57 tropical recipes

Tropical black bean and papaya relish with crunchy jicama, cinnamon-spiced beans, and a citrus-sherry dressing. A fresh, vibrant side dish that's vegan and ready in about an hour.

Toasted coconut cookies with oats, walnuts, and flaked coconut baked until golden brown. A chewy drop cookie with nutty, tropical flavor from toasted coconut and toasted walnuts in every bite.

Coconut bread folds shredded coconut and chopped walnuts into a moist buttermilk batter scented with coconut extract. Two-loaf yield of tropical-flavored quick bread for breakfast or tea time.

A tropical banana cake made with cake mix, fruit cocktail, and coconut, topped with a pecan brown sugar crunch and a buttery coconut glaze poured over warm. Serves 12 to 16.

Moist bundt cake loaded with grated carrots, mashed banana, crushed pineapple, and pecans, topped with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting. A tropical twist on classic carrot cake that feeds a crowd.

Baked bananas with lime juice and brown sugar caramel sauce. Use slightly underripe bananas, baste as they cook, and you get a glossy tropical dessert ready in 30 minutes with just 4 ingredients.

Buttery pecan coconut cookie balls with a hint of almond, baked golden and finished with a tropical pineapple honey glaze or a roll in powdered sugar. Makes about 6 dozen bite-sized treats.

Grilled oysters on the half shell drenched in a rich curry cream sauce made with homemade fish fumet, topped with a tropical red banana salsa spiked with serrano chiles, tamarind, and fresh mint. A showstopper.

Instead of store-bought pie crust, we made our own with most whole wheat flour and olive oil, which made the crust a lot healthier with flaky texture and delicious flavor. Now enjoy this juicy-fruity pie without feeling guilty at all.