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My kids love banana bread and this recipe for The BEST Sourdough Banana Bread is our absolute favorite. Enhanced with the flavor and moisture of sourdough discard, the texture of this banana bread is soft and fluffy! And even better – it’s SO EASY and QUICK to whip up – 10 minutes tops.
Based off our family’s favorite Easy Banana Bread, this sourdough version uses melted butter – just like my easy sourdough chocolate chip cookies. Not only is it perfect for gifting to neighbors and friends, but it freezes so well making it the perfect make-ahead breakfast or snack. If you have extra sourdough discard, you need to make this incredible sourdough discard banana bread. I know you’re going to love it!
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Why You’ll Love This Banana Bread
- Quick & Easy – This banana bread recipe is a “quick bread”, which means it comes together super fast – just like my Sourdough Pumpkin Bread which you’ll also love.
- Breakfast Favorite – Sourdough Banana Bread makes the perfect breakfast bread and if you are looking to add more nutrients, try my banana spinach muffins and add some sourdough discard in too!
- Sweet and Flavorful – Ripe bananas give this sourdough banana bread its sweet flavor – the only thing sweeter than this banana bread loaf is my Chocolate Sourdough Banana Muffins!
- Moist and Soft – The texture of this banana bread is so soft and tender – similar to my sourdough zucchini bread and sourdough peach bread– which you’ll also love. Not at all dry!
Sourdough Discard Tip: I keep a jar of sourdough discard in my fridge that I continually add to. Discard is a by-product of your sourdough starter and there is no reason to throw it away. Instead, use it in incredible sourdough discard recipes where it adds moisture and great flavor. I use older, more tangy discard in savory recipes like these buttery sourdough crackers and young/fresh discard in sweet recipes like my favorite sourdough chocolate chip cookies.
Important Ingredients
- Sourdough Discard – To avoid a strong sourdough flavor, use sourdough discard that is fresh or no more than a day or two old. If you want to play up the tang in this banana bread, use discard that is a couple of days old.
- Ripe Bananas – The trick to sweet banana bread is using very ripe bananas. Let your bananas ripen until they are gooey and starting to blacken for best results.
- Mini Chocolate Chips or Nuts – You can choose to mix in whatever goodies you want to your banana bread. I like to add mini chocolate chips or walnuts. Alternatively, you can leave out the mix-ins and enjoy your loaf with no additional inclusions.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
Substitutions
- Brown Bananas: This banana bread works best with brown or black bananas for sweet banana flavor. Thawed, frozen, ripe bananas also work well!
- Yogurt: If you don’t have Greek Yogurt, you can substitute plain (or even flavored if you like the flavor) yogurt or sour cream.
- Oil: Substitute any neutral-flavored oil or applesauce for the vegetable oil.
- Mix-ins: Add about 130 grams of mini chocolate chips – my kids favorite. Or if you aren’t a chocolate banana fan, chopped pecans, walnuts or raisins would also be delicious.
- Whole Wheat Flour: Substitute equal amounts of whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour. I recommend using a soft white wheat berry or flour that I mill in my Harvest Grain Mill and use equal amounts of whole wheat flour. Banana bread made with freshly milled soft wheat flour turns out a little bit flatter, but it is so delicious!
How to Make Banana Bread
Mix the Batter and Fill Pan
Step 1: Add bananas to a bowl and mash them until mostly smooth – a few small clumps are okay. Add the rest of the liquid ingredients, including sourdough discard and mix together until the liquid ingredients are combined.
Step 2: Fluff together dry ingredients with a fork. Pour them on top of the wet ingredients.
Do you want the fermentation benefits of sourdough? Mix up the batter – except the baking soda. Cover it and let it sit in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. This will give the discard time to pre-digest some of the gluten in the batter. The longer you let it ferment, the more tangy/sour flavor you will taste in the banana bread. When you want to bake it, preheat your oven, stir in the baking soda and pour the banana bread batter into the loaf pan. Bake according to recipe directions. You may need to add a couple of extra minutes to bake time for the chilled batter.
Step 3: Gently mix together, stirring until just incorporated. Add mix-ins to batter if desired.
Step 4: Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and dump batter evenly into the loaf pan.
Note: I love adding about 130 grams (3/4 cup) of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips to my family’s sourdough banana bread. This is completely optional. You could also add chopped nuts or dried fruit if desired, or leave it plain!
