This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Hawaiian Banana Bread with Pineapple, Coconut & Macadamia Nuts is a delicious Hawaiian-inspired banana bread made with Dole crushed pineapple, coconut flakes, and chopped macadamia nuts. This type of Banana Bread is ambrosial and one of the BEST Banana Bread recipes you’ll ever make. Seriously!
“This was a huge hit with my family and friends. My 5-year-old wanted to take it and share with his entire class. My neighbor was like, just give me the entire loaf. The bread was moist and the flavors were great together. I’m not usually a fan of coconut, but it worked in this. We’ll definitely be making it again. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.”
Richa
Table of Contents
- Inspiration behind this recipe… my trip to Hawaii
- What is Hawaiian Banana Bread with Pineapple, Coconut & Macadamia Nuts?
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients
- Step by Step Instructions – How to make Hawaiian Banana Bread with Pineapple, Coconut & Macadamia Nuts
- Serving Suggestions
- Expert Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Banana Bread Recipes!
- Hawaiian Banana Bread with Pineapple, Coconut & Macadamia Nuts Recipe
Inspiration behind this recipe… my trip to Hawaii
Hawaii has some of the best food I’ve ever eaten in my life. From the fancy restaurants to the road shacks, the food there is indescribably good.
On a recent trip to Hawaii, I had some of the Best Grilled Banana Bread of my life at Kahuku Farms. For a list of all the delicious foods I ate in Hawaii, check out the 15 Best Things I Ate in 2022.
Every store, restaurant, and shack I visited served up some kind of pineapple and coconut dish. From Pineapple Fried Rice to Coconut Shrimp to Coconut Cocktails to garnishing every cocktail with pineapple, it was a no-brainer that I had to make Pineapple Coconut Banana Bread.
And once I visited Tropical Farms where the star ingredient was macadamia nut, I knew that would be my choice of nut in my Banana Bread because you can’t possibly make Banana Bread without nuts. Right? Well, I don’t know about you, but I love my nuts.
I knew once I reached home, I was gonna make a Hawaiian-inspired Banana Bread, one that represents Hawaii. And that’s how this Hawaiian Banana Bread recipe came to life.
What is Hawaiian Banana Bread with Pineapple, Coconut & Macadamia Nuts?
Hawaiian Banana Bread is a variation of the traditional banana bread recipe that incorporates the flavors of Hawaii, in this case, pineapple, coconut, and macadamia nuts. These are the three most popular fruits and nuts I enjoyed on the island.
Just a note: if you do visit the island of Maui, make sure you indulge in Maui’s Banana Bread which is apparently quite famous. When I do take my Maui vacation – someday, I plan on going to Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread which is supposedly the best banana bread on the island.
Alternate Names for this Recipe
This recipe can go by various names – Coconut Pineapple Loaf Cake, Hawaiian Banana Cake Recipe, Kona Banana Bread, Hawaiian Banana Macadamia Nut Bread, Coconut Pineapple Banana Bread, Banana Coconut Bread, and Pineapple Coconut Bread.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ambrosial & Delicious
- It’s a Tropical Treat
- Easy to Make
- Banana Bread is always a good idea
- Perfect with a Cup of Coffee
- Soft & Moist
- Dairy-free
- Gluten-free option available – see FAQ below
- Perfect Combination for Spring or Summer
Ingredients
- Banana: You need to use ripe to overripe bananas in this recipe.
- Pineapple: I used canned Dole Crushed Pineapple with juice. You don’t need to use fresh pineapple in this recipe since the crushed pineapple has sweetness and lots of juice.
- Coconut: I like using unsweetened coconut flakes in this recipe as there is already enough sugar. Feel free to toast the coconut for a more intense coconut flavor.
- Macadamia Nuts: Dry roast the nuts and then chop them up.
- All-Purpose White Flour: You’ll need regular ol’ white flour for this recipe.
- Sugar: I like regular white or cane sugar.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda – Leaveners used in baked goods.
- Salt – Salt is a required ingredient in baking since it really brings out the flavor of the baked item.
- Eggs – You’ll need 2 eggs for this recipe.
- Pure Vanilla Extract – Use really vanilla extract, not the imitation stuff.
- Sunflower Oil: I use organic sunflower oil, you can use any tasteless oil. You can also use vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil provided it doesn’t have a strong flavor.
Step by Step Instructions – How to make Hawaiian Banana Bread with Pineapple, Coconut & Macadamia Nuts
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease your 8.5″ loaf pan (9″ or 10″ works too).
3. Dry roast your macadamia nuts for a few minutes until slightly browned.
4. Once they cool, chop them up. Set aside.
5. Combine your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl – all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix and set aside.
6. Combine your wet ingredients in another large bowl – eggs, vanilla extract, mashed banana, and crushed pineapple with juice, and oil.
