Many people including locals and rental car companies suggest that tourists shouldn’t drive the Kahekili Highway around the top of West Maui. Some rental car companies don’t even cover it on their insurance. It’s a small road, sometimes hardly wide enough for one car let alone two, there are a lot of twists and turns, mudslides and rockslides. However while there I couldn’t resist it as I heard that it was home to the best banana bread on the planet.
When you think of a popular food that Maui, Hawaii might be known for most think Pineapple so I was surprised to learn that it was also a popular spot for bananas and banana bread. There are various places around the island, on the road to Hana and going around West Maui that say they have the best banana bread (similar to everyone having the best shave ice). However the banana bread that I continually heard about was known specifically as the BEST on the PLANET.
As you drive around West Maui clockwise and your nerves are just about fried from the crazy driving you have been doing (especially if its an extremely rainy day) the road becomes a bit wider and “slightly” straight as you drive through Old Kahakuloa Village. Bright green signs dot the road telling you that you are soon approaching Julia’s Best Banana Bread on the Planet.
Eventually on top of a small hill you arrive at the bright green treehouse like shack known as Julia’s Best Banana Bread on the Planet.
Open 7 days a week from 9am to 5:30pm rain or shine.
The girls that work there cook tons of fresh loaves of banana bread daily and serve it up with a smile. Its kept in a warmer box and is still warm to the touch when you get it. They also sell Coconut Candy, Dried Mango, Taro chips and passionfruit butter just to name a few things.
After getting my banana bread I was tempted to chomp on it right there in the car, but I held off until I arrived at my condo in Kihei, Maui. After a quick little photo shoot, I dove into the tasty goodness.
It was moist and flavorful. It was the kind of banana bread that is so good that you can just eat it by itself, no butter or anything else needed. It was the kind of banana bread that I could of just stood there and ate the whole loaf.
Was it the best banana bread on the planet? Possibly? But I guess we won’t know until I try all of the best banana bread in the world. I guess I have a big quest now to figure that out…
Are you a fan of banana bread? Where in the world have you had the best banana bread ever?
My trip to Maui was provided by the Maui Visitors Bureau. As always all views expressed are my own. At no point did they request that I eat a whole loaf of banana bread to myself…
9 Comments
Mamie
January 10, 2018 at 10:42 pmIt is the best banana bread ever. Is it sold in any stores in Maui? The road going there is very scary
Cailin
January 12, 2018 at 2:09 pmThe banana bread was pretty delicious but I believe they only sell it at that one place. The road is a bit sketchy but there is nothing like a good adventure :)
Anne Bern
October 17, 2017 at 11:00 amI remember the bread I had so many years ago. I just found the card that I had picked up. I live in California. Is there any way you would your bread, taro chips, and passion fruit butter? Thank you for your response.
Kris
March 28, 2015 at 5:15 pmWe accidently passed Julia’s shop. it was the first banana bread I ever tasted in my life. I tried all kinds, tried making it myself,…. Nothing came even close. Absolutely the best banana bread ever. The road up there and further on is just amazingly beautiful.
Renee Carey
May 10, 2014 at 1:59 pmWould Julia be willing to share her recipe? We visited Maui in 2010, braved the “dotted line west highway” (it make the road to Hana look like a kiddy ride) to get to Julia’s and she was closed. We continued on our treacherous way, scariest ride we have ever had, and finally got to a little place at the end of the west coast “highway” that served banana bread (the best) and a pineapple smoothie. No one remembers the name of the place, but they had a huge hog in a pen, and made the smoothie by chopping up a pineapple on a metal table under a lanai, and blending it with ice. Fantastic.
Rhonda
February 13, 2014 at 5:28 pmthere in june we were starved and only place around, we thought just up the road no map we were going sight seeing well we tryed all her stuff and the bread, finally after 4 hrs found a golf course at a good fish lunch, and then we wait to eat it later, Like when I got home.This was a week later, I had some of this flavor ful bread, survied all the way back to Oregon great bread, which I wish I had her recipe. I will never get there again.
Robyn Trdin
January 25, 2014 at 11:09 pmI back this 100% my family and in stayed in Maui last year and bought Banana Bread here and it was simply THE best thing I have ever tasted. Nothing comes close and I have tried a lot of banana bread and cake recipes…Perhaps it’s the bananas but something give this bread an awesome flavour. Gosh I could travel back to maui just for this – perfect.
Carolyn
October 15, 2013 at 7:40 amAloha! We stopped at Julia’s for a loaf of homemade banana bread and it was scrumptious! The banana bread was definitely moist and favorable we savored every bite we took! I have sampled variety of banana breads at other places and Julia’s is rated DA BEST! Great post!
noel
July 17, 2013 at 7:49 pmWhat a beautiful drive and cute hut, that bread looks very moist. You’ll just have to come on over to the Big Island to compare some of our banana bread makers to…a lot to sample at all the many farmers markets here :)