A good banana bread recipe is essential to any family recipe book, just like the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Look no further if you were searching for one! This banana bread is moist, soft, sweet, and nutty. The pineapple pieces and shredded coconut add a fun tropical note that will make you wonder why banana bread didn’t always have them in the mix!

Happy baking,

Ivy B. Lake

For this recipe you will need 2 standard loaf pans (8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 3 inches), 2 large mixing bowls, and a cutting board.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups mashed ripe/overripe bananas (about 5 bananas)
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 8 oz. canned pineapple pieces (small chunks, mostly drained)
• 1 cup roughly chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and ground cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

In another large mixing bowl, combine the mashed bananas, oil, vanilla, coconut, chopped walnuts, pineapple, and gently beaten eggs. Slowly add this to the flour mixture, mixing in between additions. Ensure that all of the ingredients are incorporated but be careful not to overmix.

Grease and flour the 2 loaf pans and then divide the batter between them. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes (possibly even longer depending on the material of your loaf pans). Once finished the edges will be a deep golden brown but the inside will stay moist and soft!

After baking, remove the loaves from their pans and let cool on a wire rack. This banana bread is best when enjoyed fresh from the oven or it can be saved for the next day!