Pineapple Coconut Bread is an easy quick bread that’s rich and moist with the flavors of the tropics that’s perfect for dessert or breakfast!
If you’ve tried my recipes for Easy Banana Bread, Zucchini Bread, and Vanilla Pound Cake, then you know they are a delicious and easy treat that everyone loves.
PINEAPPLE COCONUT BREAD
If you want brunch, breakfast or even dessert, Pineapple Coconut Bread is perfect. It’s naturally sweet from the coconut and pineapple, so you while you don’t need to add anything to it as a delicious breakfast in the morning with your coffee it can be the ultimate dessert with a drizzle of caramel sauce and some ice cream.
This bread is one of the breads we enjoyed while we were on our trip in Maui this summer. While driving on the Road to Hana we stopped at the restaurant stop about halfway through the drive where they have a little strip mall full of options and got this bread along with a delicious Banana Mac Bread. This bread was hands down my favorite! Light and moist while still somehow being rich (this is of course thanks to the butter and sour cream in the recipe). I think the lightness comes from the fruity, floral flavors of the coconut and the pineapple. Either way, on the way back we bought three more mini loaves of these breads.
This bread recipe is easy to follow, with a short prep time that makes the longer cook time absolutely worth it. Pineapple Coconut Bread is perfect for when you’re craving a Hawaiian inspired flavor, especially when you’re pairing it with a Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken.
When making breads like Pineapple Coconut Bread or Hawaiian Nut Banana Bread, make sure you drain the pineapple well, you don’t want any extra pineapple juice. The extra juice can make the bread mushy. The juice that remains will keep the bread moist and delicious but won’t make it fall apart.
HOW TO MAKE PINEAPPLE COCONUT BREAD
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Spread coconut on baking sheet.
- Toast coconut, tossing occasionally, 6 to 10 minutes; set aside.
- Butter and flour a 9×5 loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Alternately add flour mixture in three parts and sour cream in two, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
- Mix until combined.
- Fold in pineapple and 1 cup coconut into batter.
- Pour into prepared pan, and smooth top; sprinkle with remaining coconut.
- Bake 65 to 70 minutes (cover pan with foil halfway through).
- Let cool on a wire rack.
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VARIATIONS ON PINEAPPLE COCONUT BREAD
- Muffins: Use this same recipe but divide the batter into a muffin pan. You’ll end up with adorable, shareable muffins that you can top with a small bits of pineapple (fresh, dried or even freeze dried).
- Nuts: Crush up some peanuts, pecans or macadamia nuts and sprinkle them over the top of your loaf of Pineapple Coconut Bread. The nuts add a great crunchy texture to the bread and taste delicious.
- Fruit: Add blueberries, strawberries, cut fresh pineapple chunks or any other fresh fruit you’d like onto the top of your slice of Pineapple Coconut Bread for a tart, juicy treat. Make sure that you don’t put the fruit on too soon before you’re ready to eat the bread or the juice will make the bread soggy.
For a fruity and tropical twist on classic quick bread, you can’t go wrong with Pineapple Coconut Bread.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH PINEAPPLE COCONUT BREAD
Serve this Pineapple Coconut Bread with Easy Whipped Cream (or Homemade Cool Whip!) and Vanilla Ice Cream. Even more awesome, top it with Salted Caramel Sauce for the ultimate in indulgence!
MORE EASY PINEAPPLE RECIPES:
- Pineapple Upside-Down Cake – skip the box mix, this home made version is awesome!
- Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake – the easiest cake ever.
- Easy Pineapple Dessert Topping – Psst this is perfect for those homemade Banana Splits.
- Brown Sugar Grilled Pineapple – A healthy take on dessert and also an awesome topping for this quick bread!
HOW LONG IS PINEAPPLE COCONUT BREAD GOOD?
- Serve: Pineapple Coconut Bread is good at room temperature for about 2 days before it gets really stale. You should keep it covered if you plan to leave it out to keep it from turning into a solid rock.
