I am making a concerted effort to eat a little healthier and consume less calories, most of the time anyway, and so I have been seeking out recipes that come part way towards being low calorie and on the healthy side. This banana loaf has not got any added oil or butter so I thought it was a good place to start. My only worry was that it seemed a little boring so I have added blueberries and shredded coconut. I did think long and hard about adding white or dark chocolate but resisted the urge.I couldn’t find any very ripe bananas so I microwaved some in 30 second bursts until they were soft. This sweetens them and they resemble overripe ones.
I found this recipe at Cook Republic. I made a quarter more of the recipe to make it fit into my loaf tin and that quantity should keep us going for a while but my Saturday baking never lasts too long and I am one of its major consumers.
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Recipe: Banana, Coconut and Blueberry Loaf
Ingredients 
- 185ml full cream coconut milk
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
- 2 cups self raising flour
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- a pinch of salt
- Blueberries (frozen or fresh)
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- raw sugar for sprinkling
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease with butter and line with baking paper, a 20cm x 10cm loaf pan.
- Whisk coconut milk, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, salt and honey in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy and combined.
- Stir through the banana, oats, coconut and flour until thoroughly mixed. Stir in blueberries to distribute evenly.
- Spoon batter into prepared pan.
- Sprinkle the top with raw sugar.
- Bake in pre-heated oven for 1 hour until well risen, golden on top and cooked through.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Cooking time: 1 hour(s)
Number of servings (yield): 12
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Oh, you temptress 🙂 ! This is beautifully styled – love the softness of the shawl and the blue-grey tonings in contrast to the loaf. I have baked but banana and nut breads for many years [not easy to be a medico-nutritionist and a foodie at the same time!] if I do bake, but this one I just have to make 🙂 ! Must admit there are but few sins here and it’s just too moreish!! Do have a peaceful Sunday and thank you!
Thanks. I imagine you do have a conflict of interest there. Which side wins?
Suzanne
Depends on the day, and what the latest blood chemistry has shown and whether i dare step on the scales 🙂 ! I write and lecture quite some on nutrition and am studying it at the moment at two US Unis, so, yes, I do slap myself on the wrist whenever i speak up in ‘ordinary, ‘normal’ company 😀 !
I have a definite love/hate relationship with the scales. Your studies must be quite fascinating.
Suzanne
What a delicious, healthy loaf. Since I ate a slice of cheesecake for dinner last night, I’m going to have to try a little harder, like you, to eat a less decadent diet! Beautiful photos, too~
Liz, I get so drawn to luscious looking sweet food – to eat as well as to bake and photograph. It is so much prettier than a plate of soup or stew. But I guess it’s possible to go with lower calorie versions and that’s what I am seeking out now or I won’t be doing up my jeans soon.
Suzanne
Adding the shredded coconut and blueberries are a great plus. I love both of those ingredients so you won me on trying this recipe.
Vita, those extra ingredients could be anything similar as long as they don’t change the chemical balance in any way or the dry to wet ratio. Some people might want to add butter to the slice of loaf since there is none in it but I found it moist enough not to have to do that.
Suzanne
Lovely to meet you! I really like the food on your blog and have just taken a big peek 🙂
this banana, coconut and bluberry bread looks great!
You have a great blog, Maureen. I will check it out often as I have subscribed.
Suzanne
Great tip about ‘ripening’ bananas. This sounds like a good loaf to try for the kids school lunch boxes. Beautiful photos.
Yes, great for the kids’ lunch boxes, especially as it has no fat and two fruits. Thanks, you have great photos too, Angela.
Suzanne
Oh yum!! I love the healthier take on it too. Also going to bookmark this one:) By the way the backlighting on the last shoot makes the bread look dreamy:)
I love being able to photograph in daylight during the weekend and shooting with the light behind creates such a lovely look but I would never submit such photos to the photograph sites. They are not into the overly artistic, as you know.
Suzanne
Good stuff. I don’t bake much (my wife takes care of that), but when I do, this is exactly the sort of dish I like to put together. And it’s weird, but any time I want to do something with banana and baking, I never have any overripe ones – the microwave tip is great. Good post – thank you.
I find baking the most relaxing for some reason. I think it takes me back to my grandmother’s farmhouse kitchen when she did the weekly baking. Dinner is always so rushed in the evenings after work.
Suzanne
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