This gluten-free Sweet Coconut Bread is moist, delicate, and, most importantly, packed with coconut flavor! Decorated with a simple powdered sugar glaze and toasted coconut, it’s a perfect sweet breakfast, snack, or dessert.
Why you’ll love this recipe!
Coconut bliss 🥥 – Made with toasted shredded coconut and a whole can of coconut milk, this quick bread is exploding with the tropical flavors coconut fans obsess over.
Gluten-free! Oat flour gives the bread a lighter texture and keeps it gluten-free.
An easy sweet treat – Between the simple steps, the refreshing coconut, and the sweet glaze on top, this quick bread is going down as one of my favorite summer treats.
If you couldn’t tell by my vegan coconut cake and buttery coconut bars, I’m a huge fan of coconut-flavored goodies. But this gluten-free Coconut Bread just might be my new favorite treat. I demolished the entire loaf in 24 hours the first time I made it, and I’d happily do it again!
It’s surprisingly easy to make with a few simple, gluten-free ingredients and comes out of the oven with a light, delicate texture and the most magnificent tropical flavor. If you’re a fan of coconut, you’re definitely going to want to try it!
Coconut Bread Ingredients
Oat flour – Use my oat flour recipe to make your oat flour from scratch. It’s so easy—just blend 2 cups of gluten-free rolled oats into a powder, and you’re done! Or make a double batch and use the extras in these oat flour cookies or these oat flour pancakes.
Coconut milk – I added in a can of full-fat coconut milk, but light coconut milk would be just as good.
Shredded coconut – Opt for unsweetened shredded coconut to keep the sweetness in check. We’re baking most of it inside the bread, then sprinkling the rest on top.
This list is to provide further clarification on a few of the ingredients. See recipe card below for the full ingredient list.
Variations
- If you’re using sweetened shredded coconut, I’d recommend omitting the glaze to prevent the bread from tasting too sweet.
- Flour substitutes – Try using 1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour or a quality gluten-free baking flour instead of oat flour.
- Egg-free option – I found that regular eggs give this naturally delicate bread a great structure. You can technically use 3 flax eggs as an egg-free substitute, but just know that the texture will be slightly different.
- Add-in ideas: Feel free to fold a 50-50 blend of shredded coconut and chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or dried fruit into the batter.
How to Make Sweet Coconut Bread
Step 1: Combine dry ingredients. Stir the oat flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
Step 2: Mix wet ingredients. Whisk the melted butter and sugar together, then stir in the eggs, coconut milk, and vanilla.
Step 3: Finish the batter. Gently stir the dry ingredients and some of the toasted coconut into the wet ingredients until just combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared bread pan.
Step 4: Bake. Bake the coconut bread until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set it aside to cool completely.
Step 5: Glaze. Meanwhile, whisk the powdered sugar and milk together to make the glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled coconut bread and sprinkle with the remaining toasted coconut. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Erin’s Tips and Tricks
- Take the time to lightly toast the shredded coconut in a dry skillet over medium heat or on a baking sheet in a 350ºF oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until they’re golden and fragrant. It’s the key to intensifying the coconut flavors!
- Is your coconut milk a little chunky? Pour it into a bowl and whisk it until it’s smooth before mixing it with the rest of the wet ingredients.
- The glaze makes this bread a little bit sweeter. If you don’t want it super sweet, simply omit the powdered sugar glaze.
My Pro Tip
Let It Cool Completely
The most important thing to remember is to allow the bread to cool completely before slicing and serving. Because oat flour gives it an incredibly delicate texture, slicing it while it’s still warm will cause the loaf to crumble and fall apart.
Coconut Loaf FAQs
Personally, I find coconut flour to be one of the most finicky gluten-free flours. It absorbs moisture very differently from oat flour, so substituting it would require changing the entire recipe. Stick with oat flour for the best results!
You can use a 9×5 bread pan instead, but the bread might take a little longer to bake. Keep an eye on it and test it with a toothpick around the 60-minute mark.
Storage
Room temperature: Wrap the loaf in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container to keep it fresh for up to 3 days.
Refrigerator: You can also store the covered coconut bread in the fridge for about 1 week, but it will dry out faster.
Freezer: The bread and individual slices freeze well for up to 2 months. Wrap them in plastic wrap, then transfer them to a freezer bag and freeze.
More Sweet Bread Recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
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Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8×4 bread pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1” overhang for easy removal.
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First, melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl and allow it to cool to room temperature. At the same time, toast the coconut. Add shredded coconut to a medium skillet and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally until golden brown; transfer to a small bowl.
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In a medium bowl, stir the oat flour, baking powder and salt together.
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Once the butter has cooled, whisk the butter and sugar together, then add the eggs, coconut milk and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
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Pour the dry ingredients into the wet, along with 1 cup of the toasted coconut, and gently stir until just combined. Transfer the batter into your prepared bread pan, then bake for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
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Remove bread from the oven but leave it in the bread pan. Transfer the bread pan onto a wire rack and allow the bread to cool completely before removing and slicing.
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For the glaze: Whisk the powdered sugar and milk together until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the bread, then sprinkle with the remaining toasted coconut. Slice and enjoy!
*If coconut milk is chunky, pour it into a bowl and mix until smooth, then add it in with the wet ingredients
*You can use a 9×5 pan, but the bread might take a little longer to bake, so keep an eye on it!
*Calories are per serving and are an estimation
Calories: 456kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 314mg | Potassium: 261mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 355IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 2mg
