Island-Style Banana Bread
Give basic banana bread a tropical twist with this quick bread recipe. It makes two loaves: one to share, one to keep.

Prep Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 30 mins
Servings:
2 loaves
Ingredients
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2 cups all-purpose flour
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1 teaspoon baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon baking soda
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1/4 teaspoon salt
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1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
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1/2 cup butter, softened
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3/4 cup packed brown sugar
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2 slightly beaten eggs
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1 teaspoon vanilla
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1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
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1/2 cup chopped pecans
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1 8-ounce package reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)
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1 egg
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1/2 cup coconut
Directions
1.
Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of two 7-1/2x3-1/2x2-inch loaf pans; set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; set aside. In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on high speed for 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, the 2 eggs, and vanilla; beat until combined. Add dry mixture and mashed banana alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition until combined. Stir in pecans. In a medium bowl beat cream cheese, remaining egg, and remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar on medium speed until almost smooth. Stir in coconut.
2.
Pour one-fourth of the banana batter into each loaf pan. Spoon one-fourth of the cream cheese mixture over each loaf. Using a spatula, cut through the batter to marble. Repeat the two layers as above, but do not marble. Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 50 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove loaves from pans. Cool completely. Makes 2 loaves (20 slices).
Nutrition information
Calories 191, Total Fat 11 g, Saturated Fat 5 g, Cholesterol 53 mg, Sodium 180 mg, Carbohydrate 21 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 4 g. Daily Values: Vitamin A 9%, Vitamin C 2%, Calcium 3%, Iron 7%.
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
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Recommended Recipe:
Double-Banana Bread
Dried banana chips pump up the flavor in and on top of this bread. The crunchy banana-cereal topping is a bonus.
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