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Cream Cheese Banana Bread with Toasted Pecan-Coconut Topping

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This tangy cream-cheese based banana bread with toasted pecans and coconut topping will have you walking on the wild side! Enjoy with or without the topping as morning french toast or a mid-day snack.

  • Author: Erin Thomas

Ingredients

Scale

For Banana Bread:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1–8 ounce block cream cheese, at room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. rum extract*

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt (kosher or table)

1–1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3–4 bananas)

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted**

For Toasted Pecan Coconut Topping:

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup milk (whole or 2%)

2 cups chopped pecans, toasted

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

2 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

Banana Bread:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Toast chopped pecans while mixing bread batter. Grease and flour two 8-inch x 4-inch loaf pans. Set aside.

In a standing mixer, or with a hand-held mixer, cream butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Blend in vanilla and rum extracts. Sift all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium-sided bowl.  Gradually add to butter mixture until just combined.  Stir in mashed bananas and chopped, toasted pecans. Spread batter evenly among two loaf pans.  Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes in pans before turning out to cool on wire rack.

If using Toasted Pecan Coconut Topping, add topping to just-baked bread (see below).

For Toasted Pecan Coconut Topping:

Combine unsalted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and milk in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in pecans, coconut, and vanilla.  Spread over just-baked banana bread.  Broil (5-1/2 inches from heating element) for 2 to 3 minutes or until topping is light brown.  Cool for 20 minutes in pan before turning out to cool.

Notes

*Omit rum extract if it’s not your flavor.

**Toast chopped pecans, or other tree nut, at 350 degrees F for 7-10 minutes on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet.  Stir halfway between baking time. Cool before using in recipe.

Find it online: https://gloveboxeats.com/?p=1461