This pineapple banana bread recipe puts a fresh, tropical twist on a classic banana bread recipe! It’s ultra moist, and the juicy crushed pineapple complements the sweet mashed bananas perfectly. No mixer needed!
Pineapple banana bread puts a tropical spin on classic banana bread! Adding crushed pineapple to my favorite banana bread recipe enhances the sweetness and makes the bread super moist. Even those who don’t love pineapple (myself included) can enjoy how flavorful it is. The pineapple isn’t overpowering at all; it’s mild and subdued and pairs beautifully with the ripe bananas.
If you’ve followed the blog for a while, y’all know how much I love banana bread recipes. I’ve made it so many different ways over the years, from chocolate chip banana bread to blueberry banana bread, pumpkin banana bread, and even banana bread brownies. It’s just one of those comforting, feel-good baking recipes that’s easy to make, that everyone loves, and the flavor possibilities are truly endless.
The hilarious truth is that I don’t really love bananas OR pineapple on their own. But in a moist, tender quick bread? Sign me up. You’ll also find them in my easy pineapple cake!
Pineapple Banana Bread Puts a Tropical Spin On a Classic
- Ultra-moist. Crushed pineapple adds loads of moisture and subtle tropical flavor to your typical banana bread loaf. It’s a bit like hummingbird cake meets quick bread.
- No mixer. Just combine your ingredients by hand, and bake.
- Bright, juicy sweetness. Don’t worry, this bread isn’t too sweet. If anything, I find that tangy crushed pineapple cuts the heavier sweetness from the bananas, balancing the flavors perfectly.
- All-seasons. Pineapple banana bread is delicious year-round, but I especially love it in the summer. I’ll even stir shredded coconut into the batter for an extra tropical touch.
- Freezer-friendly. It also freezes wonderfully, so you can bake two and save one for later.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Most of the ingredients in this moist pineapple bread recipe are pantry staples. Here’s a look at the key ingredients with notes and possible substitutions. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Flour – Spoon and level the flour or weigh it with a kitchen scale. This is the best way to avoid overmeasuring, which results in too much flour and a dry loaf.
- Baking Powder and Soda – Because the pineapple makes this banana bread a little denser, using both gives the bread extra lift. Make sure your leavening is fresh!
- Vegetable Oil – Or canola oil. Unlike butter, which solidifies at room temperature, oil stays liquid and keeps the crumb super soft.
- Sugar – I use granulated white sugar. For a deeper flavor, substitute white sugar with brown sugar.
- Eggs – Bringing the eggs to room temperature makes them easier to blend with the other batter ingredients.
- Vanilla – Please use real vanilla extract or vanilla paste rather than imitation. The flavor just isn’t the same.
- Crushed Pineapple – Canned works perfectly. Be sure to drain it first. Pro tip: Reserve the juice to mix with powdered sugar for a sweet glaze to drizzle on top of the baked bread! You could also use pineapple chunks and chop them finely, or pulse them a couple of times in the blender.
- Bananas – Choose the ripest, spottiest bananas you can find. They’ll be sweeter and easier to mash.
Tips for Making Perfect Banana Bread
- The riper, the better. Overripe bananas are essential for the best banana bread. Bananas become sweeter as they ripen. The brown, spotty bananas that are past their prime are the ones you should be using for banana bread.
- Use oil for very tender banana bread. You can absolutely use butter, or even a combo of butter and oil. But, I find the moistest, fluffiest banana bread loaves are those that use only vegetable oil (or canola oil… Really, any light-colored oil).
- Swap brown sugar for white sugar. You want your bread to be sweet, but not too sweet. Because the bananas provide lots of natural sweetness, this recipe calls for 1 cup of granulated sugar. You can absolutely sub in brown sugar if you would prefer.
- Don’t overmix. Once you’ve mixed in the flour, mix the batter just enough that no streaks of the dry ingredients remain. The more you mix the batter, the more gluten will form, creating a more dense loaf.
What Else Can I Add to My Banana Bread?
- Coconut pineapple bread: Add 1/2 cup of sweetened flaked coconut, either plain or toasted, to the batter. You might also love my toasted coconut banana bread.
- Nuts: Try adding chopped walnuts, pecans, or macadamia nuts. For more flavor, toast the nuts in a dry skillet first.
- Flavoring extracts: You can add almond extract, coconut extract, or even rum extract, which would be great in this recipe.