Bake and Cool the Banana Bread
Step 5: Bake at 425ºF for 10 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 350ºF and continue baking for about 50-60 minutes until baked all the way through.
Step 6: Allow sourdough banana bread to cool completely before slicing and enjoying!
How to Store Leftovers
Sourdough Banana Bread can be stored covered at room temperature for 24 hours. After that, I like to freeze it. For best results, wrap whole banana loaves in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Store in an air-tight freezer bag.
Most often, though I slice the banana bread and freeze the slices in a ziplock bag for simple breakfasts. You can add pieces of parchment paper in between the slices for easy removal (we eat it fast enough that it’s not necessary!). Frozen banana bread should stay fresh for 2-3 months in the freezer. Warm individual slices up in the microwave for 30 seconds or thaw the whole loaf at room temperature and enjoy.
Amy’s Recipe Tips
- Freeze Ripe Bananas: When I have ripe bananas, and I’m not ready to make banana bread, I stick them in a ziplock bag in the freezer. Pull them out to defrost and blot any excess liquid before mashing for your banana bread.
- Coconut Oil: I love the light taste and texture that coconut oil gives this bread. It is best used as a liquid (heated slightly in the microwave depending on the temperature of your kitchen). You can also substitute any neutral-flavored oil or applesauce instead.
- Don’t Over-Mix: One of the keys to a light and fluffy banana bread is not over-mixing the batter. Mix until just barely combined – a few dry streaks are okay!
- Crumb Topping: If you want a delicious crumb topping on top of this banana bread, use the streusel topping from my sourdough banana muffins. Combine 2 Tablespoons melted butter, ¼ cup flour, ¼ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and ½ cup chopped pecans. Mix together and sprinkle on top of banana bread batter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bananas are sweetest when they are brown/black and very over-ripe. This is going to give you the best banana flavor for your banana bread. If you don’t have ripe/brown bananas and want to make this banana bread, you can speed up the ripening. Place 3 unpeeled bananas on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 300ºF and bake them for about 20 minutes until the skins are completely black. Let them cool and then peel and use in the recipe.
If you have a day or two, place your bunch of yellow bananas in a paper bag. Roll up the paper bag so it traps the ethylene that the bananas release (that’s what causes them to ripen) and check on them in 24-48 hours.
I also store ripe/over-ripe bananas in the freezer so I can easily make banana muffins whenever I want. Just make sure to thaw and blot the excess liquid before using.
Yes! Mix 45 grams of flour and 55 grams of water together. Substitute it in the recipe for the sourdough discard.
But if you haven’t jumped on the sourdough train yet – come join me! You can make a sourdough starter from scratch (or buy one) and use my Free Sourdough Beginner Guide to get started.
Yes! This recipe bakes up well as regular-sized or mini banana muffins.
Banana Muffins: The recipe makes about 24 muffins. Fill muffin tins about 2/3 full and preheat oven to 425ºF. Bake muffins for 5 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 350ºF and bake for another 15-16 minutes until baked all the way through.
Mini Banana Muffins: Preheat oven to 425ºF. Scoop batter into a mini muffin tin about 2/3-3/4 of the way full. Bake mini muffins for 4 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 350ºF and bake another 8-10 minutes until baked through.
If you haven’t tried eating a still-warm slice of sourdough banana bread with melty butter – go change that! It’s so good. We also love serving slices for breakfast with eggs, fruit, and yogurt.
If you long-ferment this sourdough banana bread you can get some of the fermentation benefits of sourdough. Replacing the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour also boosts the nutrition benefits. You can also reduce the sugar in this recipe to make it healthier.
Sourdough QuickBread Recipes
If you tried this Sourdough Banana Bread or any other recipe on my website leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Happy Baking!
