Whole Wheat Banana Bread with Coconut Cinnamon Streusel.
When the most exciting part of your day includes a thrice ran dishwasher, good banana bread is a huge thing.
I know. I make a good amount of recipes containing the words “banana” and “bread.” And “good amount” probably doesn’t even do my obsession justice. It’s simply that it’s one of my favorite snacks, and I love when a dessert can be classified as a snack because it’s a quick bread. Right? It’s not a treat. It’s a SNACK. Eat as much as you want. Of your snack.
Also, this is total comfort food for me. I used to love the days when my mom made banana bread, even if we consumed it like we hadn’t eaten in four days. Seriously… it lasted about five minutes? Maybe less. We were vultures.
Now, this is embarrassing.
In the last year, I’ve made banana bread tres leches cake and banana bourbon cupcakes. I made two different kinds of banana muffins, another cake that is upside down and caramelized and bread containing peanut butter and bacon (whaaaaat). I’ve put bananas in cookies and in oatmeal. I put it inside more cupcakes, this time with pretzels and peanut butter and stuffed inside other cookies deemed appropriate for breakfast. My favorite might have been this banana bread snack cake that tastes just like banana bread but takes less than half the time to make. And it has whole wheat flour so it’s incredible healthy. Uh huh.
Oh yeah… and I even fried banana bread into french toast. That was amazing. And not healthy at all.
Too much?
I’d say I have an issue.
But really, why is it that banana bread combos never get old? They just don’t. Well, not for me at least. I could make banana bread ten ways to Sunday and it still wouldn’t be enough.
So this bread: it’s made without butter but with coconut oil. It is incredibly moist (apologies – would you rather me say clammy or damp?) and soft. Thick slices are the way to go, FYI. And the struesel… oh mylanta the streusel. It’s so… struesely. I don’t know if I can ever eat banana bread without streusel again. I’m so screwed.
Coconut haters, don’t cry. The bread has no actual coconut inside of it and you can easily leave the coconut extract out. The coconut oil does NOT taste coconutty. You can also take the coconut out of the topping if you so desire. If you’re in the market for loving coconut though? Like, say you enjoy the flavor but hate the texture, and would reeeeeeeally love to love coconut? I suggest trying the unsweetened flaked coconut that I use in most of my recipes. It doesn’t have quite the squeak-between-your-teeth feeling (are you cringing?) that the more common, sweetened shredded coconut does and over time, it may convert you. It might just change your life. Maybe. I don’t know.
I just know that this bread is essential to my well being now. Trouble.
Whole Wheat Coconut Banana Bread with Coconut Streusel
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup loosely packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup canned coconut milk
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
- 4 bananas, mashed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
streusel
- 2/3 cups brown sugar
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
- 2 teaspoons unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9×5 loaf pan thoroughly with nonstick spray. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, whisking thoroughly. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and brown sugar until smooth. Add in coconut milk and coconut oil, whisking until combined. Stir in mashed bananas, vanilla and coconut extracts until mixed. Slowly stir in dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour batter in the greased loaf pan.
- Combine all the streusel ingredients in a bowl and mix with your hands until butter is easily dispersed. You want the entire mixture to be moistened. Evenly sprinkle on top of the banana bread batter. Place loaf pan on a baking sheet and set in the oven. Bake for 75-85 minutes, or until center is set. If the streusel begins to brown, tent the bread with aluminum foil.
- Remove and let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Be sure to follow @howsweeteats on instagram and tag #howsweeteats. You can also post a photo of your recipe to our facebook page.
I appreciate you so much!
I’m also streuseling everything from now on. It’s a verb.
137 Comments on “Whole Wheat Banana Bread with Coconut Cinnamon Streusel.”
Yep…I need to make this… :) YUM!
My roommate LOVES bananas, but HATES anything healthy (whole wheat pasta, brown rice, etc). But I think this can help me introduce whole-wheat flour to him since he’ll be distracted by the bananas and the streusel! =P
Sounds amazing….I agree with you about streuseiing everything! :0
No need to apologise – I LOVE baked banana
There’s just something about heating it up that makes it taste even more amazing. This morning I had banana on toast for breakfast and actually stuck the banana under the grill along with the bread. Yum!
I haven’t actually made banana bread itself for a good amount of time… so looks like I’d better put that right!
Could I use reg AP flour instead of the ww pastry? I need this bread in my belly!!
yes!
Ugh, YUM. You had me at streusel. Is there anything better on a baked good? I think not. Except maybe chocolate. Well, no. Those are two separate baked good categories. Apples and oranges, you know.