7. Mix the wet ingredients well.
8. Add your dry ingredients to the wet. Mix well, but don’t overmix the batter.
9. Add the chopped macadamia nuts and unsweetened coconut flakes.
10. Fold the nuts and coconut into the batter. Again, do not overmix.
11. Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan. Into the oven for 55-65 minutes at 350 degrees.
12. Use a clean knife to make sure the banana bread is not sticky on the inside. Allow your banana bread to cool completely and come to room temperature before cutting.
Serving Suggestions
This Hawaiian Banana Nut Bread gives you 10 slices, you can slice them even further and end up with 20 smaller slices.
- Enjoy this delicious banana bread for breakfast with a cup of coffee/tea.
- You can also enjoy it as an afternoon snack/dessert – any time of the day!
- It’s perfect for weekend brunch.
Expert Tips
- Dry roast the macadamia nuts. This only takes a few minutes so don’t over-roast them else they will burn.
- Make sure your bananas are very ripe with brown spots for the best results.
- Feel free to toast the coconut flakes for a more intense coconut flavor.
- Mix your dry ingredients and set them aside. Mix your wet ingredients and set them aside.
- Do not overmix the batter, or else you’ll end up with slightly tough banana bread.
- Use a loaf pan. I recommend using a standard size with dimensions 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75, however 9×5 works too.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a knife comes out clean after being inserted into the baked banana bread.
Frequently Asked Questions
For a vegan option, you can omit the eggs and replace them with a flax egg.
For Flax Egg – mix 1 tablespoon ground flax meal + 3 tablespoons water until it thickens. This ratio is equal to 1 egg. For this recipe, you need 2 eggs.
Yes! Simply replace all-purpose white flour with gluten-free white flour. It’s a 1:1 substitute. Also, make sure to use gluten-free baking powder.
Yes! If you have a nut allergy or don’t like nuts, just skip them.
Sugar in this recipe will help with the texture of the banana bread. You can certainly replace the sugar amount with honey or coconut sugar, but that’ll certainly change the texture of this bread, not to mention, the color too.
If you want to cut down on sugar, feel free to omit the sugar completely since the banana and crushed pineapple already have a good amount of sugar. Again, by omitting sugar, the texture will be affected.
5. Can I turn this Hawaiian Banana Bread into Hawaiian Muffins?
Yes. Absolutely. Just note, the muffins’ bake time won’t be 55 minutes. You definitely want to check the muffins at 20 minutes and every 5 minutes after that. To check if the muffins are done, perform a toothpick test.
Absolutely! That would be a great gift idea for Easter or Spring. Again, note the mini loaves’ bake time won’t be 55 minutes, but more like 20 minutes, hence start checking the mini loaves at the 20-minute mark and every 5 minutes thereafter.
More Banana Bread Recipes!
Tried this recipe? If so, please leave a comment & rate this recipe. That would mean so much to me. If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creations. I’m happy to share and mention you. Thank you!
Hawaiian Banana Bread with Pineapple, Coconut & Macadamia Nuts
Equipment
Ingredients
dry ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose white flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
wet ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups ripe bananas
- 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice, I like Dole
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp organic sunflower oil, or any tasteless oil
add-ins
- 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, dry roasted & chopped
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease your loaf pan.
- Dry roast your macadamia nuts for a few minutes until slightly browned.
- Once they cool, chop them up. Set aside.
- Combine your dry ingredients – all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix and set aside.
- Combine your wet ingredients – eggs, vanilla extract, banana, and crushed pineapple with juice, and oil.
- Mix the wet ingredients well.
- Add your dry ingredients to the wet. Mix well, but don’t overmix the batter.
- Add the chopped macadamia nuts and unsweetened coconut flakes.
- Fold the nuts and coconut into the batter. Again, do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan. Into the oven for 55-65 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Use a clean knife to make sure the banana bread is not sticky on the inside. Allow your banana bread to cool completely before cutting.
I am making this now. I made a lime, spiced rum, butter, coconut topping. It smells amazing.
HI Donna. So happy to hear that. Let me know how it turns out. Wow love the topping. LEt me know how it turns out for you! 🙂
how are you measuring the banana? are you mashing them up and measuring out the listed amount or are you leaving them whole? Just used to seeing a specific # of bananas listed!
Loved the idea of this recipe and love all the ingredients. I made it and it had a strange taste I couldn’t identify. Finally figured out it was the new sunflower oil that I used. It was a high quality organic oil but is the only thing that it could be unless there is too much baking soda or powder. I would just recommend canola oil.
HI Pam! Thanks for your input. In my Ingredients section I mentioned to use any tasteless oil. I did use sunflower oil, however the one I used is tasteless from whole foods and it’s organic. Anyway, thank you.
Do you think we could use honey or maple sugar to make this limited sugar? Or cut the sugar in half?
Hi Caitlin, You can, but the texture won’t be the same using honey or maple syrup. Instead I would half the sugar amount, but again, texture will be affected slightly, but that would be the better option. 🙂 Let me know how it goes.
