By I crossed the bridge to Anapra on Wednesday — the weekly visit, the taste-and-check ritual. The conchas were perfect (Lupita's hands are confident now — eight years of practice, eight years of Rosa's recipe, the hands know). I sat at the small table by the window and drank coffee and watched the neighborhood women come and go, and the watching was the prayer, and the prayer was: thank you, Rosa.
Sitting at that small table by Lupita’s window, watching the neighborhood move through its Wednesday rhythm, I kept thinking about what it means for a recipe to live in someone’s hands — how Rosa’s conchas aren’t written down anywhere that matters, only in eight years of muscle memory. I wanted to bring something to that table next week, something I’ve made so many times it feels like mine now, too. This piña colada zucchini bread is that recipe for me — the one I bake on the steady weeks, the quiet Wednesdays, the days that deserve a small sweetness without any fuss.
Piña Colada Zucchini Bread
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 55 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes | Servings: 12 slices
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup shredded zucchini (about 1 medium), excess moisture squeezed out
- 1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, well drained
- 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, plus 2 tablespoons for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a standard 9x5-inch loaf pan and set aside.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until evenly combined.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, beat the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until smooth. Whisk in the melted coconut oil and vanilla extract.
- Combine and fold. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined — do not overmix. Gently fold in the shredded zucchini, drained pineapple, and 1/2 cup shredded coconut. The batter will be thick.
- Fill the pan. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan. Scatter the remaining 2 tablespoons of shredded coconut over the top.
- Bake. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is golden. If the coconut topping browns too quickly, loosely tent the pan with foil after 35 minutes.
- Cool before slicing. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. This helps the crumb set and makes for cleaner slices.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 218 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 31g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 185mg