Some of my favorite posts on the blog come from those moments when I’m cooking or baking and the results are so amazing that I can’t wait to share. This is one of those posts. It started with an overflowing basket of bananas on my kitchen counter. I figured I’d make our favorite Coconut Pecan Banana Bread after a reader recently commented on how much she enjoyed it with my suggestion of chocolate chips. So…I had to experiment!
I remember loving German chocolate cake as a kid. How can any combination of chocolate, coconut and pecans be bad? But, in all honesty…I can’t tell you the last time I’d even seen a German chocolate cake. It doesn’t seem to be as popular as it was back then, but its history may surprise you…
Interestingly, German chocolate cake is not German. Not one bit. It gets its name from German’s Sweet Chocolate, a product called for in the original recipe. It was a sweetened chocolate made especially for baking and developed by Samuel German. The recipe for the cake specifically, came from a Mrs. George Clay, from Texas, who submitted it to a local newspaper. Classic to Southern baking, she included coconut and pecans. Within just one year, that recipe became widely popular and soon after, was printed on the back of baking chocolate packages.
I’m more of a bread baker…not so much a cake baker. And really…I can slice off a piece of banana bread any time of the day without having to explain myself. I mean, calling cake breakfast just doesn’t always fly. This bread…well, it’s as satisfying as cake, but much less sugary and so much less fat.
This bread is sweet, but not overly so. It’s just enough to satisfy any sweet tooth. Between the sweetened coconut, chocolate chips and banana, you really don’t need a lot of additional sugar. And honestly, my family looked surprised when I told them it had about half the amount of sugar as most banana bread recipes. I’m fairly certain they liked it anyway…it was gone in one day!
German Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar see Notes
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 large ripe bananas mashed
- 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut plus additional for topping
- 1/2 cup pecans toasted and chopped coarsely, plus a few whole pecans for topping
- 1/4 cup mini dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a loaf pan with parchment.
- In a large bowl, whisk to combine the flours, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder and coconut palm sugar. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Add the yogurt, coconut oil, vanilla and bananas. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the egg mixture over the flour mixture. Add the coconut, pecans and chocolate chips. Mix until combined. The mixture will be a bit thick.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Top with additional coconut and a few whole pecans, if desired.
- Bake on the center rack for 55 to 60 minutes or untl a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.
Notes
It calls for 4 large bananas, approximately how many grams would that be since bananas vary in size.
Great question, Maria! A large banana is approximately 135 grams, so I’d use between 530 to 540 grams of banana for this recipe. Hope that helps and hope you love it! :)
So delicious – didn’t last long!
Thanks for the recipe.
Awesome, Kathy! That makes me so happy! Thank YOU for taking the time to comment! :)
Glad I found this recipe and your site! I made it for a friend and everyone loved it so much that I came home and made another loaf for my family! It’s not too sweet and makes a great snack for kids that’s healthy. Great recipes. Can’t wait to try more of them.
Oh wow…that is some compliment, Sasha! Thrilled to hear you and your friends enjoyed it! Thank you for putting a ginormous smile on my face! :)
This is the perfect cross between cake and quickbread…and the perfect excuse to eat chocolate for breakfast!
Growing up my dad had German Chocolate Cake every year for his birthday, and as I got older I started to request it as well. It was such a special treat. Today, any form of German Chocolate dessert makes me swoon.
This looks so good!
Yumm! You’ve just made banana bread SO much better. Love this idea, thanks for sharing!
Oh, this bread looks just wonderful Caroline! You’re exactly right, how can any possible combination of chocolate, coconut and pecans be bad? It can’t! And adding bananas makes it even better! Thanks for sharing!
Beautiful and delicious!!
You are so sweet! Thank you, Katie!