- Store: In the fridge your bread will stay good for about a week. You can eat it straight out of the fridge for a chilled, delicious treat.
- Freeze: Pineapple Coconut Bread will stay good in the freezer for about 2 months. For the best results, you should eat it before the 2 month mark so that it doesn’t lose its flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 20 ounces crushed pineapple , drained well
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees and spray a loaf pan with baking spray.
- Spread coconut on a baking sheet and bake for 6 to 10 minutes shaking the tray occasionally.
- In your stand mixer add the butter and sugar and cream on high speed until light and fluffy for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and whisk together until well mixed.
- Add eggs, one at a time until fully combined then add in the flour mixture and the sour cream alternating in batches (⅓ of the amount each time).
- Gently add in the pineapple and 1 cup of the coconut flakes with a spatula.
- Add the batter to the loaf pan then sprinkle the top with the remaining coconut.
- Bake for 65 to 70 minutes or until the cake is cooked through (test with a toothpick).
Nutrition
I made mine into muffins. I don’t like too much sugar so used unsweetened coconut and only added 1/2 cup of sugar and no salt. I used baking powder instead of soda and whole wheat flour instead of white. I also used yogurt instead of sour cream. Loved these. Definitely sweet enough. Will make them again.
I turned these into MUFFINS and people went crazy for them. Sent a double batch to my daughter’s work for National Coconut Week (along with Pumpkin Spice Macaroons) and people love them. My wife said it was the best muffin she’s ever had, and she’s not very gratuitous with the complements! I wound up having to make 4 more batches at the end of these week. Just a few simple changes and you get 18 regular sized muffins from this recipe.
1. Set oven to 350 – not 325.
2. On my first try, I found the coconut on top would brown too quickly, and it’s hard to tent a muffin tin. So, where the recipe says to initially bake 2cups of coconut for 6-10 minutes, I only baked one cup and that was for the coconut that goes into the batter. The second cup is sprinkled on top and I did NOT prebake that, so it cooked much slower.
3. All the excess juice has to be removed from the pineapple and you’ll be fine. So, use a can opener to open the lid and then press it down to raise as much liquid above the lid and dump that. Then dump pineapple in a colander and using back of hand, keep pressing to push out liquid. Final step is to use double ply paper towels to blot out the remaining liquid. I did the paper towel trick three times.
4. I used muffin liners for easier removal and cleanup in a 12-cup tray.
5. Bake at 350 for 23 minutes and check. Use the toothpick method or I just like to press lightly on the center of the top. If it bounces back, it’s done.
Hi Sabrina!
I made this bread and it was easily one of the BEST breads I’ve ever baked. I left a great review for it. Flavor and great texture. Wow! I am now wanting to make this into muffins for a work event. What would be your guidance regarding baking time, and do muffins affect the temperature you set the oven to? Thanks.
Hello
I did not drain the juice from the pineapple since the directions didn’t specify. So my bread is still in the oven cooked on the outside and jiggly in the middle. Not sure what to do ???
It came out more like bread pudding for me. Maybe added too much pineapple.
I made this yesterday and it came out perfectly…family loved it. Did follow a couple of the tricks that others had mentioned to ensure perfection. First, when toasting the coconut kept an eye on the oven and pulled the sheet out at 8 minutes to avoid burning. Second, draining the juice from the pineapple was key. Dumped the can into a collander and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Not much juice drains, so I then used the back of my hand to press down on the pineapple which pushed out alot of liquid. Kept doing this along the entire surface. As a final step, used double ply of paper towels to absorb up any remaining excess liquid. Had to do this several times as the paper towels got saturated. Third, at the 30 minute mark I did tent the pan to avoid burning of the coconut on top. Total bake time was 70 minutes, and my test for doneness is just tapping the top with a finger. If you hit mush, you know it needs more time.
