You may be wondering, what is bougie Hawaiian banana bread? Well this banana bread involves extra love, bananas, and some special, but easy techniques. This tropical themed banana bread is full of deep banana flavor, macadamia nuts, and coconut. It is inspired by a recipe my dad showed me a recipe for a macadamia nut banana bread that he found in Paris. That inspired me to create a naturally-sweetened, bougie and tropical-inspired banana bread. See the full details AND substitutions down below;)
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Why is this banana bread so bougie?
Well, this banana bread isn’t your basic homemade loaf for a few reasons. First off, we use 6 bananas to make this loaf. It may seem like a lot, but that is what takes the flavor of this bread to the next level. Next, we use add-ins like macadamia nuts and coconut that marry with the banana flavor to create the most delicious tropical-tasting piece of banana bread. Not only is this recipe dang delicious, it’s also naturally sweetened using coconut sugar and the sweetness from the bananas. (You can also use brown sugar if you don’t have coconut sugar on hand;)
Special techniques?
The reason why this banana bread is so yummy is because we make and use a banana concentrate. How do you do that? Well, I am so glad you asked.
Basically you will throw some bananas (5 to be exact) into the microwave. I know what you’re thinking, “Gabi, that doesn’t make sense.” But that’s okay because you’ll soon learn that after they soften for a few minutes they will begin to release their juices. After that happens, you will strain your microwaved bananas and collect their sweet liquid. Then you will take their juices, pop them on a stove, and cook for about 5 minutes. Then, BAM, your banana concentrate is done.
Using banana concentrate offers the most banana packed flavor. It utilizes every bit of natural sugar found in the ripe bananas to create the most amazing flavor.
After that, you will use both the banana concentrate and the mushed bananas that you strained. Throw in some basic quick bread ingredients and you will be left with a divine and bougie banana bread loaf.
Ingredients for this recipe:
If you are like me, I am always just looking for the ingredient list when checking out a new recipe. Here it is…
- 6 SUPER ripe bananas (about 2 1/4 lb)
- White whole wheat flour (brown whole-wheat and all-purpose work too)
- Coconut oil (olive oil or butter is great too!)
- Coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
- Eggs
- Macadamia nuts (walnuts are a great substitution)
- Coconut flakes
- Vanilla extract
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Optional: white chocolate chips
As you can see, the list is pretty basic! There are so many substitutions as well that make this recipe very versatile. The thing that makes this bread so special is in the techniques;) If you are looking for a more basic, but still amazing banana bread recipe, check out Gabi’s Healthy Banana Bread!
Hawaiian Banana Bread (aka bougie banana bread!)
Ingredients
- 6 very ripe bananas
- 1 ¾ cup white whole wheat flour brown whole wheat and all-purpose work too!
- ½ cup melted and cooled coconut oil olive oil or melted butter works great!
- ¾ cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup finely chopped macadamia nuts or walnuts
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup white chocolate chips OPTIONAL!
- ⅓ cup coconut flakes unsweetened
- 2 tsp additional coconut sugar
Instructions
- First, preheat your oven to 350°F. Then grease a 1 lb loaf pan with cooking spray.
- Now take 5 (save 1 banana) peeled bananas and place them in a microwavable container. Then microwave your bananas on high for about 5 minutes. I would do this in increments of 1-2 minutes. As they get softer they begin to bubble. We do not want exploded banana juice in the microwave! Believe me, I've experienced it.
- While the bananas microwave away, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Once the bananas smell amazing and look like mush (about 5 minutes in microwave) remove them from their container and strain them using a mesh strainer. Make sure to have a container (either a glass measuring cup or the saucepan you will be simmering with) under the straining bananas to collect their juices!
- Use a fork to mash them down and collect as much juice as possible. Once the bananas have been straining for a few minutes you should be left with about ¾ cup of banana liquid. *
- Now take the beautiful banana liquid and place over a stovetop in a small pan. Heat the juice on medium high heat and let the bananas simmer for about 5 minutes. Watch carefully that the juice doesn't boil over. You will be left with about ½ cup of juice. If you have more than that just make sure to measure it out ½ cup of liquid before adding to the batter.
- Then, in a small mixing bowl, add the banana juice (aka the concentrate), the strained mashed bananas, the coconut sugar, eggs, cooled coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk the wet ingredients until fully combined.
- Finally, slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient mixing bowl. Stir gently with a spatula. Add in the chopped macadamia nuts, coconut flakes, and white chocolate if using.
- Pour this delicious batter into your loaf pan. Then slice your last remaining banana in either coins or horizontally and decoratively place on top of the batter. Sprinkle 2 tsp of sugar on top to help the bananas caramelize on top.
- Bake this baby for about 55-75 minutes. It is a large range so start on the lower end and add more time as needed. See my notes for tips with baking time.* You may need to lower the temp at 50 minutes.*
- Once a toothpick comes out clean and the edges are golden brown remove the pan from the oven. Let the loaf cool for about 30 minutes before trying to slice. If you are removing it entirely from the pan, you will need to wait at least an hour to let it cool completely. Patience is a virtue.
- Once you slice into your bougie banana bread, top with some butter and dig in! You mouth will be paraded with an explosion of banana flavor. Store leftovers in an airtight container on the counter or with tinfoil over the pan for up to 5 days.
Notes
I cannot wait to hear your thoughts on this bougie banana bread in the comments below!
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