We all know that when life gives you lemons you make lemonade, but what about when Costco gives you limes? (You know, like after you give them your credit card…) And what if the limes are the size of your fists? I found myself in this predicament last week. So I started off with Chili-Lime Mango Chicken and Brazilian Lemonade. And of course I made a couple batches of my favorite Lime-Cilantro Dressing. We drizzled that over big salads with strips of Taco Chicken.  It wasn’t until I got down to the last couple of limes that it dawned on me that I haven’t shared one of my favorite recipes with some of my favorite people (you!)I love this bread. It’s close enough to a traditional banana bread that everyone loves the flavor. Yet it’s just different enough that people always say, “Wow!” It’s especially great for functions where you’re asked to bring a bread (I’m imagining brunch with friends, church events, etc.) and you know everyone will show up with the same 3 kinds. This one is definitely a stand-out. It’s a sweet banana bread laced with a little coconut and then drizzled with a tangy lime glaze.
You don’t stray far from the normal routine here. Beat the sugar and the wet stuff, then add the flour and the dry stuff and then dump in some coconut. Do you like how straight-forward that is?
Once your batter is in your baking pan you sprinkle some extra coconut on top before popping it in the oven.
This creates a great crunchy texture on top, adds flavor, and makes it look extra fancy :)
But that’s not all. While that bread is cooling for a few minutes you’ll whip up the sweet lime glaze and then drizzle that on top.
Since the bread is slightly warm still the glaze just kind of melts over everything, coating the coconut and sinking into the cracks and crevices on top.
Seriously people.
The best part is that it’s not just gorgeous and drool-worthy on the outside. The inside is super soft and moist and the glaze just gives a hint of lime with every bite.
Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze
adapted by Our Best Bites from Cooking Light
2 C flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 C sugar
1/4 C (4 Tbs) real butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 C mashed ripe bananas (about 4 large bananas)
1/4 C sour cream or plain yogurt
3 Tbs apple juice or milk*
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C coconut
Topping: 2 Tbs additional coconut
Glaze: 1/2 C powdered sugar whisked with 1 1/2 Tbs fresh lime juice
*as in: don’t go buy apple juice just for this recipe. If you don’t already have some, just use milk!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until blended. Add eggs and beat to combine. Add banana, sour cream or yogurt, apple juice (or milk), and vanilla. Beat until blended.
Add flour mixture and beat at a low speed until just combined. Stir in 1/2 C coconut.
Pour batter into a 9×5″ loaf pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle additional 2 Tbs coconut on top.
Bake in the oven for about 1 hour or until a knife or skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Note: Check bread after about 40 minutes. If the top has browned and the coconut pieces are looking toasty, cover top of bread lightly with a piece of foil. Continue baking until done.
When done, remove pan from oven. Let cool on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes and then carefully remove from pan. Whisk powdered sugar and lime juice together for the glaze and then drizzle over top.   Cool for another 15 minutes before slicing.
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YUMMMO! I can't wait to make this! It looks delicious. I have an event to bake something for on Saturday and I think I found what I'm making. Thanks!
O I can't wait to try this recipe..it looks so scrumpticious ….I have voted everyday but out of all of them I have missed three so I hope you can forgive me..I have been trying first thing in the morning to remember….I love your blog so much and would find it a blast if you would visit mine..way different from yours but I think fun to look at lol! Http://tmcc4.blogspot.com…have a great week everyone :)
Mandy
I LOVE this recipe. It has been a favorite of mine for a few years now… I was very hesitant to try it at first because I am a believer that banana bread should never be without chocolate. But once I tasted the lime/coconut/banana combo… I was converted. Mmmmm.
And I have used orange juice instead of apple juice.
I hope my bananas turn brown REAL soon so I can make some.
Love it.
This cake looks delicious I love the coconut and lime combination.
I'm still looking for ways to use up coconut leftover from Easter and your recipe is another great way.
This looks so delicious! I love the idea of a lime glaze atop the banana and coconut flavored glaze. I may have to make this the next time I have ripe bananas, or perhaps for the bake sale this Saturday!
Sweetened or unsweetened coconut or does it matter? I prefer my breads not to be icky sweet, especially with the glaze added to this one, so am wondering what you recommend. Looks yummy and a nice change from my standard banana bread.
