Candied Pecan Crusted Banana Bread

Do you ever have those days when your mind goes back to the memories of a great vacation you’ve had? That’s where I am today. It’s not like I am over stressed at work or in any area of my life, but damn I could use a vacation and a loaf of banana bread.

Dale and I are fortunate that we go on vacation every year. We love San Francisco and have been 13 or 14 times. We’ve been on cruises for people who love classic movies. We even had lunch in Mexico with Shirley Jones from the Partridge Family. Yes, vacation is about creating memories, but it’s also about discoveries.

This past January we vacationed in Maui for the fourth time.  We were having breakfast in an outside cafe when the infamous missile text alert was sent to everyone on the island.

The message said that a ballistic missile was heading toward Maui and to take shelter. At that moment you are frozen in time. We didn’t have a shelter; we were away from our friends. The cell phone lines, as expected were jammed. We were facing our mortality on an island halfway across the world from home. You never know how you will respond when faced with this kind of news. Some of our friends told me that they would sit on the beach and be at peace with a ballistic missile heading toward them. I guess some could take the laid-back approach, but for us, we were terrified. With the help of several other diners from the cafe, we broke into a nearby closed shop and waited. There were 25 – 30 people just waiting.

It was a surreal moment, but luckily, sending the alert was a mistake made by an employee in emergency management. I’m happy to say that whole incident became just another vacation memory.

On Maui, I am fascinated by the roadside stands that sold fruit, trinkets, and crafts. Cars pull off the road to buy pineapple, wood carvings, and even BBQ chicken. We pass these stands and the people that make their living by providing not only Maui goods, but an experience for the travelers as well.   Most of the stands sell their version of Maui banana bread. Everyday we would take back roads to the beach and pass many stands with stacks of bread wrapped in plastic wrap. 

To truly understand why I found this so intriguing, it’s important to know that most of the roadside stands are crudely put-together with signs made of plywood painted with what must be leftover house paint used to write “Banana Bread for sale.”

The first time we stopped at a roadside stand was to buy a pineapple, but by the time we got back to the car, we had two pineapples, a wood carving of a turtle, and a loaf of Banana Bread. We are not long on patience, we broke into the bread as soon as we made it back to the car. We sat in the air-conditioned rental car, crumbs everywhere, enjoying the best homemade bread ever.
I have worked hard to create a recipe that will remind us of that day, and I think this recipe is close. Our Banana Bread is moist, and has a velvety texture. The candied pecans add crunch and another layer of sweetness. The secret to a flavorful banana bread is allowing the bananas to become over-ripe. I have been know to freeze them so I can use them later.  

Does our Candied Pecan Crusted Banana Bread taste like the Maui banana bread? It has the same warm flavors, but their is nothing like sitting in the car, on the way to the beautiful Maui beach, eating authentic Maui Banana Bread. Just like the missile alert, our first road-side banana bread is now only  memory. Until we return to Maui, I will enjoy our recipe and I hope you will too.   
Feel free to comment below. We love to hear from you!  Mahalo!

5 from 1 vote

Print

Candied Pecan Crusted Banana Bread

Candied pecans are the stars of the sweet, moist banana bread, A crunchy sweet topping and deep banana flavors, how can that be bad?

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword pecans

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 8 serving

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups candied pecans 1 cup diced, 1 cup whole
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 & 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas

Candied Pecans

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 tble water
• 2 cups pecan halves

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees 

2. Lightly spray  a 9x5 inch loaf pan with vegetable spray

   
   

3.  In a large bowl, mix together: flour, baking soda and salt. 

   In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs, one cup of pecans, diced,  and mashed bananas until  blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into the loaf pan and top generously with the reserved cup of whole candied pecans.   
   

4. 3. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
   

Instructions for the candied Pecans

1. In a skillet, add all ingredients except the pecans and cook over medium heat for a minute or two, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbling.

   Add the pecans and cook for an additional 3 minutes, stirring to coat the pecans in the hot mixture.

   Remove from the heat, and spread the pecans out on parchment paper, trying to separate them and let them cool completely.

   Break apart any that dried together,