I’ve tried a few different pineapple bread/muffin recipes and never been really happy with the results. I made this loaf almost exactly following the recipe, the only changes I made (based on comments here) was to use 1/2 c white sugar and 1/2 c brown and add some vanilla. I used canned crushed pineapple, well drained and had no issues. It did take an hour and a half to fully bake at 325, but it turned out moist and very flavorful, my family loved it! Glad that I finally found a recipe I’ll use again!
I used a Bundt pan, how long should I bake
My coconut on the top almost was burnt by the time the bread was cooked. Can you put a piece of parchment paper on top while cooking or will this change the results of the moistness of the bread?
In your stand mixer add the butter and sugar and cream
This is in the third direction.
flour mixture and the sour cream
This in the fifth.
I only saw sour cream in the ingredients and no other cream. Did I miss something?
“cream” is the consistency that the butter ad sugar should be.
I used the pineapple juice and mixed it with powdered sugar for a glaze on top. It was gone in a day. My family loved every bite!! Thank you.
“cream”, in this context, is a VERB, NOT an ingredient!
Do you add the eggs to the flour mix or the sugar/butter mix?9
Hi! its so the butter/sugar mix
looks delicious. what size pan did you use?
Did you read my mind or what!!!
Just came back from Maui a few weeks ago and woke up craving the pineapple coconut bread that we had on our road trip to Hana. So I started to look up recipes to make it and low and behold the first one I look up is yours, and you just happened to find the same place we visited! Can’t wait to try and make this!
Hope you enjoy it!!
Everyone loved them! I made muffins. And sharing your recipe!
This might be a dopey question, but the instructions say to toast 1 cup of the coconut, but when adding it to the recipe, it doesn’t specify which goes into the batter and which goes on top. First I thought the plain coconut went on top because it would toast during baking. But then I thought maybe toasted coconut in the batter would be crunchy and make the texture strange. So which is it?
Not a dopey question. You have two cups of shredded coconut, you first bake both cups together in the oven. then you add 1 cup of the shredded coconut into the batter and combine together with the pineapple. The remaining coconut gets sprinkled on top. Hope this makes sense. Sorry for the confusion.
I think you need to re-write the receipe.
So I’ve made this recipe 3 times now and LOVE it! I’ve found that if I take a 20 oz. can of drained pineapple rings, puree them in the food processor and then set aside to drain before proceeding with the recipe, the bread turns out better than using crushed pineapple. Like the bread turns out less mushy/gummy in the center. Also, I use 1/2 cup sugar and greek yogurt without any issues. This last time, I made muffins. Baked for 25 minutes and got 16 wonderful muffins. This is definitely a keeper!
Glad to know it’s such a hit for you, Niki.
Hi ! Can you add coconut cream/milk instead of sour cream? Thanks
Of course, though you may want to add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to mimic the sour taste. Good luck!
On you list of directions/instructions do not mention cover with foil half way through baking! Since I missed that little tid bit of information my coconut got a little too crunchy on top!
I love this recipe! I made a few changes: I added 1/4 tsp coconut extract and 1tsp vanilla flavoring. I used 1/2 brown sugar and 1/2 white sugar. I divided better between 2 8×4 loaf pans and baked for 55 minutes. Delicious
I thought this would taste more pineappley. Is it supposed to be so bland? My entire family said it didn’t really taste like anything, not really any flavor. I mean, it’s okay, but it’s really bland to us.
I made this it was a bit bland so I tweaked it a bit I added 1tsp 3/4 tsp vanilla extract and instead of plain white sugar I mixed the 1 cup of white sugar with 2 tsp of molasses then blended it till it was mixed together then followed the recipe as it was had more flavor for me and my family
I adore butter but lately I have been baking my quick breads and muffins with recipes that call for vegetable oil and have found that they come out way nicer, moister and stay that way for longer. I just find that breads I make with butter seem to dry quickly. Have you ever noticed this or have you tried some of the recipes using oil?
I was wondering if I could swap out the butter for oil. I would imagine the coconut and pineapple will add moistness as well, so I would really like your thoughts on this.
