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Coconut Bread is a moist sweet bread with a hint of almond. Perfect for breakfast, dessert, or just for a sweet treat!
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If you are crazy about coconut, you will LOVE this Coconut bread recipe! Of all the sweet bread recipes out there, this one has to be one of my favorite quick bread recipes, if not my favorite. The coconut flavor is subtle but sweet and the complements the delicate sweetness of the almond flavor. It just tastes so yummy! I mean, it’s everything an Almond Joy offers (minus the chocolate) in bread form. It’s just a great flavor combination. It’s moist yet light, with a crunchy texture on top. Delicious for breakfast, an after school snack, or it can easily double as cake for a quick dessert.
Ingredients in Sweet Coconut Bread
This coconut bread recipe is one of my favorites to make and have on hand when guests come over or when I need to pull out a quick dessert for the family. Here’s what you need:
For the Bread Batter
- Two large eggs – whisk in a large bowl
- Sugar – one cup of regular white sugar
- Coconut extract – one tsp. You can find this in the baking aisle of most grocery stores. A small bottle will last forever!
- Buttermilk – if you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own by adding two tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice to two cups of regular milk. It’s easy! You can also use a cup coconut milk (unsweetened coconut milk) or unsweetened almond milk in place of regular full fat milk.
- Salt
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- All purpose flour – I have also subbed ½ cup flour for ½ cup coconut flour. Or you can use half wheat flour and half white flour.
- Coconut – I like sweetened coconut, but you can use unsweetened coconut if you want a little less sweetness.
- Chopped almonds
TOPPING:
- Sugar – you can use a sprinkling of white or brown sugar for the topping.
- Water
- Butter – Use either unsalted butter or salted, whichever you have on hand.
- Almond extract – again, find this in the baking aisle. Vanilla extract can be used as a substitution.
Coconut Bread Step by Step
- First, combine eggs, sugar, shortening and coconut extract together in a large bowl.
- Next, slowly mix in the buttermilk and combine flour mixture.
- Pour batter into a prepared loaf pan (usually a 9×5 inch loaf pan or loaf tin). Use baking spray or parchment paper so it doesn’t stick.
- Put in a preheated oven and bake for about 60-70 minutes at 325 degrees.
- You’ll know when it’s done when you can stick a knife or a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean.
- Leave the bread in the pans; do not use a cooling rack or wire rack.
- While it’s baking, make the sugar topping by boiling sugar and water for a few minutes.
- Remove from heat and add butter and almond extract in a small bowl to create a glaze, then set aside.
- Pour over the baked bread and let it set at room temperature for about two hours before removing loaves from the pan.
Variations to this Coconut Bread
- Reader comments on our post have raised a few questions about substitutions. For example, several people have asked about the possibility of subbing out the shortening in favor of something else. If you don’t have shortening in the house, or just don’t want to use it, you can always use butter in its place. Or, as some have suggested, coconut oil.
- Another question is about the buttermilk. Since buttermilk is not something everyone keeps on hand, you can actually make your own. Simply put 1 Tablespoon of vinegar into a measuring cup then fill to the one cup line with milk. Let it sit for a couple of minutes, then stir. Voila! Buttermilk substitution.
- Be sure to use shredded coconut. We use the sweetened coconut flakes. Natural coconut flakes would work, it will just be less sweet.
- Toast the bread and spread with butter for a delicious breakfast.
- Dust with powdered sugar for extra sweetness.
- Add the zest of lime to the batter for a tangy flavor.
- Store in the fridge or the freezer for optimal freshness.
Make it more of a Coconut Loaf Cake
To make this coconut bread more like a coconut pound cake, you can add a simple coconut glaze to the top (use coconut milk and mix with powdered sugar) and sprinkle coconut flakes on top. It tastes so yummy! If you love coconut cake, you MUST try our Coconut Cream Cake recipe with coconut cream cheese frosting layer. I promise you, one slice of this cake will change your life. I also love our Hawaiian Wedding Cake recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions about Coconut Bread
Almond flour typically makes breads like this very dry, so we recommend using all purpose flour.
If you’re wanting a gluten free bread, we suggest using a GF mixed flour for better results. We like using Namaste flour from Costco. You can use it 1:1 in any recipe.
Try not to over mix everything. Just combine the wet ingredients, then slowly add the dry ingredients until there aren’t any lumps.
READ NEXT: 33+ Breakfast Ideas
Even More Sweet Bread Recipes
Since you can never really have too much of a good thing, here are a few more recipes for our favorite sweet breads.
How to Make Coconut Bread
Sweet Coconut Bread
Equipment
- Bread loaf pan
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup shortening
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ cup flour
- ½ cup coconut
- ½ cup chopped almonds
- Topping:
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Beat eggs, sugar, shortening, and extract together.
- Slowly mix in buttermilk and dry ingredients.
- Pour into a bread pan coated in cooking spray. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes at 325 degrees until knife comes out clean.
- While baking boil sugar and water for a few minutes.
- Remove from heat and add butter and extract.
- Pour over cooked bread and let set for two hours before removing from pan.
Video
Notes
- If you don’t have shortening in the house, or just don’t want to use it, you can always use butter in its place. Or, as some have suggested, coconut oil.
- Since buttermilk is not something everyone keeps on hand, you can actually make your own. Simply put 1 Tablespoon of vinegar into a measuring cup then fill to the one cup line with milk. Let it sit for a couple of minutes, then stir. Voila! Buttermilk substitution.
- Be sure to use shredded coconut. We use the sweetened coconut flakes. Natural coconut flakes would work, it will just be less sweet.
Can this recipe be made ahead of time? If so, what is best way to store it?
It can be made ahead of time! I would wrap it in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and store it in the freezer.
This bread taste really good and so easy to make, too!!
This is the perfect sweet treat!! It did not last long at our house!! SO GOOD!