My Sourdough Banana Bread is a delightful twist on a classic, blending the tangy depth of sourdough with the sweet, comforting flavor of ripe bananas. This recipe transforms simple ingredients into a moist, flavorful loaf that’s perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack. With a golden crust and a tender crumb, it’s a crowd-pleaser that’s as easy to make as it is to enjoy.
Sourdough Banana Bread is a cozy addition to fall and winter holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas, its warm flavors complementing crisp mornings and festive gatherings.
It’s also perfect for spring brunches or summer picnics, offering a versatile treat that pairs well with seasonal fruits or a cup of coffee. Year-round, it’s a comforting choice for casual weekends or special events, bringing homemade charm to any occasion.
This recipe it based off of my original sourdough banana bread muffins. Give those a try and if you like them make sure to try my pumpkin banana bread muffins this fall!
Ingredients
The ingredients for Sourdough Banana Bread are refreshingly simple, relying on pantry staples like flour, sugar, and ripe bananas, along with a tangy sourdough starter. This straightforward mix yields a deliciously moist loaf with a perfect balance of tangy and sweet flavors.
- Wet Ingredients
- Ripe bananas (the bananas pictures above are the absolute earliest I would use them! I prefer to use them when they are a little bit more brown.)
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Brown sugar
- Sourdough discard
- Melted butter
- Dry Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Cardamom
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This banana bread is quick and easy to make! Follow my step by step instructions to make your perfect loaf. Remember to weigh your ingredients for best results!
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350F; in a small bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, mash bananas thoroughly and add in melted butter, sourdough discard, vanilla extract, brown sugar, and the egg. Mix until just combined.
Step 3: Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until fully incorporated. Be careful not to over-mix because over-mixing will impact the rise of the banana bread.
Step 4: Pour the batter into a lined loaf pan.
Step 5: Mix streusel topping ingredients and generously top the banana bread batter. Use all of it! Even if it seems like too much. Just trust me.
Step 6: Bake for 40-45 minutes or until you can stick a toothpick in it and it comes out with just a few crumbs and the top doen't jiggle when you move the pan.
Hint: Don't over-mix your batter! Over mixing can negatively affect the rise of your bread, making it more dense.
Substitutions
Some of the listed ingredients not work for you? Here are a few of my tried and true substitutes!
- Butter: Use a non-dairy butter like Country Crock's plant butter. A neutral oil (like coconut oil) would work well here too!
Variations
This recipe can be easily switched up to create new and interesting flavors. Here are some fun ideas to try out!
- Extra crunch - Add chopped walnuts or pecans to give these an extra crunch!
- Chocolate - Add 1 cup of chocolate chips to add some rich, chocolatey goodness!
- Long-ferment - You can ferment this loaf overnight by making the batter and omitting the eggs, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add those ingredients the next day just before baking! Some recommend only leaving the baking powder and baking soda out for fermenting, but I like to leave out the eggs and salt too.
Equipment
- Kitchen scale with a paddle attachment (please weigh your ingredients for best results)
- Stand mixer (or large bowl)
- Loaf pan
- Parchment paper
- Fork or other tool for mashing bananas
- Small bowl for mixing the streusel
Storage
For best results, store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.
Sourdough banana bread bread can be frozen for up to 3 months, however, the streusel will be significantly softer after being thawed. It will be very yummy still, though!
Top tip
Weigh your ingredients for best results! I can't recommend this enough. Kitchen scales are easy to find, affordable, and beneficial to your baking journey. It is the best way to make sure your recipes turn out as accurately as possible. See my "equipment" section above for links to scales I recommend.
FAQ
Yes! I do recommend using a weighted scale here especially to make sure you are adding the right amount (100g) of sourdough to the mix. Active starter has more air in it so 1 cup of it will inevitably weigh less than 1 cup of unfed discard.
Yes! See my "variations" section for more information.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Sourdough Banana Bread
Equipment
- Kitchen scale with a paddle attachment (please weigh your ingredients for best results)
- Stand Mixer (or large bowl)
- Loaf Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Fork or other tool for mashing bananas
- Small bowl for mixing the streusel
Ingredients
Sourdough Banana Bread:
- 2 ¼ cups flour 270g
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- 3-4 ripe bananas mashed about 1.5 cups
- ⅓ cup discard 100g
- 6 tablespoon melted butter unsalted
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- ⅔ cup packed brown sugar 147g
Streusel Topping:
- ½ cup flour 60g
- ½ cup white sugar 100g
- 4 tablespoon melted butter unsalted
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F; in a small bowl, mix your dry ingredients.2 ¼ cups flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- In a medium bowl, mash bananas thoroughly and add in the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.3-4 ripe bananas mashed, ⅓ cup discard, 6 tablespoon melted butter unsalted, 2 teaspoon vanilla, 1 egg, ⅔ cup packed brown sugar
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until fully incorporated. Be careful not to over-mix because over-mixing will impact the rise of the bread.
- Pour all of the batter into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
- Mix the streusel topping ingredients and generously top the batter. Use all of it! Even if it seems like too much. Just trust me-- it is the perfect amount!½ cup flour, ½ cup white sugar, 4 tablespoon melted butter, ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Bake for 40-45 mins at 350F or until you can stick a toothpick in it and it comes out with just a few crumbs. When you wiggle the pan the banana bread shouldn't jiggle. Allow to cool before serving for best results. Enjoy!
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