The Best Sourdough Banana Bread
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Equipment
- 8.5 by 4.5 inch loaf pan or a 9 by 5 loaf pan
Ingredients
- 3 ripe brown/black bananas, 330 grams, see recipe notes
- 180 grams packed brown sugar, about 3/4 cup
- 120 grams sourdough discard, 100% hydration, see recipe notes, about 1/2 cup
- 2 large eggs, about 100 grams
- 55 grams unsalted butter, melted, about 1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons)
- 55 grams coconut oil or vegetable oil, about 1/4 cup, any neutral-flavored oil works – see recipe notes
- 120 grams plain greek yogurt, about 1/3 cup, see recipe notes
- 4 grams vanilla extract, about 1 teaspoon
- 265 grams all purpose flour, about 1 3/4 cups
- 6 grams salt, about 1 teaspoon
- 4 grams baking soda, about 1 teaspoon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425º Fahrenheit. Lightly grease or line a 8.5 by 4.5-inch or 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Add 330 grams brown/black banans to a medium-sized bowl (about 3 large bananas). If you are a little over or a little under on banana, that is okay. You will have a few small chunks of banana. They will mash further as you incorporate the rest of the ingredients.Note: If you use frozen bananas, thaw and drain them of excess liquid before using – see recipe notes.
- Add the brown sugar to the mashed banana and mix with a kitchen spoon/wooden spoon until combined. Add the sourdough discard and eggs. Mix until incorporated. Melt the butter and add to the ingredients along with melted coconut oil (or any neutral-flavored oil), yogurt and vanilla extract. Mix together until completely combined.
- To a small bowl, fluff the flour, salt and baking soda together. Add the flour mixture on top of the banana mixture. Mix until the flour is just incorporated and only a few dry streaks remain.At this point add 130 grams mini chocolate chips or other mix-ins if desired. Gently mix together.
- Pour the banana bread batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake for 10 minutes at 425ºF. After ten minutes, lower the temperature to 350ºF and bake for another 50-60 minutes until baked all the way through. Stick a sharp knife or toothpick into the center of the banana bread. If it comes out clean (with no batter sticking to it), it is ready to pull out of the oven.
- Remove sourdough banana bread to a cooling rack and let cool completely before slicing. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this recipe this morning and it turned out delicious. I used some of the suggestions in your notes for using sour cream, apple sauce, and chocolate chips. My future go to recipe for using my over ripe bananas.
Thanks for the review – I’m glad those suggestions were helpful!
I made muffins, which were very good! I only used 120 grams of brown sugar and 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips. I used applesauce, olive oil, and flax eggs too but they were still moist.
Glad your muffins turned out well! Thanks for sharing.
Do you think this would work in the Mini loaf pans? Any idea of bake time?
Yes! I actually prefer making banana bread in mini loaf pans (my husband likes the crispier edges that a mini loaf pan provides for a quickbread like this). They don’t take quite as long to bake. I usually bake multiple loaves at a time, so it ends up being a difference of only 5 fewer minutes or so.
The Very Best Banana Bread Ever! I don’t really care for banana bread but it is a favorite of my husbands. We both absolutely LOVED this bread. Great Recipe. Thank you Amy!
Thanks for your review! I’m glad you love the recipe!
The best! I made it healthier by using 1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 all purpose flour and 3/4 rye flour. And a little less sugar because I used a little more riped bananas. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for the review and feedback – enjoy!
This banana bread was so soft and fluffy, Now I’m making “Sourdough DISCARD”. because many friends LOVE for this. I have no more time to bake other things. My partner have banana tree at his land, most the time he’ll over ripe bananas gave for pigs.(I only eating like just fresh yellow or still little bit green, that’s why) I used to use another recipe, now only use this recipe. Thank you!!!
So glad it was a hit – thanks for the review!
The best banana bread my family has ever tasted.
I think it’s the best too! Thanks for your review.
Soooo yummy! I always have too much discard and this was a great way to use it! I used canola oil and sour cream for it—-it’s what I had on hand and threw in a cup of pecans! Love the recipe! Thanks!
This is the best banana bread recipe we’ve ever had, thank you Amy!
If we need to make it dairy free, can you recommend a substitute for the yogurt? I was thinking applesauce but wasn’t sure. Thank you!
I’d suggest substituting with a dairy-free yogurt or sour cream if you can. The yogurt adds both moisture and a little extra fat to the muffins. You could also try applesauce, though I haven’t tested it myself so I’m not sure how it might affect the texture. So glad you’re enjoying this recipe!
Can the batter be fermented?
Yes! Mix up the batter – except the baking soda. Cover it and let it sit in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. This will give the discard time to pre-digest some of the gluten in the batter. The longer you let it ferment, the more tangy/sour flavor you will taste in the banana bread. When you are ready to bake, stir in the baking soda before pouring into a loaf pan. Enjoy!