I’d like to tell you I’m working on my tan, but that’s a dang lie.
I’m working on my sitting-at-my-desk-and-eating-banana-bread-and-drinking-too-much-coffee. It’s a tough job but someone has got to hold up this end of the banana bread bargain.
While we’re here sharing all sorts of things, I should also tell you that ‘banana’ was the word I spelled incorrectly in Mrs. Saxon’s sixth grade Spelling Bee. To be fair, you should know that I was dealing daily with frizzy bangs, I was standing in front of a class full of weirdos that included my mega-crush Hayden, I was trying to speak in a British accent because I had watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory too many times, and there are way too many ‘n’ and ‘a’ situations in the word banana.
I’m glad I could finally explain that one. I feel better.
Hey pretties! It’s time to smash-bang you all into one bowl!
We’re working with all-purpose flour, brown sugar, smashed bananas, ground cinnamon, coconut we’re toasting, rum like whoa, and browned butter. Browned butter always steals the show. She can’t help it.
My favorite part of making banana bread is stirring together the mashed bananas, eggs, and butter. I love the way it emulsifies into a glossy, thick, banana mess.
Did I just say mess? Whatever.
Give it all a good stir. You know the drill.
Let’s talk about how we’re adding coconut and rum to our banana bread.. because that’s totally a good idea!
It’s like our banana bread went on vacation and came back all tan… and we were jealous because our spray tan was splotchy… but it was cool, because to get even with tan banana bread we just ate it… all… and we won.
Coconut!
Two kinds of coconut flakes grace this banana bread.
Toasted coconut gets mixed into the batter. Un-toasted coconut gets swirled on top. The last thing we want is overly browned top coconut. We need our game faces on. Let’s keep this bread professional!
Just look at this sweet thang. Dreamy dreams.
This bread is exactly what it should be. Sweet and buttery, banana flavor for days, big bite from coconut flakes and just a hint of rum.
I know my way around some banana bread, and this loaf is dang delicious!
Others in this delicious banana bread parade include:
Whole Wheat and Millet Banana Bread
Brown Butter Banana Strawberry Bread
Brown Butter Banana Bread with Rum and Coconut
6 ounces unsalted butter, melted and browned to just over 1/2 cup of butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons rum, plus more for topping
1/4 cup plain yogurt (any fat content) or buttermilk
1 1/4 cup mashed banana (from about 3 medium bananas)
1/2 cup toasted coconut, plus 1/4 cup untoasted coconut for topping
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9ร5-inch loaf pan and set aside.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Butter will begin to foam and crackle as it melts. When the crackling subsides, the butter will begin to brown. Swirl the pan as the butter cooks. When the butter browns and begins to smell nutty, remove the pan from the flame and transfer the butter to a small bowl. Taking the butter out of the hot saucepan will stop the butter from overcooking and burning. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla extract, rum, and yogurt or buttermilk. Whisk in the mashed bananas. When butter has cooled, whisk in the browned butter.
Add the wet ingredients, all at once to the dry ingredients. Fold together, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to reveal any hidden pockets of flour. Fold in the toasted coconut. Fold together ingredients, but try not to over stir.
Spoon batter into prepared pan and top with untoasted coconut. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the pan for 15 minutes, before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. Brush with a bit of rum as it cools.
Bread will last 4 days, well wrapped at room temperature. This loaf also freezes well.
124 Responses
I’ve tried this banana bread three times now, and every time it comes out tasting like a bland version of a plain banana bread, with maybe a hint of coconut :( I am willing to bet it’s some combination of things that I am doing – using fat-free yogurt and not a strong enough rum, perhaps? Or maybe trying to use shredded coconut isn’t a good enough substitute. Any tips on maximizing the flavor from this recipe?
Would this work make muffins instead of a bread? Any recommendations to substitute the coconut?
you can definitely turn these into muffins. the baking time will be significantly less. Feel free to add pecans instead of coconut, or simple leave the coconut out.
Looks and sounds delicious! Is that fresh coconut on top? Doesn’t look like shredded. Also what do you think about substituting coconut sugar for the brown?
I just made this again for at least the 4th time. No other banana bread recipe can touch this!
These were a hit! Thank you Joy! :)
Hi Joy! I’m a huge fan of your blog. I’ve made this banana bread several times since discovering the recipe and it’s always insanely delicious and always a hit. I’ve made it for my boyfriend twice now and he just asked me to make it again for a getaway we’re going on with a bunch of his pals this weekend. I’m pretty darn proud of that.
