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Bajan Sweet Bread (Barbados Coconut Bread)

A dense, crumbly, loaf-shaped Barbadian coconut bread packed with grated coconut and raisins, scented with almond and spice, with a sugar-glazed crust, sliced and eaten with tea.
Barbadian · easy · serves 12
prep 25 min · cook 60 min · plus 30 min hands-off time
~449 cal · 8g protein · 68g carbs · 17g fat · 4g fiber · 31g sugars · 12g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Slices of dense golden coconut bread studded with raisins and red cherries, next to a glossy loaf
AI-generated illustration
Sweet bread, also called coconut bread, is one of Barbados's best-loved bakes. It is sold all year in bakeries and supermarkets and at every cake sale, eaten sliced and sometimes buttered with a cup of hot tea or a glass of mauby, and it is a fixture of the Christmas table, when it comes with sorrel. Bajans abroad are sent home with a loaf wrapped in foil.
It sits somewhere between a bread and a cake. There is no yeast: flour, sugar and baking powder are mixed with a generous amount of grated coconut, raisins and often glacé cherries or mixed peel, then bound with melted butter, egg and evaporated milk into a stiff dough and flavoured with almond essence, a very Bajan touch, and spice.
The loaves are brushed with sugar water and baked slowly, so the crust turns crisp and shiny while the crumb stays moist, dense and full of chewy coconut.
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Make it yours

✓ Naturally vegetarian and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.

Ingredients

Serves 12
  • 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg or mixed spice
  • 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
  • 2 tbsp sugar (for the glaze)
  • 2 1/2 cups (225 g) grated coconut, fresh or frozen
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup glacé cherries, halved, optional
  • 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) evaporated milk
  • 1/2 cup (115 g) butter, melted
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp almond essence
  • 2 tbsp hot water (for the glaze)

Instructions

  • 1
    Heat the oven to 180C (350F, gas 4). Grease two 900 g (2 lb) loaf tins, or line them with baking paper.
  • 2
    Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and spice into a large bowl and stir in the raisins and cherries.
  • 3
    In another bowl mix the coconut with the 3/4 cup of sugar, then stir in the evaporated milk, melted butter, egg and almond essence to a thick, creamy paste.
  • 4
    Add the coconut mixture to the flour and mix with a wooden spoon, then your hand, into a stiff, slightly sticky dough. Do not knead it.
    ✎ Chef’s note
    The dough should be too stiff to pour. Add a spoonful more milk only if dry flour remains.
  • 5
    Divide the dough between the tins and smooth the tops. Dissolve the 2 tablespoons of sugar in the hot water and brush it over the loaves.
  • 6
    Bake in the centre of the oven for about 1 hour, until deep golden and a skewer pushed into the middle comes out clean.
  • 7
    Leave the loaves to cool in the tins for at least 30 minutes before turning them out and slicing. Serve with tea, plain or buttered.
Barbadian tradition.

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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination

📍
Bridgetown. Bridgetown is the Bajan capital, where flying fish and cou-cou, a cornmeal and okra mash, is the national plate. Barbadian cooking is sharp with the yellow scotch bonnet pepper sauce that sits on every table, and macaroni pie appears at every gathering.
🗺️
Barbados. Barbados calls cou-cou (cornmeal and okra) and flying fish its national dish, alongside crisp fish cakes and fiery Bajan pepper sauce. Rum, seafood, and a warm street-food culture define the island table.
🌍
North America. The most consequential technique on this continent is nixtamalisation, cooking maize with lime or wood ash. It loosens the skins, makes the dough that becomes tortillas and tamales, and frees up niacin the body cannot otherwise absorb, which is why maize spread around the world without the technique and took pellagra with it.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.

More from Barbados

Cou-Cou & Flying FishSilky okra-studded cornmeal cou-cou beside flying fish steamed in a spicy Bajan tomato gravy, the national dish.
Bajan Saltfish CakesCrisp, fluffy fritters of salt cod, flour, and herbs fried golden and eaten hot with pepper sauce, a Bajan breakfast and street favorite.
ConkiesSpiced cornmeal, coconut, and pumpkin steamed in banana leaves, a Barbadian treat tied to Independence season.
Browse all Barbados recipes →

Good to know

You’ll need: Oven.
Storing it: Best the day it is made. Wrap well and refresh in a warm oven, or freeze and reheat straight from frozen.

Make it a Barbados meal

Bajan Rum PunchDrink
ConkiesDessert

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Frequently asked questions

What is Bajan Sweet Bread (Barbados Coconut Bread)?

A dense, crumbly, loaf-shaped Barbadian coconut bread packed with grated coconut and raisins, scented with almond and spice, with a sugar-glazed crust, sliced and eaten with tea.

Where does Bajan Sweet Bread (Barbados Coconut Bread) come from?

Bajan Sweet Bread (Barbados Coconut Bread) is a Barbadian dish from Bridgetown, Barbados.

Can Bajan Sweet Bread (Barbados Coconut Bread) be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?

This Bajan Sweet Bread (Barbados Coconut Bread) recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions. It cannot be made nut-free without changing what the dish is, so the recipe does not offer that version. Treat the substitutions as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.

Is Bajan Sweet Bread (Barbados Coconut Bread) safe for people with food allergies?

Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we still count coconut as a tree nut to be cautious, although the FDA stopped listing it as one in 2025), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.

How long does Bajan Sweet Bread (Barbados Coconut Bread) take to make?

About 1 h 55 min in all: 25 minutes prep and 60 minutes cooking, plus 30 min of hands-off waiting the method needs, serving 12.

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