Sourdough discard banana bread is a delicious treat that is great to enjoy anytime, from a quick breakfast to a midnight snack. It’s a classic baked good everyone loves – and my sourdough banana bread recipe always gets requests for more!
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Why We Love This Recipe
Every home cook should have a good go-to banana bread recipe. One that is nearly effortless to prepare and you know will come out just right… But makes more than “just” a loaf of bread with bananas.
Today we are sharing that recipe with you. In fact, this sourdough discard banana bread is the best quick bread you’ll ever taste!
You will be amazed at how incredibly moist and flavorful it is. And that it only takes about 45 minutes to bake a loaf in the oven!
Adding sourdough discard to the batter makes it even better than a classic banana bread recipe self rising flour.
The sourdough also adds a tangy flavor and helps the sourdough quick bread stay fresh for up to 5 days at room temperature. Plus, because it’s a fermented food, sourdough discard adds healthy enzymes.
The crumb is soft and fluffy but hearty – perfect for cutting into thick slices and enjoying at room temperature or lightly toasted.
Mix in all kinds of goodies, like chocolate chips or nuts, to make your family’s favorite loaf. Then enjoy it as a healthy treat for breakfast, dessert, or anytime snack!
Love bananas?
Make some banana bread Bisquick Recipe, Bisquick banana nut muffins, banana nut muffins, or banana pancakes recipe with Bisquick.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Active Sourdough starter – fed 12-24 hours before starting the recipe.
When we say active, we mean a mature starter that is at least a week old and always doubles in size within 4-6 hours of feeding. It doesn’t mean you need to use it at the peak activity after a feeding. - Unsalted butter – room temperature
- Brown sugar – packed
- Vanilla extract – a classic flavor enhancer for baking
- Baking powder and Baking soda – to get the perfect fluffy rise
- Salt – just a bit to balance the sweetness
- Super ripe bananas – mashed
- Honey – or maple syrup
- Eggs
If you want to make vegan bread (or if you’re out of eggs), there are two egg substitutes that work well.
The first option is to substitute 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce for each egg in the recipe. We use this egg substitute in our chocolate chip cookies eggless recipe.
The second option is to make two flax eggs (a combination of a flaxseed meal and water).
Learn more about egg substitutes for baking! - All-purpose flour – This recipe also works by substituting cup-for-cup gluten-free flour.
Plus any extra add-ins you want to mix in, like chopped nuts or mini chocolate chips.
Tips for Making Banana Bread with Sourdough Discard
- Don’t over-mix the batter.
Mix in the butter, sugar, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
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Mix by hand until smooth, about 2 minutes. Or use a stand or hand mixer on low speed for 1-2 minutes, just until the mixture is smooth.
Stir in mashed bananas, honey, eggs, and sourdough starter discard. Mix until smooth, though there might be small lumps of banana.
Add all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring in between. Then add nuts, if using.
- Remember to grease your loaf pan.
Pour the banana bread mixture into the prepared loaf pan. - Let the batter rest before baking.
Smooth the top and then let the batter rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. If the banana loaf gets too brown, cover it with foil during baking.
Allow the quick bread to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing and slicing to serve.
Recipe FAQs
Typically sourdough starters are made with wheat flour, which has gluten. However, if you use a GF-friendly sourdough starter you can certainly use your preferred gluten-free all-purpose flour substitute for a gluten-free loaf.
Store the banana sourdough quick bread in an airtight container, or wrap in plastic cling wrap and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Absolutely! Homemade banana bread is great to freeze for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely before wrapping it in plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight plastic zipper bag. I suggest you also wrap in a layer of foil for extra protection from freezer burn.
Love Fruity Recipes? Here’s More…
- Cottage Cheese Fruit Cups
- Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
- Dried Strawberries Recipe
- Lemon Breaded Chicken
If you tried this sourdough banana bread recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Sourdough Banana Bread
Equipment
- 1 loaf pan
Ingredients
- ½ cup active sourdough starter fed within 12-24 hours *see notes
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature, 1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons = 4 ounces = 1 US stick
- ⅔ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 medium bananas mashed (the riper, the better)
- ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
- 2 large eggs beaten for vegan bread, substitute 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce or 2 flax eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
optional
- ½ cup chopped nuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Lightly grease your loaf pan.
- Combine the butter, sugar, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Mix by hand until smooth, about 2 minutes. Or use a stand or hand mixer on low speed for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is smooth.
- Stir in mashed bananas, honey, eggs, and sourdough starter discard. Combine until smooth, though there might be small lumps of banana. Add all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring in between. Then add nuts, if using.
- Pour the banana bread mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Smooth the top and let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. If banana loaf gets too brown, cover it with foil during baking.
- Allow bread loaf to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing and slicing to serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Previous
Jennifer says
Excellent banana bread!! Here are the swaps I chose to make: 1/3 cup brown sugar, maple syrup, flax eggs instead of regular, cup4cup GF flour, a 1/2 cup fed starter because I had it. YUMMY!! Developed a great crust on the top that added to the moist texture. Definitely will make this one again. Thank you!
Kathleen Truluck says
What adjustments should I make for baking at elevation? We live at 9000 feet
Danielle - TFN Team Member says
Hi! Allrecipes recommends adjustments for elevations over 7,000 feet:
-Reduce baking powder: for each teaspoon, decrease 1/4 teaspoon.
-Reduce sugar: for each cup, decrease 1 to 3 tablespoons.
-Increase oven temperature by 25 degrees F.
Ashleigh says
I did a few of substitutions. My daughter is lactose intolerant and we are watching refined sugar intake. I used wheat flour, (I also have a wheat SdS), coconut sugar, and ghee butter. The bread still turned out delicious and rose perfectly. I always go to the comments to see if anyone had used these subs so I wanted to make sure if someone else does, they know they work!
Susan Adams says
I used one cup of sourdough starter after I fed it. The result was absolutely stunning.
I also used 50% buckwheat and 50% einkorn flour. Such a gorgeous tasty loaf. When it was done baking it’s almost 6 in high! 😳