Oh my goodness, my mouth is watering right now. I NEED to try this recipe!
Sara – Can I just tell you how funny your post is? Last weekend I hosted a girl's night with a Mexican theme. I made your awesome recipes for taco chicken and tortilla soup. I used 9 limes from the grocery store, but needed a few more…well, I had to go to Costco anyways…you know the story…while I still used 6 of the limes from Costco, I still have 20 more!!
I CAN'T WAIT to try this recipe. You and Kate have converted me to the deliciousness of lime!
Do you think apple cider will work okay? I've got some that needs using up! This sounds great for a bake sale this week!
I'm not usually a big fan of coconut- but lime & coconut? Delicious!!
seriously people. . .
Sara, wow. This looks so good. Mmmmm. . . coconut and lime – my two favorite spring flavors.
Looks like a good one!
How about a red velvet cake/cupcake recipe? :)
–Meliha
http://straddling-continents-cultures.blogspot.com/
ForPetesSake- I just use sweetened flaked coconut from a bag. You could use either. The bread itself isn't overly sweet so the glaze isn't overkill- (in my opinion!)
Diana- Apple Cider is totally fine. Honestly, just about any liquid will work. The original recipe actually calls for rum, but since I don't have alcohol around I sub it out. I've used milk, juice, extra sour cream, apple sauce etc. Really, anything works!
I love the lime glaze!
I love all of these ingredients…and together, drool worthy is absolutely accurate!
ooh, this looks delish! and i've got bananas waiting! now to get some limes . . . ( :
Oh I will have to make a gluten free version of this…SOON! Easy peasy, LIMEon squeezy! Thanks for this! It looks and sounds SO delicious!!
Thanks, Sara. I didn't mean to imply that the recipe sounded "icky sweet", just wanted to make sure I didn't use sweetened by mistake if you didn't intend it. :-)
Adding this to my recipe "to do ASAP" pile on the kitchen counter, as I do most of yours. It's a big pile…
Sara,
What perfect timing … I have that same bag of limes from Costco sitting in my fridge right now!
This looks perfect!! Can you tell me what kind and size bread pan you used? Love the look of the finished product :-)
Thanks again!!
Sara, thanks for reminding me of that banana bread. I haven't made it in quite a while, and it had been a favorite of ours since it was originally printed in Cooking Light mag. Looking forward to making it again this week to use up my "brown banana stash"!
Mary Beth
Wow, what a lime . . wish my Costco would get those in here!! If you still have some around, zest them. It makes so many yummy dishes and I don't even know if you can find lime zest to buy. If you can, I'm sure it's gold plated.
This bread is spectacular. I can't believe how wonderful the flavors are together. Honestly, when I first read the title I thought it sounded kinda weird. I made it Gluten Free last night for our family and couldn't have been happier. I posted it to my blog and linked back to you.
http://thehappytummy.wordpress.com/2010/04/12/coconut-banana-bread-with-lime-glaze-gluten-free/
thanks for another great recipe!
I can go for coconut any time of year, but the craving gets especially strong in the warm months. :) This looks so delicious and I happen to have some bananas that need to be used up right now.
we love banana bread and muffins and I keep buying lots of bananas thinking we'll end up with some extra ripe ones but my kids end up eating them all still. I think I will hide some so I can make this recipe lol
This is my favorite banana bread recipe. It also freezes great without the glaze, just glaze after it thaws. yumm, i need banana bread
MMMM this was so good, I didn't have limes so I used lemons but it still was great! SOOOoo moist. I love the toasted coconut on top–thanks for sharing all these delicious recipes!
This bread is really good! I love how moist it is. Note to self: Add 10 minutes to baking time if you use a glass Pyrex loaf pan again! =) Although I wasn't happy about the extra 10 minutes I made myself wait, it was worth it! Thanks!
This sounds amazing!!! We love banana bread and coconut and the lime glaze sounds like it would go perfectly!!! Also, we voted for your blog! Good luck!