Hey, you and Kelly from the Just a Taste blog totally were on the same brain wave today… weiiirrrrd. P.S. I think I like your recipe better…what with all the coconut. Making it!
Daaaamn girl! You got me! I love me some breads. I would live off of carbs alone, if cheese was considered one, too. But seriously, I always want to get the banana bread slice from Starbucks everysingletime I’m there, but then those stupid calorie things are on the ID card… and the thought of almost 500 calories in one slice makes me realize how big my moobs could get… and I don’t think anyone wants that.
omg.
Love Banana bread but don’t have whole wheat flour…I’m wondering if coconut flour would work?
hmmm i only have a little experience with coconut flour and really doubt it would work fully in this recipe. maybe if you used some all-purpose (or even oat?) flour and subbed a little coconut flour?
What would the 4 bananas equal, 1 1/2 cups mashed?
in my experience it’s usually between 1 1/8-1 1/4 cups!
I love bananas, so you are welcome to continue creating more delicious recipes with them! ;)
I think you’re spot on with the flaked coconut recommendation for coconut haters. I am a coconut hater, but I love using coconut oil/milk, and I think I could handle flaked coconut too :)
There is also no doubt in my mind that I would be ALL OVER this bread. Banana bread with streusel??? Oh no you didn’t.
Banana bread never gets old. Certainly not with coconut topping. Yes please!
I am a streusel addict (and by addict, I mean that jerk who picks all the streusel off muffins and then ditches the muffin) so I know I’d ADORE this.
omg… me too.
Coconut and cinnamon streusel?! You are speaking my language. I can’t wait to give the recipe a try!
Oh my goodness! That banana bread you got there looks fantastic. Can’t wait to try it out.
I always use coconut oil for cooking, but rarely for baking. I feel like I have to ration it! It’s too good! Gorgeous-looking bread, by the way.
mmm, clammy banana bread, mmmmm.
Oh! And have you ever heard Mitch Hedberg’s standup routine with the banana bread joke? Hilarity. This whole bit is about food/drink, but at least listen to the first minute for the sake of your banana bread obsession: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5AkGWuuN5Q (warning to parents – Mitch likes to cuss. A lot!)
Great I know you love it and I am inspired by the fact you dont care. I think that I may never look at ordinary coconut bread again myself. Love
That looks unreal! I may try to recreate it but with a paleo and sans sugar twist…this could go terribly wrong ;-)
This sounds amazing!! It’s like this recipe was made for me. If I use regular whole wheat flour vs. pastry is there a difference in the amount or any of the other ingredients? Thanks again for another awesome recipe!
i would try to avoid using regular whole wheat – it will probably be dry and gritty. if you can, use a mix of 50/50 all-purpose and regular whole wheat, and sift it!
Looks perfect and I could demolish some for breakfast right now!!
This will without a doubt be the next banana bread that comes out of my oven! Anything with that thick, chunky streusel is a must-make for me!
I saw this recipe right as my mom was on her way to our house. She was coming down to support me as my 7 year old is going in for eye surgery today. She lives in Camarillo and we live in San Diego (about a 3 hour drive) so my boys and I don’t get to see her every day. Coconut and cinnamon are two of her favorite things on earth…soooooo…I had to make this recipe IMMEDIATELY. I rarely see a recipe and walk over and turn the oven on. My house smelled like HEAVEN when she arrived and I had the BEST banana bread I have ever made waiting for her. It was so nice to do something special for my mommy who was driving down to help me keep it together while my little man goes into surgery (yes, I am 40 and still need my mommy every once in awhile). Thank you for such a WONDERFUL recipe that I will make again and again. (BTW- I added a little bittersweet chopped chocolate – just a little. Ok, a lot. it was to die for).
Yeah I was thinking about it when I published my hundred millionth banana bread recipe this morning, that there’s seriously no way to go wrong with banana bread. It’s just so darn comforting! http://www.treatswithatwist.com/2013/02/nutty-coconut-banana-bread-muffins.html
Love your cinnamon topping!
Seriously. I would streusel my toothpaste if I thought I could get away with it. But, alas… this bread is ridonk and I just LOVE the way it looks. I bet it tastes ridonk, too.
Oh my gosh! I want some of this right now. This recipe is right up my dietary and taste alley. Thank you!
Streuseling is the best new verb I have heard. You can never have too much banana bread… especially when it looks as delightful as yours. :-)
Ok im not a commenter on much of anything. but i have to let you know that this is the whole reason i started following you. not creepy stalker status, just email subscribes. im pretty sure our food loves feel from the same cloud and smacked us in the head. keep the recipes coming!
