This coconut bake is a classic Caribbean thick bread made with a few simple ingredients. In Trinidad, this pot bake is traditionally served with fish, but it’s also perfect on its own or with some butter or cheese!

If you’re a coconut fan, you’ll absolutely love this coconut bake! First of all, it’s super simple to make – you don’t need any special equipment. Secondly, it only has a few ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your kitchen: flour, coconut & coconut milk, yeast, butter, and a bit of sugar, and some spices. I also provide options to make it vegan! What I really love the most, is that this delicious coconut bread is light and soft; great for breakfast, dinner, or a snack.

What is coconut bake?

Coconut bake is a traditional sweet bread from Trinidad. In the Caribbean, it is often served with fish or vegetables, like this salted cod Buljol salad recipe or with coleslaw. But this coconut bread goes with just about anything! It also pairs really well with various tropical jams, like mango or passion fruit.

When I’m in the mood for something soft and fluffy, I enjoy making various breads, like Easy No-knead Turkish Bread (Ramadan Pide Bread) or Homemade Garlic Naan Bread (Indian Flatbread). However, there are times when I want something a little bit more tropical, too, especially when there’s coconut involved! This Coconut Bake really fits the bill!

Love coconut? You’ll love these recipes for Homemade Coconut Milk and Homemade Dairy-free Coconut Yogurt, Easy Coconut Rice, and homemade Healthy Coconut Candy Bars (Bounty Bar/Mounds Bar) – I enjoy making a variety of coconut recipes and this coconut bread is another wonderful addition!

The Ingredients

• Flour: I used all-purpose flour. You can also use bread flour or a combination of the two. Keep in mind that bread flour will yield slightly chewier results.
• Yeast: I used active dry yeast. You could also use instant yeast (use 25% less).
• Coconut milk: I used regular homemade coconut milk.
• Coconut: I used pure, white, peeled shredded coconut. If you want, you could use shredded coconut made from unpeeled coconut meat. It won’t affect the flavor at all, however, you’ll just have a few darker specks of brown skin in the bread.
• Butter: I used unsalted butter, but you could also use salted butter, instead. It’s best to take the butter out of the fridge in advance so it has time to soften.
• Sugar: I used light brown sugar.
• Salt and spice: I used regular salt and a bit of nutmeg.

Optional Add-ins & Variations

Feel free to make this coconut bake even more scrumptious by including your favorite add-ins and variations. Here are a few ideas:

• Make it vegan: simply use vegan butter or margarine.
• Add some shredded carrot, raisins, and nuts to add a nice texture.
• You could also make it spicier by adding cinnamon, anise, or even ginger!

How to Make Coconut Bake

First, begin by mixing all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl – the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and spice. Then add the butter and mix it into the flour. I like using my hands for this to make it crumbly – it makes the dough easier to work with. 

After that, you add the shredded coconut and coconut milk. I warm up the milk a bit until it’s lukewarm so that it activates the yeast. 

Mix everything well. Knead the dough for a few minutes to fully incorporate all the ingredients.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Then cover the bowl and set it aside to rest for about 20-25 minutes before baking. It will double in size.

Now you’re ready to prepare it for the oven!

Generously butter a baking dish. If you want, you could use a regular baking tray.

Place the dough in the baking dish and press it down to squeeze out all the air. 

As you press down, you can spread it out and make the ends a little bit thinner than the middle part.

Using a fork, poke holes all over the surface of the dough. After that, let it rest again for about 15-25 minutes. 

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC.

Bake the bread for about 20 minutes, or until it’s light golden brown.

This coconut bake is so light and soft! It won’t’ be too fluffy, but it’ll have a nice crispy top.

Let the bread cool down before cutting so it’s easier to slice.

How To Serve

This coconut bake recipe is served with a variety of dishes, including salted fish like Salted Cod Salad, but it’s also amazing with cheese, butter, or jam. Personally, I love it with butter as soon as it comes straight out of the oven!

This coconut bake would also make incredible sandwiches!

How to Store

This coconut bake is best eaten within 2 days, but it can last up to about 4 days in the fridge.

You can easily store any leftovers in the fridge. Just make sure to wrap it in plastic wrap after it’s cooled completely. Then put it in a storage bag. I like reheating or toasting any leftovers!

Can coconut bake be frozen?

Yes! I usually let it cool completely and then wrap it in plastic wrap (you could also do this with individual pieces, instead). It can be frozen for about 3-5 months. To thaw, just put it in the fridge (the loaf will probably need to thaw overnight and individual pieces would take a couple of hours).

Tips

• Make sure the yeast hasn’t expired so that it will become activated. Otherwise, the dough won’t rise.
• Heat the milk until it’s lukewarm. You don’t want to make it too hot, though, just heat it until it feels comfortable when you pour a few drops on your wrist.

OTHER BREAD RECIPES

• How to Make Greek Pita (Gyro Bread)
• Brazilian Cheese Bread Puffs (Pao De Queijo)
• Middle-Eastern Zaatar Bread (Manakish Za’Atar)
• Turmeric Rosemary No-Knead Focaccia Bread
• 2-Ingredient Sweet Potato Flatbread (Gluten-Free)
• Easy No-Knead Turkish Bread (Ramadan Pide Bread)
• Sourdough Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread (‘Crack’ Bread)
• Easy No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread (Crusty Bread)

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If you try this coconut bake recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d really appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!