Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover the inside of the loaf pan and place it inside the pan. Set aside.
• Mash the bananas in a container with a fork or masher. Set aside.
• Place ⅓ cup of maple syrup and the softened butter in bowl and stir with a hand mixer, or use a stand mixer, until well combined.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine. Set aside.
• Stir the bananas, eggs, maple extract, and coconut milk into the maple syrup & butter mixture until well combined. Pour half of the flour mixture into the banana mixture, stirring until just combined. Add the second half and do the same.
• Pour the ½ cup of chopped pecans into the mixture and stir until just combined and there are no pockets of dry flour in the mixture.
• Pour the bread mixture into the loaf pan with the parchment paper in it. Level it out across the pan with a spoon or spatula. Place the loaf pan into the oven and set the timer for 30 minutes.
• While the bread is cooking, chop the remaining 1 cup of pecans finely (or you can use a food processor). Place the chopped pecans in a bowl and add the 2 tablespoon remaining maple syrup. Combine with a spoon or spatula until all pecan pieces are covered with maple syrup.
• Once the bread cooks for the first 30 minutes, take it out of the oven and spread the pecan & maple syrup mixture onto the top with a spoon or spatula, making sure the bread is evenly covered.
• Place the loaf pan back in the oven and cook for another 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the bread comes out clean. Once cooked, let the bread cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan, then lift it out using the parchment paper and let it finish on a cooling rack.