In Poland, in general we don’t have coconut extract and price of coconut oil is scandalous… But this bread looks soooo tasty, any suggestions how to replace this ingredients?
Oh! You can make your own coconut extract very easily.
Place 1 1/2 ounces of the coconut into a 1-cup glass jar with lid and pour the vodka over it. Seal and shake to combine. Place in a cool dark place for 5 to 7 days, shaking to combine every day. Strain the coconut and discard. Return the vodka to a clean jar or to its original bottle and store in a cool place for up to a year.
opps sorry forgot to give amounts
1 1/2 ounces freshly grated coconut, approximately 1/3 cup
4 ounces vodka
Pingback: Week 15: Friday Favorites | The Cookin' Chemist
I totally understand your banana bread issue :-) I buy bananas to let them rot for banana recipes :-)
Made this the other day…it is, by far, the best banana bread I’ve ever had. I didn’t even make the streusel cause I didn’t have shredded coconut on hand…I’m sure it’s amazing with, but it was so wonderful without too. I also added blueberries. Ahh, so good. Too bad my fiancé ate it all when I wasn’t looking.
Lol I think our fiancés would make good friends
So I’ve only been reading your blog for a little while (and OMG you are HYSTERICAL…and I totally relate to your obsession with all things pink and glitter) and this is my first comment. I just made this bread tonight-first thing I’ve made from your blog. Holyyyyyyyy guacamole I legit died and went to heaven at first bite. Banana bread should always be made with coconut oil…it literally melts in your mouth. I used regular whole wheat flour and just baked it a little less and it was perfect not gritty at all. My only problem was that my fiancé devoured LITERALLY half of the batter before the oven even fully heated SO I had to resort to making 6 muffins. Yup only 6 ..
Pingback: Very Inspiring Blogger Award | fisdailyponderings
This was so delightful and delicious! I am a banana bread nut and I love streusel, so this pulled me right in. And its made with Whole Wheat – oh yeah! I changed it up a bit by putting about 1/3 of the streusel inside the bread. I filled the pan almost half with batter, spread the streusel and put the rest of the batter on top and then the streusel. I hate losing so much streusel when I cut into something, so this way I keep a lot more. It is delicious! Thanks again for all your great recipes.
Pingback: Whole Wheat Banana Bread with Coconut Cinnamon Streusel | Miss Petite Sweets
I just made this bread and let me just say my life is forever changed. I’ve been a huge fan of coconut oil for a while, but never really liked coconut flakes; until today! This has officially replaced my go to banana bread recipe. I used Sue’s suggestion and split the streusel between the bread and topping. If you go that route, you’ll definitely want to wait for the loaf to cool completely before cutting or the slices will fall apart where the mid-streusel line is. Great recipe, thank you for so much great inspiration! :)
Just made this bread last night and am eating it right now. OH MY goodness it’s so delicious. It made my whole apartment smell like a cinnamon banana donut and that’s kind of what it tastes like. Thank you, Jessica, for improving my life. Haha.
Pingback: Coconut Banana Bread w/ Streusel | pink chillies
Pingback: Scrumdiliumcious Banana Muffins | Healthier, Happier, (Me.)
This sounds so tasty! Can I make this in a mini loaf pan? If so, do I need to adjust the temperature/bake time? I can’t wait to make this!!
Pingback: 10 Delicious recipes using coconut oil - Love Stitched
Guesting upon planets which can be complete or even extremely filled increases the probability of getting place into a great overflow chart. GOOGLE http://www.google.com
Oh, such a dumb question from an experienced baker – tho I have rarely streuseled. Was I supposed to melt the 4TB of butter for the topping?? It didn’t say but your note said the streusel should be moist so I did melt it. Now I’m regretting it! Bread is in the oven now.
Thanks for the recipe! Made it on this snowy day inside with several modifications: used less sugar because I had five (previously frozen) ripe bananas to use up, used coconut cream (the thinner part) because I didn’t have milk, and used solid coconut oil, sweetened shredded coconut and half the sugar in the streusel topping. Used two “regular sized” loaf pans and baked for 35 min total. They are perfect and delicious!
Pingback: Banana Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting | How Sweet It Is
So loved this recipe but my streusel fell through the bread to the bottom. Any ideas why?
I would like to make this yummy looking bread but i have a dumb question. Does the bananas need to be really brown as they are in other banana bread recipes? Thank you for posting!
PS: I have to sing Gwen Steffanis song in my head to remember how to spell Banana!
Pingback: Cheer Ktchen - Whole Wheat Banana Bread