This delicious Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips and Coconut is a fun twist on plain old boring Banana Bread. Your kids will love it for breakfast or a snack! It's great for on-the-go breakfasts and as a lunch box snack.

Need a new spin on banana bread? You can go wrong with our recipe for Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips and Coconut!
There has never been a question that Ethan would eat one of my muffins or a slice of my quick bread - until now. He refuses my Banana Bread almost as often as he refuses fresh bananas. {Sigh}. It's a constant struggle to get him to try new foods, and now he's rejecting some of the foods he's always eaten.
Plus there are the pesky bananas that always seem to linger at the end of the week.
It's moist and delicious. I made a few minor changes to the recipe, toasting the coconut first so it's crispy instead of chewy, and adding the chocolate chips. To make up for the extra sugar I added with the chocolate chips, I cut a little out and substituted some of the white flour for whole wheat. I'm not sure this qualifies as a "healthy" recipe, but it works for my family....
Ethan loves this Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips and Coconut. Of course, Olivia loves all food, and this is no exception. Even Mr. Juggling Act - who is not a big coconut fan - said, in between bites, 'it's not bad.' I'm especially excited, too, because Ethan hasn't really had coconut either, and didn't seem to mind it at all. We have a winner folks!
Ingredients
- Sugar
- Butter
- Applesauce
- Eggs
- Ripe Bananas
- Flour
- Whole Wheat Flour
- Baking Soda
- Cinnamon
- Baking Powder
- Shredded Coconut
- Mini Chocolate Chips
Equipment
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What is the Size of a Loaf Pan?
Traditional loaf pans are around 8 inches long, but you'll want to note that this recipe calls for a 9x5 pan That's because this recipe is more batter than a standard banana bread recipe. Here's the break down:
- 8 x 4 x 2 ½ inch pan is best for 4 cups of batter
- 8 ½x4 ½x2 ½ is best for 6 cups of batter
- 9 x 5 x 3 inches is best for 8 cups of batter
I adore these 9x5 Long Loaf Pans which I have had since 2012! They are super affordable (in my opinion), and have held up to weekly baking.
Can You Make Banana Bread in a Glass Pan?
Yes, you can use a glass pan, but keep in mind you may need to adjust the cooking time. And again, refer to the pan sizes above and be sure you're using the right size for your recipe.

Tips
- Use overly ripe bananas - the more ripe, the sweeter they are, so adjust the sugar if needed.
- Mash the bananas before you put them in the mixer so that they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Always grease your bread pan well. I like to using coconut oil or butter best.
Recipe Variations
Here are some ideas to make this recipe a bit healthier.
- Instead of 1 cup of sugar, I use ¾ cup. When you use super ripe bananas, the bread will be sweeter. You won't miss the extra ¼ cup at all!
- I swapped out the vegetable oil for applesauce. This helps give it a nice moist texture and cuts out the trans fats.
- Instead of 2 cups all-purpose flour, I'm using 1-¼ cups and adding in ¾ cups of whole wheat flour. The nuttiness goes well in this recipe.
Other Banana Bread Variations:
- Add in a ½ cup of your favorite chopped nuts such as walnuts, pecans or almonds.
- Reduce the chocolate chips by half and add in ½ cup of toffee bits.
- Omit the coconut and add in ½ cup of fresh raspberries for blueberries.
Similar Recipes
Iif you also have family members who refuse to try new things, and you want to hide veggies in something sweet, make sure you try my Banana and Carrot Muffins, Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread or Sweet Potato Bread.

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips and Coconut
If you give it a try, be sure to leave me a comment and let me know what you think, or post a pic on Instagram and tag me at @jugglingactmama and use hashtag #JugglingActMama.

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips and Coconut
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Equipment
- Bread Pan
Ingredients
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 stick of softened butter
- ¼ cup applesauce
- 2 eggs
- 2 large or 3 small very ripe bananas smashed
- 1-¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350-degrees and grease and flour a 9X5 loaf pan.
- Add the coconut to a large non-stick skillet and toast over medium high heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and set aside.¾ cup shredded coconut
- Cream together the sugar and butter.¾ cup sugar, 1 stick of softened butter
- Beat in the eggs. Mix in the smashed bananas and applesauce.¼ cup applesauce, 2 eggs, 2 large or 3 small very ripe bananas
- In another bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients, then slowly add it to the wet ingredients.1-¼ cups all-purpose flour, ¾ cups whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- Fold in the coconut and chocolate chips.1 cup mini chocolate chips, ¾ cup shredded coconut
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes, then lower the temperature to 325-degrees and bake another 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let the bread to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, before turning out onto a cooling rack.
- Leftovers, if there are any, will keep best in an airtight container or bag in the refrigerator.
- Note, I used my Long Loaf Pans which I adore. The bread doesn't need to cook for quite as long, and the slices are just right for my little ones!
Notes
For best results, be sure to check our Tips and FAQs above with important tips and questions that can help your delicious recipe come out perfectly.
Michele @ Flavor Mosaic says
Congratulations on getting your kids to try new things. It looks delicious. I'm pinning this to try later.
Anonymous says
My Hubby has been begging me to make banana bread and I only like it with Chocolate in it..kinda like Ethan not a fan of bananas lol..Thank you for posting cant wait to surprise the hubby with it!!!
Blair @ The Seasoned Mom says
Banana bread is definitely my favorite way to use up old bananas. This version looks awesome! Pinned!
Cheryl says
Isn't it wonderful when you get a picky eater to try something new and like it.
I am stopping by from Tuesday's Table to check out your yummy looking recipe and invite you to link up at my new recipe link party, The Yuck Stops Here. It will be open for linking up this week until Friday, April 4th, and will start again next M ok bday at 8 pm Eastern. Come to http://mommasangelbaby.com. Hope to see you there! HUGS!
Ang Paris says
Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and leave a comment 🙂
Kelly @ Mostly Homemade Mom says
This looks SO delicious - I'm loving the coconut in this bread! Thanks so much for linking up to Show & Share Wednesday, I've shared this with my Facebook fans tonight. 🙂
Ang Paris says
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Kelly, and for sharing with your FB fans! 🙂
danielle says
I love the addition of coconut in this bread. Thanks so much for sharing this at the Friday Frenzy! I am sharing this one on my FB page. https://www.facebook.com/mostlyfoodandcrafts?ref=hl
Gloria // Simply Gloria says
And, I LOVE this bread you created with coconut! Thank you for sharing with all of us at the Show Stopper this week!
Ang Paris says
Thanks so much Gloria! It's sooo good!