One of my favorite desserts is German Chocolate Cake with plenty of that gooey, nutty frosting. It’s just such a magical combination of flavors! Chocolate, coconut, and pecans are each perfectly delicious on their own, but the combination is one I am not likely to resist.
With another of my loves being quick breads, it’s almost unfathomable that I’ve never taken the flavors I love from that favorite cake and put them in a bread. That absence among BoB’s recipes has now been officially remedied.
There are no real surprises here in making this bread. That’s the beauty of quick breads, after all. Just mix it up, put it in the pan, and bake it. You won’t even need a mixer for this one.
I tend to use buttermilk in quick breads for a little flavor and for the wonderful texture it gives the bread. I also opted for unsweetened shredded coconut instead of the more common sweetened flaked coconut. It may be a little tougher to find, but I really like using it here for a better coconut flavor and for the size of the pieces. (If you can’t find it locally, you can order it from King Arthur Flour.)
This bread is a great treat for breakfast, brunch, coffee breaks, or just because. I highly recommend serving it slightly warmed, as the chocolate will get a bit melty and gooey. That just pushes the irresistible level up a few more notches.
Chocolate, Coconut, and Pecan Bread
Chocolate, shredded coconut, and pecans add texture and flavor to this simple quick bread recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 & 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a standard 9”x 5” loaf pan.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, sugar, and brown sugar, mixing well. Add egg and vanilla, and mix thoroughly.
- Add flour mixture in three portions, alternating with two portions of buttermilk. Mix just until combined.
- Stir in coconut, pecans, and chocolate chips.
- Transfer batter to prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Then, remove bread from pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
This recipe was originally developed for Clabber Girl, where I am a paid contributor.
15 Comments on “Chocolate, Coconut, and Pecan Bread”
Love quick bread, love this flavor combo, this is perfection 🙂
I still have those fresh coconuts I haven’t used yet. I’m thinking this would be a good one to get one prepped and get a little coconut. I will make sure it is dry enough that it won’t add too much extra moisture. I am with you on GC Cake…one of my favorites. I just made some German Chocolate Cake Cookies that were great and well-liked. There are some coconut-haters and nut-haters out there…but they don’t count. HAHA Thanks for a super new recipe that will go in my keeper file and probably get made this week!
I prepared my coconuts and I have to say the meat from a fresh coconut is so dry I don’t think there is any adjustment needed for moisture. About the same moisture as sweetened shredded coconut in a recipe. I’m totally jazzed to try this one with fresh coconut. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Sounds great, Linda! I need to do more with fresh coconuts. Please do let me know how it turns out!
I am from Vermont and I like the fact you recommended King Arthur flour. The King Arthur store is in Vermont.
This recipe looks like a great idea! I will have to use gluten free flour; KA makes that too and it’s great!
I am also dairy free. For my cousin’s birthday, I made her GFgerman chocolate cake with DF frosting. It was very yummy.
Thank you for posting a recipe I can make.
Jeanette, if you ever want to make an awesome DF chocolate ganache I discovered one (for someone not even DF!) when I wanted to “up” the coconut aspect in a glaze for a coconut pound cake. I added some real chocolate sprinkles to the cake and when I glazed it I did using unsweetened chocolate and Coco Lopez (a cream of coconut drink mix-in). I’m sure there are other brands of the cream of coconut but that one is a good one. It had a wonderful silky texture like traditional chocolate ganache but the added coconut flavor really made it amazing. And the cream of coconut is super sweet so balancing that with unsweetened chocolate (which should be DF) makes it sweet enough but not overpoweringly sweet. I could have eaten the whole bowl…without cake! I agree about KAF products and I love that they are employee owned (100%!). I won’t bake with any other flour. Even sold my mom in NC who won’t use any other flour and now orders from KAF frequently by phone. Great company and great products.
I just saw this! Thank you, Linda, for a great idea!!
ooooh I love everything you put in this bread!!! Looks amazing!
Great combinations of flavor. Quick bread are amazing, they’re quick and simply delicious =)
Yum reminds me of my German chocolate banana bread but this is even better because it doesn’t require any boxed cake mix!
All the best flavors are in this bread! These are some of my favorites as well!
This is a great combination of flavours. It’s too hot to be baking right now, but I’m pinning this to revisit when it cools off a bit. Thanks for the recipe!
yum this looks so delicious, i could definitely devour a slice right now. love it!
Thanks for the recipe,  in my country we don’t have buttermilk available. Witch element we can use to replaced?Â
There are several substitutions for buttermilk, such as 1 tablespoon of lemon juice plus enough milk to make 1 cup for every 1 cup of buttermilk. There are other options, too. If you do a Google search for buttermilk substitutes, you’ll find several options.