Jamaican Jungle Banana Bread

A delicious treat for breakfast, brunch or dessert

Jamaican Jungle Banana Bread first appeared as a recipe in the 1970s on boxes of 3 Minute Brand Oats. The company is no longer in business, but the recipe is still winning converts. We’ve made some changes to reduce the amount of sugar and to incorporate wellness-focused ingredients.

Cook time:	20 – 50 minutes
Servings:	12 – 15

Ingredients

1 1/2 c. organic All-Purpose Flour (may swap ¼ cup Almond Flour for same amount of AP Flour)
1 c. Quick Oats (may use rolled oats that have been pulsed in food processor)
1/2 c. granulated Sugar (organic, non-GMO, pure cane or coconut)
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 c. Flaked Coconut
1/2 c. Walnuts or Pecans, chopped and toasted
1 c. mashed Bananas (about 3 medium)
1 (8 oz.) can Crushed Pineapple, undrained OR drained Crushed Pineapple + ¼ c. Rum
2 Tbsp. Butter + 2 Tbsp. Coconut Oil
2 Eggs
Optional: 3 Tbsp. Flax Seed (adds omega-3 benefits)

Preparation

In a large bowl, stir together all dry (first 9) ingredients. (If you want to have hot, fresh bread in the morning, but would like to cut down the prep time, you can mix all the dry ingredients the night before and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.) Add flax seed, if desired.
In a medium bowl, mix bananas, pineapple, melted butter + coconut oil, and eggs; add all at once to oat mixture. Stir just until liquid is absorbed and mixture is thoroughly moistened. (Don’t overmix).
Pour into greased 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan, bundt cake pan, mini-loaf pans or muffin pan(s). Bake at 350 degrees F. For a loaf, bake for approximately 50 minutes or until a bamboo skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Tent with foil about halfway through cooking time to prevent excess browning.
For a bundt cake, mini loaves or muffins, bake time will vary from 20 to 35 minutes. Use your sense of smell to know when to start checking on doneness. If the smell of baked goods permeates the kitchen, the bread is likely close to done. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Then remove from the pan and cool completely. Makes 1 loaf, 1 bundt cake, 3 mini loaves or 12-15 muffins.

We serve it with a whipped cream cheese that’s lightly sweetened with powdered sugar and flavored with orange juice and zest, but this glaze makes this a nice presentation for guests.