You ever step into the kitchen ready to bake something wonderful, and then it all just kinda… flops? That’s the day I had earlier this week. Set on making the yummiest, springiest hummingbird bread for all of you, I bombed not one, not two, but THREE loaves of bread before finally landing on a recipe that I love. What I thought would be a surefire thing turned out to be a hot mess, but we got there! Today’s recipe, after all that, is worth the effort.
What is Hummingbird Bread?
Hummingbird cake is a Southern staple. Lightly sweetened with ripe mashed bananas and crushed pineapples, these cakes are intensely moist and flavorful. Most include chopped nuts and some form of a cream cheese frosting, too! In the past, I’ve made hummingbird layer cake, hummingbird muffins, and even a hummingbird bundt cake, and I will tell you that they’re all delish. Today, however, we’re pairing things down for a simple, two-step hummingbird quick bread.
What is a Quick Bread?
Quick breads are just that- QUICK! While most sandwich loaves and other risen breads require yeast for its rising, quick bread are leavened by baking powder or baking soda and require no rise time. Instead, the rising all happens during the baking, which is good news- less wait time, more eating. Quick breads like this hummingbird loaf are generally very most, sweet, and textured like a dense cake.
How to Make Hummingbird Bread
We start with the wet ingredients! Melted butter combines with sugar and brown sugar before we beat in the mashed bananas, eggs, and crushed pineapple. Remember- when baking, brown bananas are your friend! Use ultra-ripe bananas for the sweetest and most flavorful cakes. Next, we stir in the flour, leavening, cinnamon, and salt. The batter pours into a large loaf pan before being topped with a simple cold butter streusel made with brown sugar and chopped pecans. The streusel will add a little texture and sweet/salty flavor to the final bread. Pop the whole thing in the oven for a 40 minute bake and voila!
How to Make Quick Breads in Advance
Loaves likes this hummingbird bread are a great make-ahead option. Simply bake up the loaves and cool completely before removing from the pan. Wrap the finished loaves in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. You can store them safely in the freezer for up to 4 months, however, I think they’re best when eaten within a month.
Give this recipe a try this spring and let me know what you think! Happy Tuesday and happy baking!
If you like this hummingbird bread, you should try:
Easy Banana Zucchini Bread
Banana Bread Cake
Cinnamon Streusel Bread
Carrot Pound Cake
Hummingbird Bread
This hummingbird bread is a lightly sweetened loaf made with banana, crushed pineapple, and a pecan streusel topping!
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 9 Servings
- Category: Quick Bread
Ingredients
For the streusel:
- 2 1/2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
- 1/4 cup chopped pecan halves
For the bread:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup (150 gm) sugar
- 1/4 cup (55 gm) brown sugar, packed
- 1 large (120 gm) banana, mashed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (115 gm) drained crushed pineapple
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1–1/2 cups (190 gm) flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
To prepare the streusel:
- Combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Dice the butter and then cut into the flour using the back of a fork or a pastry cutter. Once the butter is well integrated, about pea-sized clumps, toss in the pecan pieces. Set aside until ready to use.
To prepare the bread:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9”x5” loaf pan with baking spray.
- Combine the melted butter, sugar, and brown sugar, stirring until combined. Add in the banana, eggs, pineapple, and vanilla stirring until thoroughly combined. In a small bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients and then add them to the butter mixture. Stir until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Pour the prepared batter into the pan. Sprinkle the streusel on top and bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 40-43 minutes. Allow to cool 20 minutes before removing the loaf from the pan.
