This quick and delicious Hummingbird Bread recipe is a moist loaf cake topped with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting. Perfect for dessert, a snack with coffee, or even a special breakfast!
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Looking for a fun new baked good with a unique blend of flavors? This hummingbird bread is a great choice when you want something sweet that's great for dessert or a special snack.
Why This Recipe Works
Made with common ingredients, this tropical hummingbird loaf cake is a fast and easy treat that anyone can make! It combines pineapple and coconut with warm cinnamon for a sweet and fruity flavor profile with a hint of warmth--all the classic flavors of hummingbird cake.
Like my Pineapple Zucchini Bread and this Cream Cheese Banana Bread, this is a satisfying and filling baked loaf the whole family will love!
Ingredients Needed
- Sugar: A combination of regular white sugar and brown sugar works fine here! You can also use dark brown sugar for a richer taste.
- Vegetable Oil: Canola oil will also work
- Eggs: Helps bind together the batter.
- Vanilla: For both the cake and the frosting, vanilla adds some sweetness and warmth.
- Flour: I use all purpose flour
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: This ensures that the bread is nice and fluffy.
- Cinnamon: Pairs well with the fruit flavors and adds a unique warm twist.
- Salt: To balance out the sweetness.
- Mashed Banana: For some moisture and banana flavor.
- Shredded Coconut: Comes together with the banana and pineapple for a tropical flavor blend.
- Crushed Pineapple: Tangy and sweet, pineapple is a crucial ingredient for any hummingbird cake!
- Pecans: You can also use walnuts or omit altogether.
- Cream Cheese: Make sure it's room temperature to prevent any lumps.
- Unsalted Butter: Salted butter will also work, but you may want to not add any salt to the batter.
- Powdered Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps the frosting come together.
How to Make this Hummingbird Bread
- Step 1: In a large bowl, combine wet ingredients (white and brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla).
- Step 2: Add in the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt).
- Step 3: Use a spatula to fold in the bananas, coconut, pineapple, and chopped pecans.
- Step 4: Pour the bread batter into an 8x5 loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 60 to 65 minutes.
- Step 5: While the hummingbird bread bakes, make the frosting by adding cream cheese and butter to a bowl and beating with a hand mixer or other electric mixer.
- Step 6: Add in the cinnamon, powdered sugar, and vanilla and beat until combined. Allow the baked cake to cool, then top with frosting.
Recipe Tips
- For easiest mixing, allow the butter and cream cheese to come up to room temperature.
- You can also make this hummingbird bread without the cream cheese frosting so it's more of a snack and breakfast rather than dessert.
- To store, cover in plastic wrap and/or place in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- If you can't find crushed pineapple, you can also use diced pineapple.
- To make cleanup easier, pour batter into a pan lined with parchment paper.
Recipe FAQ's
The hummingbird cake dessert comes from Jamaica and became popular in the south of the United States starting in the 1970s. It was originally called doctor bird cake, this dessert was named after the national bird of Jamaica and exported to the states to encourage tourism.
While it's called hummingbird bread, the texture of this recipe is also somewhat similar to a moist cake. It's called bread more because of the loaf shape it's baked in, but without the cream cheese frosting it could be served as more of a sweet bread.
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Hummingbird Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- ยพ cup granulated sugar
- ยผ cup brown sugar
- ยฝ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ยฝ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ยฝ teaspoon cinnamon
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 3 ripe banana mashed
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup crushed pineapple no need to drain
- 1 cup chopped pecans divided
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 ounces cream cheese softened
- ยผ cup unsalted butter softened
- ยฝ cup powdered sugar
- ยฝ teaspoon vanilla
- ยฝ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8x5 loaf pan with non stick cooking spray or place a piece of parchment paper into the pan.
- In a large bowl add the granulated sugar, brown sugar and oil and using a hand mixed beat until combined. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix just until combined.
- Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and mix until combined.
- Using a spatula or wooden spoon fold in the mashed bananas, shredded coconut, pineapple and pecans.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 60-65 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Cinnamon Frosting
- In a medium bowl add the softened cream cheese and butter and mix until combined. Mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon until creamy.
- Once the cake has cooled completely spread the frosting over the top and sprinkle with the remaining chopped pecans.
Wendie
Bananas are the base of this cake, and I haven't tested it using anything else. Try my applesauce cake its fantastic!
BB N NFM FL
Hi, I have been wanting to make a Hummingbird Cake for a long time, but...my hesitation is... bananas. I can't stand banana flavored anything. Do you have any suggestions for something else I can use??
Wendie
Yay so happy you enjoyed it Karen!
Karen Hunt
Delish!!
Wendie
Happy you enjoyed it Janet, no need to drain crushed pineapple ๐
Janet Reinholdt
Absolutely awesome. Shared recipe with friends. Only question should you drain the pineapple? I did not but my friend did.
Salina
do I drain the crushed pineapple?