Thanks for the lovely recipe! It will forever and always be my go-to for bananer bread. :)
Made this twice now and my boys are crazy about it! Thanks so much!
Could I bake this in a cake tin and turn it into a cake? Looks so incredibly gooood……
You definitely can, it’ll just be a really dense cake!
made the bread tonight and it was deeelicious – burnt my first lot of butter but round two was much better. seriously, black banana’s make me more excited than those that are bright yellow and ripe, so much more potential when they are black. Love from Chloe – Perth, Australia ;)
The verdict: this bread is super delicious and makes my house smell equally delicious! Enjoyed this hot out of the oven yesterday morning and brought the rest to work. It was devoured! Thanks Joy! You have inspired me more than you know! Here’s a look at how my bread turned out! https://savouringstlouis.wordpress.com/2013/12/04/december-mornings-and-the-smell-of-bread-2/
Would you judge me if I had this bread in the oven this morning…of december? :)
Hi Joy,
Thank you very much for the recipe. I will be trying this recipe definitely, but what else I add if I do not have rum?
I have a few banana bread recipes, but this one sounds fantastic. Will have to try it. Thanks.
Made this for a second time last weekend and it was the perfect end-of-summer/come-on-fall recipe. The first time I made it, I got one slice, then left the house for ten minutes and came back to discover that my dog had dragged the bread off the counter and eaten the entire rest of the loaf. She’d never done that before and hasn’t since. This bread is just that good. The second loaf fared better: my husband and I have had it for breakfast every morning this week.
Can I make this without rum?
Hi, would like to ask, whenever you use brown butter, do you change any ratios in your cakes? For eg, can i use brown butter in a cake recipe which asks for room temp butter?
Thank you, Joy! Love these. I had to improvise a bit. Sadly, I had no rum, but I was sipping on Trader Joe’s chai, so I threw in 1 tbsp dry mix just for kicks. As an amateur, I also did not have a bread pan, so I made lil muffins instead, and reduced bake time to 36 minutes. Very good recipe! =D
This looks absolutely wonderful…I want to make it right this second!
Looks sooo good. This recipe is easy and healthy. Thanks for sharing. TC
Made this for brunch and it was a huge success. My mother puts rum into all of her baking…even flavours her struedel dough with it! Fantastic addition to any recipe.
gosh darn that bread looks AHHHHMAZIN’.
and, well, its not often that a recipe {or pre-recipe ramble} makes me laugh quite as much. joy the baker, your blog sure is joyful lady!
OMG, that looks absolutely delicious! I cook a lot but rarely bake, but this one I just ahve to try! Thanks!
I made this the other night (although I couldn’t find any nice big coconut peices so I used walnuts instead) and on my it was good. It was great! Rum and banana bread is genius! The textrure was perfect, the flavor was strong and subtle at the same time. I think I have found my new favorite banana bread recipe. Thanks!
I won’t lie- I am nervous about trying to brown butter, but I think this weekend will be the best weekend ever to test it out. Take my brown butter virginity will you!
The word I spelled wrong in a spelling bee was DOES, spelling it DOSE. To this day, when I see people spelling it DOSE it still angers me to no end. I will teach the world!
Hace una semana conocรญ tu blog y me encanto ! Ya prepare tu receta de rollos de fresas y me salieron muy bien ! Cuรญdate mucho , un abrazo desde Lima – Perรบ
Where were you last week?! I made banana bread (diverging from my usual recipe and using browned butter/coconut/rum/whole wheat flour) for a camping trip. the batter looked too dry so I added extra rum.
Unfortunately, it was really good the first day and super dry the next. I wish I had your recipe to try instead of winging it.
Next time..
I think this is the banana bread Jimmy Buffet would eat…
Hey everybody, If you are trying to make this recipe and are unsure when to add the rum, I just made it yesterday and added it as the final wet ingredient before adding the flour mixture. It worked well at that point.
Also, I tried a variation and used black spiced rum (The Kracken, to be exact). It was great!
Love this recipe, Joy! So Good!!
Perfect use for my leftover Jamaican Gold Spiced Rum!
I made this and it was delicious. Thanks so much!
