Banana Bread with Coconut and Chocolate Chips
February 15, 2025 • Breads, Breakfast,
One of my favorite things about the beach house we bought in Puerto Rico is that it came with banana trees in the back. I get such a kick out of harvesting the bunch to enjoy my own bananas every morning. But with this many ripening at once, it’s tough to use them up, so banana bread is always a good idea.
Last year I also got the idea to harvest some of the coconuts I see dropped along the beach behind our house. Turns out that is a very difficult and time consuming project, on par with harvesting jackfruit. I’m glad I still have a freezer full of shredded coconut as I’m not likely to do that again any time soon!
But with both bananas and coconut in the freezer, I decided to make banana bread with both chocolate chips and coconut before my kids arrive next week. Eat right away or freeze until needed!
- 1½ cups mashed ripe bananas (about 2-4 depending on size)
- ⅓ cup butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups flour
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- Mash the ripe bananas and add in the butter, baking soda, and salt; mix well. Add the sugar, egg, and vanilla and mix well with a fork. Stir in the flour until just combined, then add the chocolate chips and coconut.
- Pour batter into a greased 9 inch x 5 inch baking pan and bake at 375 degrees until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes.
- Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool on a baking rack. Wrap with plastic wrap or foil to keep fresh.