Coconut bread is an easy sweet bread, and like any sweet bread, it can be a little temperamental in the oven. The key is to not over mix. Instead, mix until just combined. This keeps the crumb from being dense and heavy.
Oven time is also important. Sweet breads typically take a little longer to bake than regular breads, so you will have to baby it a little. Let the bake time be a guide but realize that it can be a shorter time or longer. You will be best served to check it periodically to make sure it is not overcooking. It is well worth the effort to make the perfect coconut loaf bread.
This is considered a quick coconut bread because it doesn’t require yeast. The dough doesn’t need rest time or time to rise before baking.
The coconut flavor in the recipe comes from shredded coconut, not coconut oil or coconut flour. Using coconut flour can dry out the bakery and therefore requires more liquid. It should not be substituted one-for-one for regular flour.
Coconut Bread
One of my favorite things to make for my family is coconut bread. They love the sweet and nutty taste of the coconut with the fluffy texture. It’s also a fabulous bread to serve with tea. Follow these step-by-step directions to make the best coconut bread. It takes just 15 minutes of prep time and requires 60 – 75 minutes for baking. This recipe serves 8.
Coconut Bread Ingredients
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups flour (all-purpose)
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon (if you prefer a lighter cinnamon essence, scale it back to 1 teaspoon)
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 ½ cups flaked coconut, sweetened
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted or browned
How to Make Coconut Bread
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and flour a loaf pan (9” x 5” pan)
- In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Sift. Mix in the sugar and coconut.
- Pour the egg mixture over the dry ingredients and stir them together until just combined.
- Stir in the melted butter just until it is smooth. Do not over mix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake the bread for 1 hour to 1 ¼ hours (60 – 75 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a cooling rack.
This is an easy coconut bread recipe
Serving Suggestions
This is a versatile loaf you can treat as a side or as a dessert. Enjoy a slice of this delicious bread with your latte or tea for breakfast or brunch. It’s also great as a unique side for lunch and dinner as it pairs nicely with salads, soups, rice dishes, meats, fish, and poultry.
You can also serve it for dessert. My family enjoys it heated up. One of my kids asks me to drizzle honey on it while another enjoys it with butter. It’s delightful sliced and on its own as well. You can also make a simple icing sugar for the top but really, try it as is, without icing or frosting, the first time you make it. Using sweetened shredded coconut gives it plenty of sweetness.
Coconut Bread vs Coconut Flour Bread
Coconut bread is different than coconut flour bread. Coconut flour has a high fiber content and when baking, absorbs a lot more liquid than regular white flour. The first time I had a cake with coconut flour, I was very thirsty. It was very noticeable.
You should not substitute one cup of coconut flour for one cup of regular flour. It requires much more liquid. Many recipes will have you cut down on the amount of coconut flour. It is not one-to-one conversion. Baking at the same temperature is fine.
Gluten Free Coconut Bread
You can easily make a gluten free coconut bread by using Bob’s Red Mill 1-for-1 Flour. You’ll enjoy all the flavor and the density as you would from regular flour.
FAQ’s
What does coconut bread taste like?
Coconut bread recipes with regular flour and not coconut flour will typically have shredded coconut in them. The bread will be moist and sweet with a nutty coconut taste. It will be flakier than sliced bread and similar in texture to zucchini bread or banana bread.
What is coconut bread made of?
Coconut bread contains all purpose flour, sugar, shredded coconut, eggs, milk, butter, baking powder, salt and pure vanilla extract. Adding cinnamon gives it a nice flavor as well.
How many calories are in coconut bread?
Coconut bread made from coconut oil is different from this sweet bread made with coconut flour (called coconut flour bread) or shredded coconut added to the dough. Refer to the ingredients if making coconut bread yourself, or to the package if you are buying premade bread.
How long can you keep coconut bread?
Keep coconut bread sealed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. If you leave it covered on the countertop, keep it out of the sunlight. It should last for up to three days. Freezing coconut bread is also an option.
How do you bake with coconut?
If you enjoy the taste of coconut in baked goods, there are several ways to go about using coconut as an ingredient. You can mix in shredded coconut flakes into the dough or batter. Another option is to use coconut oil. For many recipes, you will need to melt the coconut oil so it’s a liquid (it solidifies at room temperature). Another option for baking with coconut is to use coconut flour.
Best Coconut Bread Recipe
This coconut bread is moist, flavorful and delicious. Adding a cup and a half of flaked coconut to the dough gives it a fairly consistent coconut flavor throughout the bread. You can experiment and lessen the amount if you aren’t a coconut lover.
I have learned to bake all the cakes and breads we eat from scratch. Most breads and desserts contain palm oil, which we avoid in my household (due to the eco issues as well as because it makes my son sick). This means over the years I have gained confidence in baking all things.
A note on using milk. I use organic whole milk for this recipe because it doesn’t contain Vitamin A Palmitate, a palm oil derivative.
Not only is this bread delicious, coconut contains minerals such as iron, manganese, and copper. Coconut is high in fiber and is considered a source of healthy fat. In addition to using coconut when making breads, you can also make pumpkin bread, banana bread, gluten free banana bread, or zucchini bread. Yum!
Coconut bread is a delicious and nutritious way to start your day. The recipe is simple to follow and with the exception of the coconut, can be made with ingredients you may already have on hand.
If you make this tasty and sweet coconut loaf bread, please let me know. Leave a note in the Comments to share any tips.
Please also try my French bread recipe.
Quick Coconut Bread Recipe with All-Purpose Flour
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups milk use milk without Vitamin A Palmitate so it's palm oil free
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups flour all-purpose
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon if you prefer a lighter cinnamon essence, scale it back to 1 teaspoon
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 ½ cups flaked coconut sweetened
- 6 tablespoons butter melted or browned
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and flour a loaf pan (9” x 5” pan)
- In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Sift. Mix in the sugar and coconut.
- Pour the egg mixture over the dry ingredients and stir them together until just combined.
- Stir in the melted butter just until it is smooth. Do not over mix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake the bread for 1 hour to 1 ¼ hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the bread from the oven. Allow it to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a cooling rack.