Love your site. Pictures are amazingly descriptive. I have seen some recipes for bacon jam. Do you have one that you like. It sounds good, but the recipes are very different and don't know which one to try. Peggy in Lake Charles
So, there I was completely humiliated at the fact that our totally shy neighbor had come over to our house to tell us that for the last couple of days our kids had been chucking rocks over the fence at their parked cars. I clicked on OBB and there it was as the daily post…the perfect peace offering. It worked like a charm. Coconut/Lime banana bread. It was way more gourmet and impressive than a simple batch of chocolate chip cookies, right? Thanks so much!
Just popped these in the oven as muffins. Can't wait to try.
My niece, a TV news anchor, is planning a 'Run for the Roses' Kentucky Derby party for 100 on May 1. The challenge is Kentucky-inspired finger food.
All I've come up with is a thought for dessert – mini bourbon pecan pies, perhaps in phyllo shells? Thinking of dropping a semisweet chocolate chip or two at the bottom.
I adore your website and emails. I posted my own photos & tips on NavyforMoms.com with your fabulous apple-pie-in-a-jar; made me famous with other corpsman moms! http://www.navyformoms.com/group/carepackageideas/forum/topics/cake-and-pies-in-a-jar-links
Thanks and wishing you the BEST!
Marcy Tankersley Scott
I just made this recipe earlier in the week and it was so delicious! I even linked to your site on my blog so my friends could enjoy it too! Thanks for another winner. I love your site!!
I made my own Gluten Free version of this and it was FABULOUS! Mine made two loaves and the were GONE is less than 2 days. There are only 4 of us, and two are little kids. Guess who ate the most.
Next time I am going to try using lime juice and lime flavoured yogurt IN the bread as well as on it. Shared a link to this recipe with my gluten tolerant family, and shared my variation with the gluten free members.
I'm going to give this a try with coconut oil in place of the butter. I wonder if white whole wheat flour can be used in place of all purpose flour too???
Hopefully it will turn out. :) Experimenting is always an adventure.
Thanks!
Anissa
Thanks for a great recipe! I made some modifications and it still turned out fantastic. I posted it on my blog with links back to you.
I just made this today and it was soooooo scrumptious! I had some macadamia nuts on hand and added those. I was planning on eating one slice and could not leave it alone. the lime glaze was so good on it. It just hit the spot!
Just made this today, turned out great! My new favorite banana bread recipe – thanks for posting!
So i am in the middle of baking this right now, and It wont bake in the center??!! I have had it in the oven for about 1h30m at 350f in a 9×5 so I don't know what the deal is?? And suggestions??
For the love of fashion- no idea! That shouldn't happen so you may have had an error in there somewhere. Hopefully it still tasted good!
This was so yummy. Thank you! The lime glaze was just the perfect touch.
Love this recipe! One of my all time favorite breads!
Mine is in the oven right now! Can’t wait to try it.
positively scrumptious. i had three slices before breakfast. thank goodness i’m preggers and therefore have the metabolism of a 16 yr old boy. :)
Just finished my secret piece, I didn’t want the kids to see me eating it because I knew they would beg me for some too. This is awesome. So yummy and moist with the lime glaze sooooo good. My husband even asked if he could take some to work at the next work party. I agree with one of the other readers about the Pyrex needing a additional 10(ish minutes.) No biggie.
I got an email from cookinglight.com today that had all of their banana bread recipes and I saw this one….and I thought…”haven’t I seen this on Our Best Bites?”. So, I had to come and see how you modified it. I wondered if it really needed the rum, but looks like everyone loves it without. I have some over-ripe bananas that need to get off of my counter…I’m so excited to try this :)
[...] Banana Coconut Bread with a lime glaze!!!!! [...]
Delicious! I made these today in muffin form – love the easy grab and go. I made them a little healthier. I used white whole wheat flour, coconut oil, fat free Greek yogurt and cut the sugar to 3/4 cup. I also chopped the coconut up a little in the food processor to try to hide it from my coconut-hating husband! They are so moist and tasty! The kids loved them. Thanks for another great recipe.
Delish!!!!!!! Thanks for sharing :)
I love lime, coconut and banana. But my husband and I both decided that the lime flavor completely over-powered the banana and coconut. Next time I will either use coconut or banana flavoring in the glaze, replacing the lime juice with milk or water. Used only 3/4 c. of sugar. Instead of baking in a 9×5, I divided the batter into 3 small foil pans, baked for only 50 minutes.
