Cocoa Coconut Banana Bread

The heady aroma of chocolate, the mild flavor of banana, and the undeniable sweetness of coconut is what makes this Cocoa Coconut Banana Bread a complete standout, and the perfect loaf to give as a holiday gift.

The thing I’m finding odd (but pleasant) as I sit down to write this post is that I can almost smell the aroma of chocolate and coconut wafting through the house, even though this bread is long gone. I consider that a testament to how tasty this simple-to-make loaf actually is.

Cocoa Coconut Banana Bread is easy to whip together but it you’ll notice that the bake time is long, and that’s because it’s so dense and chocolaty. Remember that all good things come to those who wait, and this bread is well worth every minute spent in the oven.

If you’d like to up the chocolate ante of this bread (nice, but certainly not necessary), feel free to add some semi-sweet chocolate chips to the batter before baking. And, as I’m always prone to do (but didn’t do this time), tossing in some chopped toasted nuts is never a bad thing in my book. But, if you’re giving it as a gift, sometimes the simpler, the better.

COCOA COCONUT BANANA BREAD   {PRINT THIS RECIPE}
Yield:   1 loaf        Prep Time: 10 minutes      Bake Time: 70-90 minutes

1 stick butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3 overripe bananas
¼ cup buttermilk (or mix ¼ milk with ½ teaspoon lemon juice)
1½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoon cocoa powder
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
loaf pan
baking spray
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-In a large bowl with a hand mixer, or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend the butter, sugar, eggs, bananas, buttermilk and vanilla until well combined.

-Add the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Blend until well combined. Add in the coconut (chocolate chips and nuts, if using) and mix until combined.

-Scrape the mixture evenly into a loaf pan that has been sprayed with baking spray. Bake in a preheated oven for 70-90 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

-Cool completely. If desired, wrap in plastic wrap and then gift wrap with ribbon.

Another thing you’ll love about this Cocoa Coconut Banana Bread is that after it’s wrapped tightly in plastic wrap you can pop it in the freezer for up to 3 weeks before you’re ready to gift it. As far as easy (and tasty) gift giving goes, it doesn’t get much better than that! Time to do the happy freezer make that “frozen” dance. LOL

If there is ever anything I can paint for you, from glassware items to fabrics, please don’t hesitate to contact me or visit my shop on Etsy. Custom orders are always welcome and I’m happy to design from any photo or description you send my way.

Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!