Name: Sourdough Discard Banana Bread
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: coconut oil (for coating pan); 4 bananas (mashed and defrosted if frozen); 1 1/4 cups brown sugar (light or dark); 2 tsp vanilla bean paste (extract works fine too); 2 eggs; 1 cup sourdough starter discard (active and bubbly starter works fine too); 2 cups all purpose flour; 1 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp sea salt; 1/2 cup coconut oil (melted); 1/4 cup milk; 1 cup chocolate chips (optional, but highly recommend )

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Bring the comfort of home into your kitchen with this sourdough discard banana bread recipe. Perfectly moist, decadent sourdough discard banana bread is the perfect way to use up your sourdough discard.

Use sourdough discard or active sourdough starter for this banana bread recipe – either will make the texture incredibly silky smooth.

Related: Sourdough Discard Muffins

Related: Brioche French Toast Casserole

sourdough discard banana bread on a wooden cutting board with a lace doily next to it

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What is Sourdough Discard Banana Bread

Sourdough discard banana bread combines inactive (meaning, not fed) sourdough starter, overripe bananas, rich brown sugar, and some other ingredients to make a delicious quick bread recipe.

Equipment You’ll Need

Other than the basics, you’ll need the below equipment to make this sourdough discard banana bread recipe.

9×5 inch loaf pan – no smaller or it will overflow. If you only have smaller loaf pans be sure to divide the batter.

Stand mixer, hand mixer, or big bowl and whisk – I highly recommend an electric mixer for this recipe.

Recipe Highlights

baked sourdough discard banana bread in a red loaf pan

Use discard or active starter
Best texture banana bread
Incredible rich and caramelly flavor
Quick bread recipe
Tons of ways to eat sourdough discard banana bread
Use up sourdough discard
Use up overripe bananas

How to Make Sourdough Discard Banana Bread

This banana bread recipe is deliciously rich and caramelly and will be your new go-to banana bread recipe. I adapted the process for this recipe from The Clever Carrot and will probably never use a different method!

ingredients to make sourdough discard banana bread in white bowls with labels saying what each one is

Banana Bread Ingredients and Substitutions

Overripe bananas – can be frozen and defrosted. See notes below on how to ripen underripe bananas quickly.
Brown sugar – can be light or dark
Vanilla bean paste – vanilla extract works fine too, but the paste makes everything SO much better.
Sourdough discard – you can use discard straight from the fridge or active starter for this recipe.
Coconut oil – another neutral flavored oil would work too.
Chocolate chips – Any great banana bread recipe has chocolate chips, right?
Eggs, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, milk, all-purpose flour – all the necessary baking ingredients.

Step by Step Instructions (with photos)

Add the bananas, sugar, and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix until combined.

first step of making sourdough discard banana bread mixing in a stand mixer with a bowl of sourdough discard on the side

Add the eggs and the sourdough starter and blend until combined.

eggs and sourdough discard added to the banana and sugar mixture in a stand mixer

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

mixing dry ingredients for sourdough discard banana bread in a separate bowl

Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture mixing between additions until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.

adding the dry mixture to the wet mixture in a stand mixer

Add the milk and oil and mix until just combined – but no longer.

melted coconut oil added to the sourdough discard banana bread batter in a stand mixer

Add the chocolate chips and fold into the batter.

adding chocolate chips to the sourdough discard banana bread batter in a stand mixer

Pour the batter into the greased pan.

pouring the sourdough discard banana bread batter into a loaf pan and smoothing out the top with a spatula

Bake for about 60 minutes at 360F until a toothpick comes out clean.

baked sourdough discard banana bread in a loaf pan with a lace doily underneath

Cool on a wire cooling rack.

sourdough discard banana bread cooling on a wire cooling rack

How to Store Sourdough Discard Banana Bread

Your sourdough discard banana bread will save for later beautifully, making it perfect to make ahead and use for breakfasts or snacks throughout the week. Did you know you can even freeze banana bread?

sourdough discard banana bread sliced zooming in on the chocolate chips in the bread

Room temperature

Once cooled, wrap your loaf in plastic wrap tightly and let sit at room temperature for 3-5 days.

Frozen

To freeze, allow banana bread to cool completely. Wrap either the slices, whole, or half loaf tightly in plastic wrap first, then place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Let sit at room temperature until thawed and heat slices in the microwave until warmed (about 30 seconds).

