawberry Bread
Chocolate Wave Zucchini Bread
Coconut Bread
Zucchini Bread
Orange Blueberry Bread

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Blueberry Banana Bread with Coconut

5 from 8 votes

Author: Deborah Harroun

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 loaf, 12 servings

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

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Make a change from your typical banana bread with this Blueberry Banana Bread with Coconut that is filled with fresh berries and topped with a crunchy streusel topping.

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Ingredients

Bread:

• ▢ 2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon ginger
• ▢ 2 eggs lightly beaten
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
• ▢ 1 cup sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup melted butter
• ▢ 3/4 cup fresh blueberries
• ▢ 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Streusel Topping:

• ▢ 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter cut into pieces
• ▢ 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
• ▢ 1/4 cup fresh blueberries

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and ginger.
• In another bowl, combine the eggs, bananas, sugar and melted butter.
• Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, just until moistened.
• Toss the blueberries in the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour. Fold in the blueberries and coconut.  Pour into the prepared loaf pan.
• To make the streusel, combine the brown sugar and flour. Cut in the butter with a fork or a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the blueberries and the coconut. Sprinkle on top of the batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. (Cover the top of the bread with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent over browning, if necessary.) Cool for 10 minutes in the pan then carefully remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Notes:

adapted from Better Homes and Gardens – Breakfast & Brunch

SUBSTITUTIONS: I prefer fresh berries, but frozen will work in a pinch. They do tend to color the batter more.

Other readers have subbed in melted coconut oil for the butter with good results, but I have not personally tried this.

If you don’t love coconut, you can simply leave it out.

FREEZE: Banana bread freezes well! Let the bread cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then place the loaf in a freezer safe bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Let the bread thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, but keep it wrapped until it is thawed.

STORE: Store any leftovers tightly covered in a ziplock bag or a lidded container. Leftover bread should be good for up to four days.

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guide.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 259kcal (13%), Carbohydrates: 35g (12%), Protein: 2g (4%), Fat: 13g (20%), Saturated Fat: 9g (56%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 56mg (19%), Sodium: 180mg (8%), Fiber: 2g (8%), Sugar: 25g (28%)

Keywords: banana recipe, blueberry banana bread, sweet bread recipe