Coconut Cream Banana Nut Bread

Karen From Colorado's Note:

A pleasant banana bread hiding a sweet surprise inside. It brings back memories of home. Leave the nuts out if you must.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 20 slices

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup butter or ½ cup margarine , softened
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs , slightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup mashed banana
• ½ cup chopped walnuts or ½ cup pecans
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ cup shredded coconut

Directions:

1. Thoroughly grease the bottoms and sides of 2 loaf pans; set aside.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside.
3. Beat butter on high speed for about 30 seconds.
4. Add 1/2 cup brown sugar, beaten eggs and vanilla; beat until well mixed.
5. Add flour mixture and banana alternately to beaten mixture; beating on low after each addition.
6. Stir in nuts.
7. In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, 1/4 cup brown sugar and the 1 egg until smooth.
8. Stir in coconut.
9. Pour 1/4 of the banana batter into each pan.
10. Spoon 1/4 of the cream cheese mixture over each loaf.
11. Marble each by using a spatula to cut cream cheese into the banana batter.
12. Repeat the 2 layers as above but do not marble them.
13. Bake in a 350°F oven for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
14. Cool in pans for 10 minutes.
15. Remove loaves from pans and cool completely.

Reviews

[Bev]

This is not your average banana bread. This one stands up and shouts, "Look at me! Look at me!" The cream cheese and coconut are an interesting addition to this banana bread. With the addition of 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon and the brown sugar this recipe could be served as a dessert bread. I made this exactly as the directions advised. Very nice, Karen!

[Trixyinaz]

I just made this wonderful coconut cream banana nut bread. It was delicious and definately a keeper. I would have given it 5 stars, but it wasn't quite a "WOW" in my books. I think it could have used more nuts and more banana's. Also, I really liked the coconut in the cream part that I think next time I will add some coconut to the bread mixture too. We are having a bake sale at work next week to help raise money for the American Diabetes Association and I am going to make this recipe for it. Enjoy!!!

[Midwest Maven]

This bread was good, we really liked the cream cheese coconut layer, yummy!