This has got to be one of the best breads I have ever tasted. The texture is perfect and the combination of banana, pineapple, and coconut is divine. Don’t skip the macadamia nuts as they add a unique crunch.
10/10 recipe for sure!
Ahhh Ornit, Thank you so much for your kind words. Makes me so happy to hear that you loved it. Yay! 🙂
Hi there, I was wondering if you have an alternate for coconut? My husband can’t stand the texture of coconut. Do you suggest adding coconut milk or something else?
HI Kayla, Just skip the coconut. You already have nuts, pineapple, and banana so it’ll still be yummy. 🙂 Let me know how it goes.
Coconut extract would work to give it a coconut flavor without the crunch. Not sure how much would be needed, though, maybe a teaspoon or two?
HI Katie, I would taste the extract, if it’s bold in flavor, I would only use 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp. The main flavor here should be banana and pineapple, but sure you can add coconut extract – how much depends on how bold you want the coconut flavor to be.
Has anybody tried using Gluten Free flour?
Hi GJ – I can almost guarantee if you use white gluten-free flour – it’ll work just fine. I have substituted gluten-free flour a few times in my recipes and it works fine. Let me know if you try. 🙂
Hi! I’m just wondering if I can make this with dried pineapple instead of canned? Thank you!
Hi Nikki – So sorry for the late response ( I had a site makeover ). No. You need to use canned pineapple that has juice, fruit, and sweetness. Dried pineapple will not give you the same results, not even close. 🙂
Hello,
Could you please tell me which method you used to measure the flour – scoop and sweep or spoon and level?
Thank you kindly
HI Frances – No one has ever asked me this question before. 🙂
I generally scoop and sweep off the top with a butter knife.
Followed the recipe to a T and my bread turned out very gooey almost looks raw. I put it back back in the oven for another 45 minutes, still wasn’t cooked so then I turned the temperature way down and left it. Sit in there for hours. It was almost burnt to a crisp on the outside, still gooey on the inside. I think i figured out the issue. I used the spoon and level method where you use the scoop and sweep meaning I don’t have enough flour. It makes. Huge difference because the flour get compacted when you scoop.
It tastes DELICIOUS though
HI Tara, Sorry this didn’t turn out perfect for you. I’m not sure what you mean by the spoon and level method. I generally grab a scoop of flour and level it off, assuming that’s what you mean. I’m not sure what happened. Ovens vary I suppose. I’m glad it was delicious though. Thank you!
When measuring flour, the well known and “proper“ technique is to spoon the flour into the measuring cup opposed to dipping the measuring up into the flour. When you dip and scoop, the flour is much more compacted and you’re picking up more than intended. Using a spoon to fill the measuring cup loosens up the flour and gives you a more accurate measurement. You might want to include how you measured your flour in the recipe, as it’s more uncommon now to scoop flour. I’m definitely going to try this recipe! It looks absolutely delicious ! I’ll just have to remember to measure your way! 💕 Haha
Hi Shelby, Ok. So for this I scooped and measured, however I also scoop the flour a couple times and air it out before scooping it into my cup. I learned this technique from Ina Garten by watching her on Food Network. Technically, weighing the flour is the best for a more accurate measurement, but I’m not used to the metric system. Thanks so much. Yeah, measure it my way for this. 🙂 Let me know. Fingers crossed! This recipe has a lot of positive feedback, so that may help. 🙂
Hi Tara, I thought I might write a note back to you about things that might have gone wrong for you with this bread because I have had that problem in the past and have worked on correcting it with great success.
So here goes- first of all check to see that your oven is callibrated and heating to proper temperature for recipes. My oven has differed as much as 20 degrees so I always check and not only that but some ovens lose heat during baking, so be sure temp is good. THAT is the single most important thing for baking properly.
When baking loaves like this put your bread in oven while it preheats! You will be amazed at what a help this is. I do it every time now and my banana breads and other loaves come out perfectly baked.
Be sure to mash banana up very well,those lumps in batter will not cook through if they are left big.
Stir your wet ingredients well before adding dry.
I find that unless you get really carried away with flour and don’t watch how you measure, that spoon and level method is not important. Beleive me I had never heard of that either and I have baked and worked in industry long time. NEVER have I seen bakers or chefs spoon and level flour out for their recipes. Somebody must have made this up and it caught on pretty good. But it is not something the normal baker will even worry about. Common sense will tell you that.
So I hope these tips have helped for future.
One more thing, I hope you do not be tempted to leave someting like this in oven over the course of several hours to bake. I cannot imagine what it might be like after, but not the way you want to treat your efforts!
Just back from a trip to Hawaii and this was just the thing to bake! I used fresh diced pineapple. Instead of a loaf, I made these as 12 muffins, they baked in 30 mins. 35min may be better. They’re tenderer than muffins so I cooled them in the muffin pan for a few minutes before taking out. Love that the added sugar is only 1/2 cup, so delicious!