This recipe makes an incredibly nut-heavy banana bread for when you really want to impress someone. Or yourself. Most banana bread recipes use only one or two add-ins and even then only a minimal amount. In this recipe, you use a total of 2 cups of add-ins, and it shows! The toasted nuts and coconut complement the banana flavor really well and add a lot of texture. Don’t worry — it’s not all nut. They’re spaced out quite nicely!
I used an 11-by-5-by-3-inch pan, but this recipe would work well for a 9-by-5-by-3-inch pan as well. The banana chunks are optional but are a nice addition for texture! The coconut taste is quite mild, so if you want to up the coconut flavor, feel free to swap the butter for unrefined coconut oil. Lastly, the pistachios and almonds are interchangeable; I made it with pistachios once and almonds another time.
Alice Bilyk // Daily Nexus
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups crushed walnuts
- ¼ cup shredded coconut
- ¼ cup slivered almonds or crushed pistachios
- 1 tablespoon finely shredded coconut (optional)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature) or equal amount coconut oil (unrefined)
- 3 overripe bananas (plus one more if you want it to have banana chunks)
- Extra walnuts, almonds/pistachios and shredded coconut for garnish on top
Alice Bilyk // Daily Nexus
Directions:
- Toast the nuts and shredded coconut separately. Wait for them to get light brown to dark brown (it can be hard to tell on nuts) but not black. It is okay if the nuts get a little black. The coconut will only need a few minutes so it doesn’t burn. Set it aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter the pan and set it aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and vanilla extract.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or a bowl), cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Slowly pour in the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.
- Mash the three bananas with a fork in a small bowl and add them to the stand mixer (or bowl containing the butter-sugar-egg mixture). It will look curdled — this is okay.
- With a spatula, mix in the dry mixture (flour, salt, baking soda) until just incorporated. Fold in the nuts and coconut. Cut up the last banana into chunks and fold it in as well.
- Pour the batter into the pan, garnish with the nuts and coconut on top and place the pan into the oven for 55 minutes. A toothpick inserted will come out clean if the bread is ready.
- Once ready, let it rest for five minutes, then turn out of the pan and let it rest for another few minutes. Slice and enjoy!
Alice Bilyk // Daily Nexus
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This recipe yields a gorgeous banana bread. Apparently you’re supposed to leave banana bread in the fridge for a day (or something?) in plastic wrap, but I ate this immediately after taking it out of the oven, and it was delicious. Great with vanilla ice cream and berries and cream! Whatever you little lads desire.
A version of this article appeared on p. 18 of the September 23, 2021 print edition of the Daily Nexus.