Just came out of the oven! The lime glaze is bowl licking, finger licking, awesome. I’m not saying I did. But maybe I did.
Sending the link to my sis now…
[...] I will be baking this [...]
I received some funny looks when I told my husband and daughter what I was making. They didn’t think it would be good. My husband was disappointed that I wasn’t adding chocolate chips. Well, come dessert time, it was getting rave reviews. My husband said there wasn’t a need for chocolate chips and my daughter (5) give it a 10. Can’t wait to try more recipes. Thanks
I love your blog, and I feel so weird that this is my first comment. I have been working my way through all of your recipes and haven’t yet found one I don’t like. They’re all winners. And my husband is LOVING this trend… Anyway, I just made this bread and it was delicious. I only had whole wheat flour, but it still came out great. I did add a little extra baking powder and a heaping helping of the soda to help out. Hope you don’t mind. I always get annoyed by those people on allrecipes who rate recipes a 5-star and yet they completely changed the recipe!! Anyway, I can’t wait to get your cookbook– my mom bought me one at one of your book signings in Houston, so I’m VERY excited to see it!!
[...] from Our Best Bites [...]
Oh my this looks so delicious! Even my 4 yr old is excited to bake this today!
[...] Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze from Our Best Bites Chocolate Chip Banana Bread from Tidy Mom Strawberry Banana Streusel Bread from All Day I Dream About Food [...]
[...] again, found this one while I was perusing [...]
[...] I was home I’d be baking this bread….pretty much right now so I could eat some [...]
For the love of Fashion: Could you have put too much batter in the pan? Because that’s exactly what I did. I didn’t know you were supposed to only fill the pan about half (or a little less) full. I’m such a klutz in the kitchen!!
Sara & Kate: I love your site!! My sister just told me about it and I have been on it constantly. Your way of cooking is so simple, which is good for me. I feel so overwhelmed at times at all the meals I have to prepare for my family and you two just put me into a “zen” place where I feel like it’s manageable and can actually be really fun to be in the kitchen! I have enjoyed cooking and baking much more since I discovered your recipes. Thanks again so much for sharing your talents!
LOVE THIS! Tweeked it a bit. Used vanilla agave nectar (http://lovingsuperfoods.com/rawfood/vanillaagavenectar.html) in place of the sugar and vanilla. Added cinnamon. Used coconut milk instead of the milk. I used unsweetened coconut flakes (bobs red mill) and created a glaze with vanilla agave nectar, coconut milk and powdered sugar. it turned out amazing, didnt last a day. Thanks so much for the great recipe and the inspiration. Loved all the photos you added and the explanation too! Making my second loaf right now.
I have to start out by saying that I don’t usually like banana bread, but I made this recipe because I had a few overripe bananas and had to bring bread to a brunch this morning. The coconut and lime flavors combine so nicely with the banana that even I thought it was delicious! I received lots of compliments at the brunch, and ended up sending the recipe out to my mom’s group – with a link to you of course!
I used apple cider instead of juice, and key lime flavored yogurt instead of plain. I also baked it in one 8 x 4″ pan and one soup can (because that’s what I had) and it only took 45 minutes. Thanks for the fantastic recipe!
I love this bread! I discovered this recipe back in 2004 in the Cooking Light magazine. I was sitting in a doctors office thumbing through, convinced there couldn’t possibly a “Light” recipe worth trying, while I waited for what seemed like hours and there it was. As a few people have said, the combination sounds weird. But I jotted down the recipe and tried it later. It is fantastic! I have made it many times over the years and every time it turns out great.(which is amazing because I’m at highish altitude and I rarely find a recipe that works without modification.) Anyway, I’m glad you found this recipe too.
I tried this and it was truly marvelous….every BITE as good as it looks! It was so easy and looked and smelled wonderful. It seems with the apple juice and yogurt options it is rather healthy, too! My family loved it. One of my daughters has made some things from your cookbook that she also loves. We will check back often!!! Such a great site! I took some pictures and posted the recipe on my blog with a link back to you and this page!