- Roast the bananas: Take the banana flavor one step further by roasting the bananas for your bread. Sprinkle unpeeled bananas with a little brown sugar, and roast at 350ºF for about 15-20 minutes, until they’re browned and caramelized. You will need to use ripe bananas for this step (as opposed to overripe, brown, mushy bananas) as they will get plenty soft in the roasting process.
FAQ
Yes, drain the canned crushed pineapple well before adding it to the banana bread batter. I suggest using a fine-mesh sieve. Otherwise, the excess liquid will make the bread soggy.
Yes! To make your banana bread with fresh pineapple instead of canned, finely chop the pineapple or pulse it in the food processor a few times. The flavor won’t be quite as concentrated as canned, though.
This banana pineapple bread needs to bake at 350ºF for 55-65 minutes. It’s done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
If you don’t drain the pineapple enough, or if your bread is underbaked, it may turn out soggy. Use the toothpick test to be sure it’s done.
How to Store It
- Store airtight. Keep this pineapple banana bread in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Freeze. Double-wrap the loaf in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw the bread on the counter before serving.
More Banana Bread Recipes
Pineapple Banana Bread
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: serves 10 1x
- Category: Banana Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Dessert
Description
Crushed pineapple adds delicious, tropical flavor and loads of moisture to this pineapple banana bread. A fun spin on a classic, no mixer needed!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup crushed pineapple, drained
- 2 medium bananas, mashed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×5 loaf pan with nonstick spray. Line the bottom and up the ends with a strip of parchment paper for easy removal. Coat again with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a medium bowl whisk together oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in pineapple and banana.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool 10 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Store wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and then placed in a large zip-top bag for up to 3 days at room temperature.
- Optional: Add in 1/2 cup coconut.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 259
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 255.6 mg
- Fat: 6.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 46.1 g
- Protein: 4.2 g
- Cholesterol: 42.8 mg
I used up the last of a can of crushed pineapple from Easter on this. It was delicious. Very light and easy to make. I sprinkled cinnamon sugar on top of mine. Next time I will add nuts. Thank you for sharing!
Great idea with the cinnamon sugar on top!!
Thanks for the tip on adding a sprinkling of brown sugar/cinnamon. It made a great crust on top and is (was) so good!
I am not a banana bread fan and hate wasting my very ripe bananas. I have tied SEVERAL online recipes and they always disappoint. This recipe is heaven!! I added chopped pecans into the pineapple banana mix and added a sliced banana on top for presentation. It wowed my entire family and they said it was the best banana bread they have ever tried! Very yummy and very moist! Thank you so much!
So so glad you liked it!!
Hi! It looks YuMmY! Just wondering… What changes would I need to make using a boxed cake mix as the base? Will return with updated review after I bake this. Thanks much!
I’m getting the ingredient’s today! This looks and sounds wonderful. Not that banana bread can’t stand alone but this will just give a little burst of flavor adding pineapple. Thanks so much. Had a hard time deciding between this or the pumpkin/banana bread since it is October but pineapple for today.??
Hello!! I had so much fun cruising around your website/blog. Your recipe for Pineapple Banana Bread caught my eye. I LOVE banana bread!! Here in Hawaii we’re blessed to have these wonderful Apple Bananas. They are sweeter and more moist than regular bananas .. and much more flavorful. I agree on letting the bananas ripen to the point where anyone else would look at them and go “Eee yuk. aren’t you going to throw those out???” Of course not! This is when they are just perfect for banana bread! I had never put pineapple in the banana bread before … and this was a great addition. We had friends stop by for coffee and the banana bread was just perfect with the coffee. They, of course, wanted the recipe! Thanks for sharing!
I LOVE banana bread and this tropical version sounds incredible, Shelly!
I can’t wait to try this Banana bread I live in NZ and hope we have the same ingredients will let you know how I get one. Many thanks for the recipe.
YAY! This is an old Taste of Home recipe I would make for my old boss (who requested it often!). It doubles (two 8×4 pans) well if you want to use up the can of pineapple.
If I made this into the large muffins how long would they need to bake and @ what temp? Ty
same temp and I’d start with 25 minutes and check from there!
This bread sounds delicious! I love all the ingredients. I’ll also add macadamia nuts. How much of the nuts should I add?
Thanks!
Donna
I’d start with 1/2 cup chopped and add more if you would like!
This sounds yummy. I’ve been making a Mr. Food (used to do a weekly segment on the news in the DC area a bazillion years ago; has several cookbooks) Hawaiian Banana Bread for years with pineapple and nuts (usually walnuts or pecans). I just made some with macadamia nuts but froze it, so I don’t know if I like that better yet. Will definitely have to give this one a try.