Hummingbird Bread

Hummingbird bread combines coconut, pineapple, pecan, and banana for a lovely spring breakfast or snack. Like Hummingbird cake, this quick bread has a tender, moist crumb and a sweet, tropical flavor that you’ll quickly fall in love with.

Our family LOVES making banana bread, especially with chocolate chips. We’ve made it for relatives too, and the recipe has quickly spread through extended family members. It’s basically our sole contribution to the collection of family recipes, but it’s a good one! As much as we enjoy banana bread though, sometimes it’s nice to mix it up, which is where Humminbird Bread comes in.

Humminbird bread adds coconut, pineapple, and pecans to the batter for a special twist on classic banana bread. Besides tasting amazing, it’s also made with wholesome ingredients like honey, coconut oil, and sourdough discard (perfect if you need to get rid of some starter). Enjoyed warm from the oven with a little butter or cream cheese, this quick bread is irresistible.

What is in Hummingbird Bread?

Hummingbird bread is a quick bread that includes mashed bananas, shredded coconut, toasted pecans, crushed pineapple, and cinnamon. It’s very similar to banana bread, but with a tropical flair that will whisk you away to the Caribbean at the first bite.

What is the origin of Hummingbird Bread?

Originally, Humminbird Bread was a spiced cake with pineapple and banana made in Jamaica. Their national bird is (surprise surprise) a hummingbird, which this bread was named after. Nobody quite knows how the recipe was introduced to the southern states here, but once you try it, you’ll see why it’s so popular!

Tips for making Hummingbird Bread:

• Not a fan of coconut oil? You can substitute melted butter if you prefer.
• Like other quick breads, these loaves will take a while to bake all the way through. If the top is getting too brown, you can cover the pan with foil halfway through the baking time so the inside can still bake without the crust burning.
• This bread tastes best right out of the oven, but if you have leftovers, store them in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.

Tools you will need:

To make this bread, you’ll need two mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, a spatula, a whisk, and two loaf pans. I used 8 1/2′ by 4 1/2′ pans.

Ingredients you will need

• 3 cups flour – All-purpose flour works best for this bread.
• 1/2 cup coconut oil – I like to use coconut oil because it works well with the dried coconut.
• 1/2 cup sourdough discard – It doesn’t need to be active because the baking soda and baking powder will make the bread rise.
• 1/2 cup honey – You can also use maple syrup, which will alter the taste slightly.
• 3 bananas – You want them a bit brown and overripe, like what you’d use to make banana bread.
• 2 eggs – If you think ahead, leave them out for a few hours so they come to room temperature before you make the bread.
• 1 cup crushed pineapple – You can use canned or fresh pineapple.
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut – If all you have is unsweetened coconut, don’t worry! You can easily make your own sweetened coconut with just a little water and sugar.
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans – These are great for adding texture and flavor.
• 1 tsp vanilla – Can’t forget this!
• 1 tsp cinnamon – And you won’t want to forget this either 🙂
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda – This will make the bread rise so you don’t need active sourdough starter.
• 1 tsp baking powder – This will also help the bread to be light and fluffy.
• pinch of salt – I like Kosher salt for this.

How to make Hummingbird Bread

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and use the convection setting if you have it.

Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk them together. Stir in the honey, sourdough discard, and vanilla. Make sure there are no lumps of sourdough left!

Melt the coconut oil and let it cool slightly before adding it to the batter.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold together until the batter just comes together.

Mash the bananas and then stir them into the batter.

Fold in the crushed pineapple, coconut, and pecans.

Grease two loaf pans with baking spray or coconut oil. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.

Bake the loaves for 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean.

Looking for more sourdough discard breads?

If so, be sure to check out the Kitchen Counter for more recipes! Here are a few to get you started:

• Sourdough Zucchini Bread
• Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
• Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Bread
• Sourdough Discard Bagels

If you make this recipe and enjoy it, let me know in the comments section below! You can also tag me on instagram @oldfashionedinspiration with a picture of your creation.