This recipe is inspired by my favorite Banana Crunch Muffins from Ina Garten, which has been my favorite way to use ripe bananas for the longest time. Much like her recipe, you can absolutely top with banana chips, more coconut, more nuts, or all of the above. Just make sure to tent with foil, so the toppings don’t burn.

Makes one 9-inch loaf

Ingredients

• 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup (162 grams) brown sugar
• 2 large eggs (100 grams)
• ⅓ cup (79 grams) sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 (472 grams) ripe bananas
• ¾ cup (94 grams) chopped walnuts, plus more for topping
• ¾ cup (75 grams) sweetened shredded coconut

Instructions

Make the Bread:

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease a loaf pan and line with parchment, allowing the sides to hang over. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
3. In a bowl fitted for an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the eggs and mix until incorporated, and then add the sour cream and vanilla.
5. Mash 3 out of the 4 bananas and mix them into the batter.
6. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
7. Chop the last banana into ½-inch pieces and fold them into the batter along with the walnuts and coconut. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and top with more nuts, if desired.
8. Loosely tent the top with aluminum foil and bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely before serving. Wrap the leftovers in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.