In a Pinch Ideas

sourdough discard banana bread slices with a lace doily next to them

Ripe bananas – If you don’t have overripe bananas read the section below on how to quickly ripen bananas.
Mixing – if you must (I don’t recommend) shave time off the making of this recipe, simply mix the wet ingredients together, then the dry ingredients, then mix together as you would any other banana bread recipe.

Sourdough Discard Banana Bread Tips

Make this sourdough discard banana bread loaf even better by following the tips below to give you the perfect loaf.

sourdough discard banana bread in a red loaf pan with a lace doily next to it

Specific mixing order – don’t skip the mixing order – this is why the banana bread is so perfectly textured.
Banana bread muffins – want to make these into muffins instead? Simply place the batter into muffin tins and bake for about 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Foil tent – place a foil tent overtop the banana bread during the last 20-30 minutes or so of baking so that it doesn’t get too brown on top but the center of the loaf still bakes through.

How to Quickly Ripen Bananas

Paper bag

Time: 1-3 days

If you have a few days before making this recipe, just take the underripe bananas and place them in a paper bag, and set them on top of the fridge, or somewhere warm. Check every day to see if brown spots have formed (a sign of being baking ripe).

Bake

Time: 30-60 minutes

Preheat your oven to 300F and prep a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place your bananas (peel on) on the baking sheet and heat in the oven checking every 15 minutes. Bake until the peels are completely black.

Microwave

Time: 2-3 minutes

Poke holes in the peel of the bananas, then place on a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 30-second increments until they’re very soft.

How to Serve Sourdough Discard Banana Bread

Serve sourdough discard banana bread for breakfast, snack, or dessert. Get creative with how you serve it using the ideas below.

Nut butter with sliced bananas or strawberries

Yogurt with sliced fruit on top

Butter and honey drizzle

Honey butter

Apple butter

Mascarpone and honey drizzle

Make french toast (don’t soak in egg wash too long)

Sliced hard-boiled eggs with avocado

Sourdough Discard Banana Bread Optional Add-Ins

Although I think this recipe is best left untouched, you could add some of the below ingredients to the batter either with or instead of the chocolate chips.

Nuts – chopped pecans or walnuts work best
Blueberries/raspberries, blackberries – fresh or frozen
Shredded coconut
Spices – warm spices like cinnamon, pumpkin spice, clove, allspice, and nutmeg are all great in banana bread.
Cocoa or cacao powder – make a double chocolate loaf by mixing cocoa or cacao powder in with the dry ingredients.
Orange zest – shave some orange zest into the batter as well as on top the loaf prior to baking to give yourself an orange banana bread loaf.
Dried fruit – mix in some raisins, dried cherries, cranberries, apricots, etc. into the batter.
Pumpkin – add canned pumpkin puree for an autumnal loaf.
Zucchini – zucchini banana bread is delicious!
Pineapple – a unique twist on a classic.

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Stand mixer
9×5 inch loaf pan

More Sweet Sourdough Recipes

Double Chocolate Sourdough Babka

Pumpkin Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Sourdough Discard Muffins

Sourdough Monkey Bread

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Print the Sourdough Discard Banana Bread Recipe

Sourdough Discard Banana Bread

Kyrie | Healthfully Rooted Home

Bring the comfort of home into your kitchen with this sourdough discard banana bread recipe.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 15

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 8 slices

Calories 260 kcal

Equipment

1 9×5 inch loaf pan any smaller and you'll loverflow the pan
1 stand mixer, hand mixer, or whisk and bowl I highly recommend going electric if you can!

Ingredients

coconut oil for coating pan
4 bananas mashed and defrosted if frozen
1 1/4 cups brown sugar light or dark
2 tsp vanilla bean paste extract works fine too
2 eggs
1 cup sourdough starter discard active and bubbly starter works fine too
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup coconut oil melted
1/4 cup milk
1 cup chocolate chips optional, but highly recommend

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 360 F.
Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan with coconut oil.
Add the bananas, brown sugar, and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix until combined.
Add the eggs and the sourdough starter and blend until combined.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, mixing between additions until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Add the milk and oil and mix until just combined – but no longer.
Add the chocolate chips and fold into the batter.
Pour the batter into the greased pan.
Bake for about 60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. After about 40 minutes of cooking check the top of the loaf to make sure it's not getting too brown. If so, place a piece of foil overtop to prevent burning.
Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Video

Notes