Tropical Banana Bread

By Sarah On February 19, 2015 | Updated: April 28, 2026

This tropical banana bread features a perfectly soft and dense texture and is packed with flaked coconut, lots of pineapple, and topped with a sweet citrus glaze.

All my banana bread people, you better hold onto your hats for this one today.

Yes, we’re jamming all the tropical works into one little innocent loaf of banana bread and covering the whole shebang in citrus glaze, any questions?

The only question should be, how many pieces are we all having and why is it at least 5.

There’s nothing fancy about this banana bread and that’s exactly why I find myself baking a loaf so often. Folks tend to love the coconut + pineapple addition and it’s so easy you won’t have to go to any great effort to please.

This Banana Bread Features…

A soft and moist texture
Flaked coconut and sweet crushed pineapple in every bite
A fresh citrus glaze drizzled on top with lots of toasted coconut

Making the Banana Bread

(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)

Ingredients You Will Need

Bananas
Granulated sugar
Eggs
Vegetable oil
Coconut milk
Orange zest
Vanilla extract
All-purpose flour
Baking soda
Kosher salt
Crushed pineapple
Flaked coconut
Walnuts (optional)
Powdered sugar
Pineapple juice

Muffin Instructions

You can easily convert this quick bread into muffins. Mix up the batter per recipe instructions and divide between 12 paper-lined muffin cups. Bake muffins at 350F 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Tips for Perfect Banana Bread

Mash bananas well – use a potato masher or a fork to finely mash bananas until only a few very small chunks remain.
Do not drain pineapple – this little bit of extra pineapple juice helps contribute to the moist texture of the bread.
Spoon and level flour – I use the spoon-and-level technique for measuring flour as this will prevent over-measuring your flour. Use a spoon to scoop flour into the measuring cup, then level with the back of a knife.
Gently fold batter – overmixing will lead to a dry bread so use a gentle hand when folding batter.
Use a toothpick to test bread – insert a toothpick in the center of bread. The bread is done when toothpick comes out clean.
Cool bread completely before cutting – don’t be tempted to cut into the bread while it’s still warm. Allowing the bread to cool will strengthen its structure as well as help the glaze set up nicely.

Recipe Variations

Try these ideas for a different twist on this banana bread.

Swap out fresh citrus – try lime, lemon, or grapefruit in place of the orange.
Try a different nut – try macadamia nuts or omit the nuts entirely.
Add more fruit – try adding 3/4 cup blueberries, diced strawberries, or raspberries.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

Allow bread to cool completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days.

To freeze bread, allow to cool completely, and do not glaze. Wrap well and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw bread completely at room temperature, top with glaze, and store up to 4 days.

One slice of this thick and tropical-flavored banana bread and you’ll be craving a beach vacation! The coconut and pineapple of course play so well together and those drizzles of orangey glaze add the perfect little touch of indulgence.

5th slice, here I come.

Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

We love banana bread around here! Try these other favorites next.

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