Hey Joy, this sound reeeeally good. Would coconut oil work for the butter? I never know about substituting ingredients. I love coconut oil.
A) browned butter makes everything better
B) two kinds of coconut flakes? I love the idea of this so much.
I always read your site, but I’ve never commented. I think it’s finally time I tell you how gorgeous your pictures are and how much I respect you as a cook. Your creations are so different and wonderful! I made your normal banana bread last night for a friend, and it was a HUGE success! Thank you so much for doing what you do! xx
this makes me so happy! thank you Katherine!
Banana, rum & coconut – a match made in heaven! Just the thought of it makes me warm & happy inside. Love love.
I’ve never thought to put coconut in banana bread, but now I must try it! Looks and sounds stellar.
Made this today. Dee-licious! I have always been intimidated to make brown butter but your instructions made it so easy!
Right on!!
If you’re up for a new banana bread, there’s also the banana split bread: maraschino cherries and chocolate chips mixed into the bread. My mom was gonzo over it, but I’m more of a banana bread purest and enjoy the simplicity of regular old banana bread.
Thanks for all the recipes!
Banana bread is my ultimate favourite- cant wait to try this versiob, YUM!! ? http://www.pinkelephantblog.com
About to put this in the oven without the rum because I didn’t see where to add it. Would love to have that clarified. Can’t wait to taste this!!
just add it to your wet ingredients before adding the flour mixture–that’s what I did and it worked great :-)
I’ve never made banana bread before (I have a love-hate relationship with bananas) but this might be the recipe I have to start with! Or better yet, do you deliver to fellow bakers in LA? I would gladly take some of this on-vacation-bread off of your hands.
You had me at brown butter! P.S. I misspelled weather- and I have never gotten over it!
I think you just became my hero. I love you.
Damn you, tan banana bread. Looking fiiiiine. Your writing makes me happy. Thank you :)
Heidi xo
Yummy! The first recipe I tried of yours was the brown butter strawberry banana bread. Totally yum? Brown butter is awesome. I love bananas!
OMG, this banana bread looks soo yummy :)
cannot WAIT to try this – will it be okay if I leave out the coconut though? unfortunate allergy…
Why do your banana breads always turn out so fluffy and nice and mine always end up a mushy soggy mess? Sigh.
Fortunately, it’s still 150-degrees outside, which is too hot for heating up an oven inside, and I’ve got a salad already being stuffed into my face, or I would definitely be in the kitchen making this loaf right now. Sounds so good!
banana bread with rum and coconut? be still my heart.
Love the brown butter, rum, and coconut – that’s a trifecta you can’t go wrong with!
This is uncanny. I just logged on to the internet in search of a browned butter banana bread recipe, and what do I find? Joy has just posted a browned butter banana bread recipe. Can’t wait to try this out in…about 5 minutes. Might have to swap out the rum and coconut for some good old fashioned chocolate chips, though, just because…chocolate (’nuff said). My eaters are willing to tolerate a little bit of me fancying things up (browned butter) but I think forgoing the chocolate in the classic chocolate chip banana bread combo would completely throw them for a loop.
Wonderful!
Ha! I love the way you write and your silly stories (I nerdishly loved spelling bees as a kid). This bread looks fantastic- the addition of rum is genius!
yum Yum YUM!
All of my favorite ingredients into one recipe!! Eck! So excited :D
Ah, a bread to take the edge off the morning. Throw in some pineapple chunks and you have yourself a pina colada in carb form. Pina carblada?
I made this this morning and brought it into work. My fellow posties loved it! I must admit I didn’t even try it as I can’t stand bananas :)
I love banana bread. It’s probably the best, most comforting smell as its baking.
Your story of the spelling bee cracks me up. Its so weird, because I (like every kiddo) had this HUGE crush on a kid in my class for probably 4 years, and I still would never tell anybody, as if he may hear and say something…even though its so many years later that hes married (or so says Facebook) and I’m about to be married, and I’m pretty sure he’s turned into one of THOSE guys that goes by a totally different name now (um, weird). Haha.
Yum. I love adding the coconut, IT looks so good
You had me at brown butter and sealed the deal with rum. Yum!
Can you send me a loaf? Please and thank you! ;)
xo Jennifer
https://seekingstyleblog.wordpress.com
Holy Moly… this is the stuff of Dreams! I’m going to try and make this tonight and bring it into work tomorrow.
