I’m not much of a coconut fan but since it was just one of the ingredients and not the actual star of these muffins, I knew it wouldn’t be a problem. After all, I really do love carrot cake and German chocolate cake and both have ample amount of coconut. Now even though the coconut wasn’t the main ingredient, it was really vital to this recipe. It provided a very aesthetic look on top and although it didn’t really provide much of a taste, it created a nice texture to the muffins, a good crunch with each bite. That was then complemented by chunks of pineapple, all wrapped in a banana base muffin.

It was a very enjoyable tropical muffin, perfect for the summertime.

Banana Coconut Pineapple Muffins (adapted from For the Love of Cooking):

Yields 12 muffins

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cups sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1/2 cup crushed pineapple
  • 3/4 cup coconut flakes, plus more for topping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners; set aside. (If you don’t want to use paper liners, you could coat a muffin pan with cooking spray instead.)

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar and vanilla.

Add the melted butter and beat until well combined.


Add the bananas, pineapple and coconut; beat until well combined.


Pour dry mixture over wet mixture and stir using a rubber spatula just until moist.


Scoop the batter evenly into the muffin tray. Sprinkle with coconut.

Place into oven and bake for 21-23 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.


Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

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