Banana bread with a cherry and coconut twist.
Equipment Needed
- Cutting Board
- Loaf Pan
- Large bowl
Prep Time: 10 Min
Bake Time: 70 Min
Serving Count: 8-10
Yield: 1 Loaf
Ingredients
- 2 Medium ripe bananas (7”-8”)
- 1 Large egg, beaten
- ½ Cup Cherries, Pitted and chopped
- ½ cup Shredded coconut
- ½ cup of Pika Pika’s Coconut Spread. Shop here.
- 1 ½ cups (205 g) all purpose flour
- ⅓ Cup (76g) melted butter. Unsalted.
- ½ cup coconut palm sugar (or any other sugar you’d like!)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda (not baking powder)
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
For the longest time, I've associated cherries with my Ama, Sui Ha (Ama is the Hokkien/Fukien word for Grandmother on the paternal side). Like most families in the Philippines, my siblings and I grew up in a multi-generational household so Ama was always around. Whenever we would come to her room to hang out or play, she always had a TON of cherries ready for us to enjoy. As a kid, I already had trouble sleeping, so whenever I was awake in the wee hours of the night, I'd knock on her door and ask to sit and watch her shows with her. She’d always have cherries ready to go and we would munch on them while watching her Chinese soap-operas.
As an adult, I learned that cherries held a significant place in Chinese culture. They signified good fortune and respect when gifted. They also served as a symbol of deep affection for loved ones.
This take on the classic Banana Bread marries the slightly tart flavor of cherries with the textural and nutty flavor of coconuts to add a complexity of flavor. Honestly, it’s so easy to customize and play around with: you can add your own chopped nuts, add Matcha, or swap out the cherries for any other fruit you’re fancying, or that is in season. It’s also the perfect and easy go-to recipe for when you have bananas that are about to go bad. The riper the better!
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven and prep the loaf pan
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter your loaf pan. If you prefer flouring your pan, that works too!
2. Mash bananas, tablespoon of cherries and add butter
In a mixing bowl, mash the bananas and cherries with a fork until very smooth. Some chunks of cherries are okay. Stir in the melted butter.
3. Mix in the rest of ingredients
No real order here, but we like adding the flour last. Baking soda, salt, beaten egg, sugar, shredded coconut, Coconut Spread. Mix in flour.
4. Bake bread
Pour half of the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Add some remaining cherries on top and pour the other half of the mixture and top off with the last few cherries.
Bake for 70 minutes at 350ºF, or until your toothpick test in the center of the loaf comes out clean. If you’re done with the 70 minutes and it’s still running a little wet with the toothpick test, loosely wrap the loaf with foil and continue baking until it runs clear.
5. Rest the loaf
Remove from the oven and let cool for 8-10 minutes. Remove the banana bread from the pan and let cool completely before serving. If you wrap well, this can keep at room temperature for up to 4 days.
6. Serve
For an extra pow, enjoy with our coconut spread or fresh fruit. It’s particularly delicious with coffee or tea for breakfast.
Enjoy! Follow us on social for more recipes and ideas @eatpikapika
