Well, let’s face it. We can’t always just hop on a plane and whisk ourselves away to paradise at the bat of an eyelash right when we feel like it. We can, however, get a little taste of vacation right in a cup… These easy tipsy caribbean rum pineapple banana bread cups can certainly transport us to paradise with just a few simple ingredients. It’s an easy dessert that delivers a tasty (and tipsy!) tropical twist on that plain old loaf of banana bread.

A Pineapple Banana Bread Recipe with a Fun Twist

Enjoy a quick and simple little vacation in a cup with this fun tropical vacation themed dessert! Freshly baked cubes of moist pineapple banana bread are topped off with a generous heap of coconut whipped cream. The dessert cups are sprinkled with a dash of toasted coconut flakes, and a mango chunk on top with a cocktail umbrella really gives it a cool tropical spin. It’s tasty any time of year, but it makes a fun summer dessert too!

An Easy 2 Banana Bread Recipe Makes The Pineapple Banana Bread Loaf

If you’re looking for an update on the traditional banana bread, try these caribbean rum pineapple banana bread cups flavored with pineapple chunks soaked in rum. The tipsy rum pineapple fruit adds a delicious taste to the easy 2 banana banana loaf and gives it a little extra something special. We’ll still use a basic banana bread recipe with mashed bananas, butter, egg, and brown sugar. We’ll turn it into a taste of simple paradise with our rum-soaked pineapple and dreamy dollops of coconut whipped cream.

Soak Pineapple in Caribbean Rum

To give our delicious banana bread a nice boozy tropical twist, we’ll soak our pineapple in a little caribbean rum! Use your favorite brand. Personally, I’m partial to Don Q rum, which is a tasty and easy drinking Puerto Rican rum with nice smooth flavors perfect for mixing in cocktails, sipping, or splashing in with desserts just like this one! Soak your pineapple in the rum for 8 to 12 hours (or overnight if desired) in an airtight container.

What Type of Pineapple Do I Use?

I’m using a container of candied pineapple from Paradise Fruit Co. If this is not available, or if preferred, use half a cup of canned ‘pineapple tidbits’ that have been completely drained. You can also simply use ripe fresh pineapple cut into small pieces.

Mash Your ripe Bananas to Make the Pineapple-Banana Bread Batter

In a large bowl, mash 2 spotted overripe bananas. Now add a splash of vanilla extract, 1 large egg, brown sugar, and melted butter to the mashed bananas and stir to combine.

Combine Dry Ingredients and Wet Ingredients To Create A Batter

Whisk together (or for best results sift, if desired) all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Now add your dry ingredients to the mixing bowl with the with the wet ingredients / banana mixture. Stir these together with a rubber spatula until just barely combined.

Add Rum-Soaked Pineapple Pieces and (Optional) Chopped Cashews

Now remove your pineapple from the soaking rum with a slotted spoon and toss it into the batter along with a handful of chopped salted cashews. The nuts are entirely optional, but I find that they add a light crunch and wonderful texture to my favorite quick bread recipes. This moist banana pineapple bread is no exception. Finish the batter by stirring these in until just combined. Batter will be thick and lumpy.

Bake In A Prepared Loaf Pan

Pour batter into a greased 8-in. loaf pan and bake in a 325 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Serve Caribbean Rum Pineapple Banana as a Tropical Treat!

When baking time is up, wait 10 minutes then remove the rum pineapple banana bread from the bread pan and let cool completely. You can cool it faster on a wire rack, if desired. You’ll have a delicious moist banana bread with delicious pineapple flavor and sweet notes of rum.

To serve, slice the loaf and then cut the slices into 1-inch cubes and serve in a small cup. Top the pineapple banana bread cubes with a generous dollop of coconut whipped cream. My favorite product to use for this is Coco Whip by So Delicious. It has mouthwatering intense coconut flavor that comes from real coconut oil in the whipped topping. Lastly, you can give it a little texture by sprinkling with toasted coconut flakes. Sometimes I top mine off with mango chunks for a pop of color at the end.

Coconut flavor variation:

To keep that tropical coconut vibe going, you could also serve with coconut flavored ice cream! Serve slightly warm, a la mode style!

An Easy Tropical Treat Dessert Recipe

This delicious tropical dessert is inspired by the simple, classic banana bread recipe that we all love and make all the time. It’s a little special because it’s kicked up with a lot of fun little things to create a little vacation in a glass.

It reminds me of a fun piña colada dessert recipe because the caribbean rum, pineapple, and coconut flavors all come together deliciously in the end. If you’re looking for fun banana recipes, give these tropical caribbean rum pineapple bread cups a try! Bust out the sunglasses and enjoy a quick and easy little taste of paradise.