Hey Joy! I woke up this morning and saw this in my reader and headed to the kitchen to make it immediately! I’m a toasted coconut freak and I had been planning to make banana bread today with some older bananas so it was perfect timing. The banana bread turned out super moist and wonderful! Thanks! PS I totally meant to introduce myself at the KitchenAid dinner during BlogHer Food but I didn’t get a chance! Oh well, next time =)
Cannot wait to make this! My giant vat of vanilla finally ran out so I’ve been adding rum and bourbon to everything like a maniac in it’s place. I’m thinking this recipe will fit right in ;)
This bread is just killing me. It looks so moist and delicious, and one of my favorite things…coconut flakes….is topping it. Well done!
Gimme that banana bread in my mouth! Please….
YUM. I love mixing up banana bread flavors. I’ve added coconut before, but never rum! I can’t imagine that’s anything other than a brilliant idea…
This looks incredible! I love that it’s a new twist on banana bread which is so classic!
This looks incredible. I find that banana bread, like pancakes, is a great base for creativity, experimentation, and variation.
Man, banana bread is awesome, and I think you may just have succeeded in making it even better! Marvellous!
I’m also thinking I need to get in on this brown butter action. This may be a good place to start, or should I go with cookies?? Too many options!
I misspelled ribbon in my 4th or 5th grade spelling bee. To this day I still question how to spell it and always look for the little red line that shows up under it if I misspell the word :P
Lovely looking bread :)
I just had Coffee and Banana bread that I baked last night! LOVE it! :)
I love the additional star ingredients–they stamp this recipe as joy the baker. :) Also, I misspelled “ladder” during a third grade spelling bee. I still managed to get second place. Funny how those words stick with us.
This basically just looks amazing! I have to say I got to work this morning and read the subject line and was wishing I was laying on a beach and that I had this bread along with a frozen beverage made from the same ingredients. Thanks so much for sharing!
I spelled banana wrong in my spelling bee too!!! Too funny, and your commentary on that made me audibly laugh
Haha I love your “tan” banana bread!! I want this for my breakfast!!
Oh Holy Moly! I am making this business ASAP!
Too bad I have A LOT of tequila at home and no rum. maybe my banana bread will go on an experimental fiesta
It was 5th grade and the word was “pyramid” (thanks autocorrect). And Mitch won. Of all people, Mitch! Not bitter at all.
You always make the best banana bread recipes and this one looks no different! Love it!
I’ve always been a little indifferent towards banana bread and now I know why …. I wasn’t adding rum! I’ll definitely be trying this. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve got to say, this looks like a banana bread who knows how to party. Bring it!
yum, looks delicious :)
I so love banana bread, and even more, I love my grandma’s banana bread, so I’m always a little worried about trying a new one – but you add rum and coconut? Hello. . . . Looks perfect to me!
Not a fan of coconut, but the idea of putting rum into banana bread is absolute genius. I’m going to buy some bananas immediately (I’ve already got the rum. Obviously).
Where did you find such big, thick coconut pieces? And saying brown butter can’t help herself stealing the show – priceless!
G’day! Can’t go wrong with coconut, banana and rum, true!
I wish I could come through the screen and taste some now too!
Cheers! Joanne
https://www.facebook.com/whatsonthelist
Seriously, this has got to be my new favorite banana bread recipe! Bananas, rum and coconut!! YES! That sounds incredible!
I totally support your addition of rum to this banana bread. It’s all about living vicariously through cake.
You can so easily over do tum… this looks tight!
It’s like bananas foster grew up and became this amazing banana bread. As usual, Joy, your concoctions rock!
My fave cocktail in a bread? Perfectly acceptable way of having a drink at breakfast! I can not tell you how inspirational your style of cooking is.
Sounds amazing. Won’t beat your bourbon bread for me, but I’ll of course have to try it!
I adore your whimsical writing style. I sort of want to read your novel. That should be a thing.
Loving this! I love the flavor of bananas, rum, and coconut. That would be a pina colada in another form, right? :)
Seriously I love banana bread and keep trying new recipes all the time but none with booze…so far. I did put some rum and coocnut blondies in my cookbook though. I want a huge slice of your bread – with a rum chaser – right now. Great flavors, Joy! And the browned butter on top of it…mmm!
Wow, run and coconut in a banana bread? Joy, you are a genius! It’s 7:30am here and already I want to eat banana bread:)