This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our privacy policy.
While I was in St. Lucia, the lovely Cindy of Once Upon A Loaf guest posted here on MBA with a fun, tipsy recipe for Bourbon Banana Bread. From the moment I read the post, I knew a boozy banana bread would soon be in my baking future.
As soon as we were through customs in St. Lucia, we were greeted by an ice cold glass of Rum Punch. And within a few minutes, we learned that rum was definitely the drink of choice on the island. Even though I’m not one to indulge in cocktails on a regular basis, I happily accepted the fruity concoction and sipped away – ya know how it goes… when in Rome!
Upon arriving at Sandals La Toc, I quickly familiarized myself with the island drink specialties and acquired quite an affinity for two tropical beverages – Dirty Banana and No Pressure – the island’s mantra.
Bananas are actually the main export crop in St. Lucia, so they were as plentiful as they were delicious. You can actually see the banana farms along the main highway. The banana trees definitely catch your attention due to their close proximity to the road and the bright blue bags that cover the fruits to protect them. Our lovely driver actually stopped several times on the journey to the resort to educate us on the farming process.
Although we couldn’t bring bananas back to the states with us, we could bring rum, and that we did. With assistance from a couple of locals, we selected a few of the island’s best brands and carefully nestled them into our suitcases. We even brought back a bottle of dried spices that is used to create your own homemade spiced rum. Much like the process of making your own vanilla, you simply add your favorite rum to the spice medley until the spices infuse the liquor. The lovely woman that walked us through the process referred to the drink as the “baby maker” as she jokingly gestured towards her infant son. Needless to say, that bottle has yet to be touched.
As soon as we were back in the states, I picked up a bunch of bananas and anxiously waited from them to turn the perfect shade of brown. I then whipped up my favorite banana bread recipe and, drawing inspiration from Cindy, I infused the batter with St. Lucia rum, cinnamon and coconut; creating an island-inspired delectable quick bread that truly highlights some of the amazing flavors of St. Lucia.
[pinit]
Rum-Coconut Bread
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar, slightly packed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons dark rum
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas (about 4-5 bananas)
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a large bowl, with an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy; about 2 minutes. Add in the eggs, vanilla, rum, and bananas mixing until fully incorporated.
3. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, add the flour mixture into the banana mixture, stirring until just incorporated. Fold in coconut flakes. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack.
Notes:
- For a plain loaf of banana bread, simply omit the rum and coconut.
- This bread does wonderfully with all types of add-ins such as walnuts, pecans, chocolate chips, etc.
- The flavor of the banana bread will intensify if allowed to sit overnight.
- To store, wrap the cooled bread in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil. Bread will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.
My Baking Addiction adapted from All Recipes
All images and text ©Follow Jamie on Instagram. We love to see what you're baking from MBA! Be sure to tag @jamiemba and use the hashtag #mbarecipes!
I can’t stop making this, Jamie. It’s SO delicious, thank you!
Sylvia-
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe – thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback. Have a great day.
-Jamie
Wow. Again, another beautiful recipe. I have to say that your website is truly the only one I have come across that has consistent recipes. What I mean by that is that they are incredibly detailed and perfect recipes that don’t turn out on behalf of a gamble. They are perfect, in other words.
This time around, I did a cup of brown sugar, a little more coconut than banana, and an extra tablespoon of rum. ;) Turned out beautifully. Thank you so much for this website! :)
Lisa-
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the banana bread recipe. Thanks so much for your kind words and for coming back and telling us your thoughts! Have a great day.
-Jamie
The marvels of the ethernet—-inspired memories of my trip to the Grenadines a few years ago and the rum/hibiscus ambience, AND, the perfect answer to what to do with some of my fave ingredients! It’s 11 p.m. so may put off till tomorrow…just hope I can sleep:)
I made this twice, because it was good the first time, but I over baked a little. So, I thought I’d be smart and bake it less the second time, but guess what? I kind-of did it again. My oven runs hot and it seems the top browns super quick, and the middle takes longer to cook. I have the rack in the middle, so I don’t know if I should lower it? Anyway it’s delicious bread, even when you overbake. Thanks.
I made this wonderful bread and it is to die for! I would use 1 cup of brown sugar instead of the 3/4 cup that is called for. Fabulous!
I was in St. Lucia May 3rd! We brought back a lot of rum too! Did you go to the rum distillery? I really wanted to make this recipe tonight but much to my dismay someone ate some of the perfectly ripe bananas I was going to use. I will have to wait til next time to try this but its at the top of my list!
A warm slice of this divine bread smeared with some butter would be just perfect for breakfast. :)
OOH! The Dirty Banana! My favorite drink on our St. Lucia trip. :) I can’t wait to try this bread! I’m sure it’ll make me want to take another Caribbean trip… :)
Yum, yum, yum! This is my kind of tea cake…boozy! Hahaha!!! Seriously, this looks lovely. Pinning now…
I love coconut and rum put together but never tried them in a banana bread. Sounds amazing Jamie!