Coconut Lime Bread

Deliciously moist and perfectly sweetened, this coconut lime quick bread is a tropical delight. The lime-infused glaze and toasted coconut topping send this dessert bread over the top.

Jun 18, 2024

Last year I wrote an article about quick breads and how “quick” (hence the name) and easy they are to prepare. The recipe was for sweet potato bread, and in the article, I provided a handful of tips for quick bread baking success like checking the freshness of your leavening agents (baking powder and baking soda), being careful not to over mix the batter, placing the pan properly in the oven, and checking for doneness.

When I started testing this coconut lime bread, I thought this is a simple quick bread, no problem, I’ll have the recipe perfected in no time. While I absolutely loved the taste and texture of this bread, test after test resulted in a loaf that collapsed in the middle. I could have called it coconut lime crater bread; it was that bad. So, I did a little research on why quick breads sink in the middle, and an article by Sarah Bridenstine, founder of Baking Kneads, provided some helpful troubleshooting tips.

Avoid over filling the pan

One common cause of quick bread collapse is over filling the loaf pan. If the batter reaches the top of the pan and still needs to rise further as it’s baking, the bread may collapse since it has nothing left to climb up. As a general rule, your loaf pan should only be about two-thirds full.

Check the date of leavening agents

If your baking powder and baking soda are expired and have lost their potency, they won’t be able to properly leaven the bread. Additionally, while this may seem counterintuitive using excess amounts of baking powder and baking soda can cause quick breads to sink.

Confirm oven temperature is accurate

Since oven temperature impacts how bread bakes, you may want to invest in an oven thermometer to ensure an accurate oven temperature reading. If the oven isn’t at the proper temperature while baking, the bread could collapse. Also, opening and closing the oven door during baking results in loss of heat. Temperature fluctuations can cause the bread to not thoroughly bake in the middle, resulting in a sunken center.

Consider the type of loaf pan

In my experience, this last troubleshooting tip regarding what type of loaf pan to use is a bit controversial. Many bakers recommend using a metal loaf pan instead of a glass pan when baking quick breads. The rationale is that because metal is a good conductor of heat, the bread will bake consistently throughout, eliminating the dreaded collapse. Glass is an insulator of heat. A glass loaf pan will heat more slowly, but once it’s hot, it will stay hot for a longer period of time. It’s often recommended that when baking in a glass pan, the temperature should be reduced by 25 degrees F and the baking time extended. I tried a few different scenarios using metal and glass loaf pans, along with adjusting the oven temperature and bake time. Interestingly, for this coconut lime bread, I had the most success at eliminating the collapse when I used a glass loaf pan and an oven temperature of 350 degrees F.

In the end, I was able to eliminate the crater that kept forming in my bread. Although I never got the beautifully risen and rounded quick bread I had envisioned, I did get an incredibly delicious and rather decadent dessert bread that I’ll be making again and again.

To your health,

Darlene

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COCONUT LIME BREAD

Yield: 12 servings

Serving Size: 1 slice

Prep: 20 minutes

Ready: 1 hour and 10 minutes (not including cooling time)

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut, toasted and divided
Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup neutral oil, such as canola or avocado oil
1/4 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt (such as FAGE Total 2%)
1/4 cup 1% milk
1 large egg
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon lime zest, divided
2 teaspoons coconut extract (or vanilla extract)
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons water

DIRECTIONS

Place coconut flakes in a small skillet, set stove burner to medium-low and toast coconut, stirring often. Transfer toasted coconut to a small plate and allow to cool while preparing remaining ingredients. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray; set aside.
Perfectly toasted coconut flakes.
In a large bowl, with a large spoon or whisk, mix together sugar, oil, yogurt, milk, egg, 1 tablespoon lime zest, and coconut extract until combined.
In a separate bowl, stir together all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture and using a large spoon, stir until just combined, being careful not to over mix. Add all but 1 tablespoon toasted coconut to batter and stir until just combined (reserved tablespoon of coconut will be used on top of baked bread).
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow bread to cool in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan and cool completely on wire rack
To prepare the glaze, combine powdered sugar, water, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon lime zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Drizzle glaze over top of cooled bread and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon toasted coconut. Bread loaf yields 12 slices.

Nutrition Information per Serving

249 Calories, 8 g Total fat, 2 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans fat, 15 mg Cholesterol, 154 mg Sodium, 42 g Total carbohydrate, 2 g Dietary fiber, 27 g Total sugars, 26 g Added sugars, 3 g Protein, 0 mcg (0%) Vitamin D, 21 mg (2%) Calcium, 1 mg (6%) Iron, 35 mg (0%) Potassium