Hummingbird Banana Bread
By Vallery LomasPublished on March 24, 2026
Time
1½ hours
Yield
Makes 1 loaf
Ingredients
Banana Bread
1½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour ¾ teaspoon baking soda ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon table salt 4 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 2 cups)1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) granulated sugar ¾ cup crushed pineapple in juice, undrained2 large eggs, lightly beaten 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¾ cup toasted pecans, chopped coarse½ cup sweetened shredded coconutCream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, softened1½ cups (6 ounces/170 grams) confectioners' sugar 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened1 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch table saltBefore You Begin
Be sure to use very ripe, heavily speckled (or even black) bananas in this recipe. Use a potato masher to thoroughly mash the bananas. If your loaf pan is 8½ by 4½ inches, it will be full but will work; we place the loaf pan on a rimmed baking sheet in case the batter overflows in the oven.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil spray.
- Whisk 1½ cups (7½ ounces) all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon table salt together in large bowl. Combine 2 cups mashed ripe bananas, 1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar, ¾ cup undrained crushed pineapple in juice, 2 lightly beaten large eggs, 8 tablespoons melted and cooled unsalted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in separate large bowl. Fold banana mixture into dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in ¾ cup toasted pecans, chopped coarse, and ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut until evenly dispersed.
- Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan and place on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until loaf is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 60 to 70 minutes. Let bread cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Tilt pan and gently remove bread. Let bread continue to cool on wire rack until room temperature.
- While loaf is cooling, process 8 ounces softened cream cheese, 1½ cups (6 ounces) confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons softened butter, vanilla, and pinch salt in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl with silicone spatula as needed.
- Spread frosting on top of cooled hummingbird banana bread (there will be a generous amount) and serve. (To store frosted bread, transfer to refrigerator, uncovered, until cream cheese frosting is firm, about 1 hour. Then wrap tightly in plastic and store in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
for the banana bread
for the cream cheese frosting
Time
1½ hoursYield
Makes 1 loafIngredients
Banana Bread
Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Banana Bread
Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Banana Bread
Cream Cheese Frosting
Why This Recipe Works
This dense, ultramoist banana bread is modeled after hummingbird cake, a glorious layered cake beloved in the South. Like the cake, which has roots in Jamaican cooking, it’s packed with bananas, pecans, shredded coconut, and crushed pineapple and mounded with billows of tangy cream-cheese frosting. For deep banana flavor, we make sure to use soft, heavily speckled specimens—even blackened bananas aren’t too ripe—and we mash them thoroughly to extract their moisture. Canned crushed pineapple with all of its juices adds more tropical flavor and moisture. Toasting the pecans heightens their nuttiness. We combine these ingredients with cinnamon, vanilla, and melted butter in a simple dump-and-stir batter. The cream cheese frosting comes together easily in a food processor, which also ensures a velvety smooth texture.
Before You Begin
Be sure to use very ripe, heavily speckled (or even black) bananas in this recipe. Use a potato masher to thoroughly mash the bananas. If your loaf pan is 8½ by 4½ inches, it will be full but will work; we place the loaf pan on a rimmed baking sheet in case the batter overflows in the oven.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil spray.
- Whisk 1½ cups (7½ ounces) all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon table salt together in large bowl. Combine 2 cups mashed ripe bananas, 1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar, ¾ cup undrained crushed pineapple in juice, 2 lightly beaten large eggs, 8 tablespoons melted and cooled unsalted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in separate large bowl. Fold banana mixture into dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in ¾ cup toasted pecans, chopped coarse, and ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut until evenly dispersed.
- Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan and place on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until loaf is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 60 to 70 minutes. Let bread cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Tilt pan and gently remove bread. Let bread continue to cool on wire rack until room temperature.
- While loaf is cooling, process 8 ounces softened cream cheese, 1½ cups (6 ounces) confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons softened butter, vanilla, and pinch salt in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl with silicone spatula as needed.
- Spread frosting on top of cooled hummingbird banana bread (there will be a generous amount) and serve. (To store frosted bread, transfer to refrigerator, uncovered, until cream cheese frosting is firm, about 1 hour. Then wrap tightly in plastic and store in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
for the banana bread
for the cream cheese frosting
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