You can definitely swap out the butter for oil. An easy 1:1 ratio. Applesauce is another great option.
We ate it so quickly that I forgot to take a photo to share. This should be listed as a dessert!! I love recipes that are simple but beyond delicious.
So glad it was a hit, Debbie!
Hi Sabrina, just wanted to check on the pineapple quantity as 20oz/567g seems like a lot of pineapple! Is that the weight before it’s drained? And if so, what should the weight be after it’s drained? I’m also not entirely sure how much I should be draining it? Should I just let it sit over a colander until it stops dripping or should I be squeezing the juice out a bit?? Thanks in advance for your guidance. Just want to avoid a wet and dense mess!
Yes, it’s a 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple. I allowed mine to sit in a colander to drain while I as doing everything else. Hope this helps!
So light and delicious!
Is the sour cream & flour supposed to be mixed in the stand mixer or folded in?
I’ve made it once & it was an instant hit in my house.
Iram
All in a stand mixer 🙂
What can be used as a substitute for sour cream
You can substitute with greek yogurt plus 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Enjoy!
May I substitute buttermilk for sour cream? Thanks.
Yes but you’ll need to add in an additional 1/3 cup of butter.
Can you make this in mini loaf pans?
Sure 🙂
Can you give me any option to make this eggless, please?
You can substitute using 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce for each egg. Good luck!
I thought this bread was keto. Can I substitute all purpose flour to coconut?
Yes but I haven’t tested it so you might need to play around with the measurements. You might only need 1/4- 1/3 cup flour for every cup of AP flour. Good luck!
The directions say to cream the butter, sugar and cream, but there isn’t any cream listed in the ingredients. I assume it’s not the sour cream because that is added in later on. Can you clarify please?
Sorry for the confusion. I just meant that you’ll be creaming the butter and sugar. Enjoy!
can I use fresh pineapple
Yes 🙂
How long do you recommend baking if using a muffin tin?
I’d bake them for 13-18 minutes at 350 degrees. Enjoy!
Delicious bread, but I made a couple of minor changes. I used pineapple chunks, that I attempted to chop and did not drain well enough. This worked fine, but I did have to increase the baking time. Next time, will be sure I get the crushed. I reduced the white sugar to 1/2 cup and added 1/4 cup of brown sugar. We like the flavor of the brown, and like our breads a little less sweet. I definitely was able to make this change given the sweetness of the coconut. Finally, I added 1/2 cup of chopped pecans. The final product was luscious, moist, and tropical. Thanks for the great recipe.
Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know what worked for you, Barb. I appreciate the 5 stars.
this sounds like an awesome alternate. Great, now Im going to have to get more pinapple so I can try this as well. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve made this recipe twice now and I absolutely love it! I cut the sugar to 3/4 of a cup, but will probably cut it to half a cup next time, since the fruit and sweetened coconut add so much sugar already. Both times I’ve ended up with way more coconut than I expected. I think this could be adjusted to a cup of coconut and still be perfect (I use the extra in my yogurt or just eat pinches of it while I cook. Yummm!!)
Thanks, I’m gonna try your changes!
I made it without butter, and guestimated baking soda to half a teaspoon, and turned out totally fine! Thanks!
So glad it turned out!
I tried this twice and didnt turn out right, sadly. Collapses when it cools and not fluffy, remains soggy no matter how long you bake. I suspect you cannot make this with fresh pineapples, which is what I used both times. I can see the batter turn weirdly runny as soon as I add the pineapple (crushed and drained well). I suspect its the proteins breaking down due to the pineapple which affects the structure of the cake. Canned pineapples have been heated so there ste no longer active enzymes in it.
This could be absolutely true, I haven’t tested it with fresh pineapple. I’m so sorry it disappointed you twice.
How deliciously tropical! I love that there’s coconut throughout. Going to try this soon – I wonder what it’ll be like toasted with butter? OK, I’m in love!
I think with toasted with butter would amazing!
Pineapple and coconut are a great match. This bread is quick and delicious and makes a perfect hostess gift. 🙂
I just love those cute little bread towers! In fact, they make me so hungry – can’t wait to build one with this recipe! 🙂
Haha I’ve tried to photograph them other ways but it’s just too cute in the tower 🙂
Oh my, I could use some of this right now with a hot cup of coffee!
Agreed!
I’ve been there!!! Loved Road to Hana, but loved this bread even more!! Can’t wait to try this at home, and go back to Maui! 😉
How much baking soda, and 1/2 cup butter? Coconut oil is mentioned here.
So sorry for the confusion, the recipe card didn’t update when I made some changes but it’s fixed now 🙂
I made this as is and turned out rich, moist and tasted very good. It did not have much of a pineapple flavor but coconut was strong. Still a big hit. Next time I will bake at 350 because it took 80 minutes at 325 and still not fully cooked. I used a heavy metal pan which might be one reason. It was a little too rich for me so I will reduce butter by 1/4. Sugar could easily be reduced if that’s an issue. Otherwise very good bread.
How much baking soda?? It’s not listed in the ingredients.
Sorry for any confusion, I updated the recipe and it didn’t save originally. It’s all fixed now 🙂
I want to try this. Can I add chopped Macadamia nuts. If so how much.
Sounds amazing! I would add about 1/2-3/4 cups chopped macadamia nuts to it.
Butter is not on the ingredient list, but in the instructions. Is the coconut oil a substitute for the butter in this recipe?
Sorry for the confusion! As I’m baking I make small changes and didn’t update before publishing. It’s fixed now 🙂
Coconut oil is on the ingredient list….yet it says cream sugar with butter!? Which is it…butter or oil? Same amount?
Never mind!!see the change has been made! Thank you!
You’re welcome!
I’m missing ingredients on the recipe listing. You mention creaming butter and sugar,there is no butter listed. Also set floor and baking soda ,there is no soda listed. Please clarify.
So sorry about that – as I’m baking I make small changes and forgot to adjust them before hitting publish – not enough coffee that day. I’ve adjusted it now 🙂
Hi Sabrina! This sounds wonderful. Can’t wait to make it. Couple of things though. No listing of butter or quantity. No baking soda quantity listed, and when does the coconut oil get mixed in? I’m assuming the coconut oil is creamed with sugar and butter, but would like to confirm.
Thanks!
Angie
Thanks for letting me know – I had mad some adjustments in baking and they didn’t make it into the post before publishing originally. It is updated now 🙂
Ingredients did not include butter or baking soda. How much of these ingredients are needed. Thank you
So sorry! Missed a change when I was editing – it’s all fixed now! …and I added stronger coffee to my pre-post checklist 🙂
This looks awesome!
I didn’t see where the coconut oil is added in the recipe. I see we should blend sugar and butter. How much butter or is it the coconut oil instead of butter?
Also, how much baking soda?
Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes with us. I appreciate it.
I had a bit of a goof – I made some adjustments when baking and didn’t update them before posting. I’d like to blame not enough coffee and too much excitement to share this recipe 🙂 🙂
So glad you are enjoying the recipes and site!
How much baking soda should you use in the pineapple coconut bread recipe
Sorry for the confusion – I’ve updated the recipe card with the correct ingredients. I made some last minute adjustments and they didn’t get put in originally. Hope this helps!
I don’t see butter listed in the ingredients. The directions say to cream the butter and sugar— do you mean the coconut oil and sugar?
I’ve got it all updated now, so sorry for any confusion. Apparently my blog post didn’t read my mind when I made last minute adjustments haha 🙂 🙂
Hi,
I want to use a fresh pineapple – will I need to make any other modification to the recipe?
Just make sure you drain the pineapple juice really, really well. Too much extra juice will make your bread soggy. Let me know how it turns out!
Are you sure about temperature? I baked this as described (except I used fresh pineapple, well drained) for almost 2hours and it’s still raw inside… Taste is good though.