Looking for Sourdough? 
Sourdough banana bread is the perfect way to use your sourdough discard and over-ripened bananas! The addition of sour cream makes it so moist and tender.
The sourdough discard gives it the tangy flavor we sourdough bakers crave.
This simple recipe will quickly become your new favorite!
Over ripe bananas never had it so good. Not until they met sourdough starter discard and created the best sourdough banana bread recipe ever!
Holy moly you guys, this recipe hits all the right notes when it comes to the perfect banana bread.
Just the right amount of sweetness from the ripe bananas and the dark brown sugar. Plus, deliciously tangy notes from the sourdough discard and sour cream.
It's full of banana flavor and the crumb is so moist and tender!
This recipe is so simple to make and can easily be turned into sourdough banana nut muffins with the addition of chopped walnuts.
Step by step instructions
This recipe is made without the use of electric mixers. Everything is easily mixed by hand, so let's get started and get some "nanner bread" in the oven!
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl with a whisk. Set aside.
- In a small bowl use a fork to mash the bananas until smooth. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Add the brown sugar to the butter and use a spatula to cream until smooth and creamy. Stir in the eggs, sourdough discard, vanilla extract, sour cream and mashed bananas.
- Add the wet and dry ingredients together and stir until just combined.
5. Pour the batter into a lightly greased 9" x 5" loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Let the banana bread cool in the loaf pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the inside of the pan to help release the loaf.
Allow the loaf to rest on a cooling rack until cooled down so that it is easy to handle and has a chance to set up a little.
Serve warm slices of sourdough banana bread smothered with homemade butter for a delicious treat!
You may want to double the recipe!
Tips for success
Sometimes that banana bread mood strikes, but you can only get your hands on green bananas! No worries, you can use your oven to get them to release their sugars and soften up.
Preheat your oven to 250 degrees and place the bananas on a baking sheet. (Don't peel them!) Let them bake for 30-40 minutes or until they start to turn brown. Let cool completely before using.
This recipe requires three bowls. The first of which is for the dry ingredients. Don't skip this step! It's very important to whisk the baking powder and baking soda with the flour in order to make sure it gets well incorporated into the batter.
Don't have a kitchen scale to measure flour?
Use the scoop and level technique to measure your flour if you do not have a kitchen scale. To do this, use a spoon to fluff up the flour in the bag. Use a spoon to scoop the flour into a measuring cup until it is heaped on top. Take a butterknife and level off the top. This should give you the most accurate measurement for flour.
Because flour is measured by weight in these recipes, if the flour is scooped straight out of the bag with the measuring cup, there will be more flour than called for in the recipe.
I tested the recipe with dark brown sugar, light brown sugar and white sugar. I preferred the taste of dark brown sugar because it lends a richer flavor, but any of these sugars work great.
The older and more acidic your sourdough starter discard, the better! It's what really gives this bread it's unique flavor. I keep a separate jar in my fridge to collect sourdough discard just for recipes like this one!
How to store
Let the loaf cool completely. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and keep on kitchen counter at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Banana bread can be frozen in individual slices, half loaf or whole loaf.
To freeze, allow banana bread to cool completely. Wrap tightly in foil first and then place in a plastic freezer bag. Make sure to remove excess air in the bag before sealing to help prevent freezer burn. Freeze for up to 3 months.
When ready to eat, allow to thaw at room temperature, in wrapper for a few hours. Slices can be quickly warmed in the microwave on high for 30 seconds.
Other recipes you may like to try:
- Sourdough Banana Nut Muffins
- Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
- Sourdough Coffee Cake
- Sourdough Zucchini Bread
- Stone Ground Skillet Cornbread
We hope you love this sourdough banana bread as much as our family does! Let us know in the comment section below!
Sourdough Banana Bread Recipe
EQUIPMENT
- 9" x 5" loaf pan
- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring cups/spoons
- Spatula
INGREDIENTS
Wet Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (200 g) dark brown sugar (see notes)
- 2 large eggs
- 3 medium (350 g) very ripe bananas (mashed)
- 3 tablespoons (45 g) sour cream
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (125 g) sourdough starter discard (see notes)
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) fine sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and lightly grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan.
- Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl mash the bananas with a fork until smooth and set aside.
- Melt the butter in the microwave in a mixing bowl. Add the dark brown sugar and use a spatula to cream them together until smooth. Add the eggs, mashed banana, sourdough discard, sour cream and vanilla extract and stir to combine.
- Add the wet and dry ingredients together and stir until just combined. (Do not over mix!) If adding walnuts, gently fold them into the batter with a spatula.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the banana bread to cool in the loaf pan for 15 minutes before transferring to cooling rack to cool completely.
NOTES
- Use the scoop and level technique to measure your flour if you do not have a kitchen scale. To do this, use a spoon to fluff up the flour in the bag. Use a spoon to scoop the flour into a measuring cup until it is heaped on top. Take a butterknife and level off the top. This should give you the most accurate measurement for flour.
- Add ½ cup of chopped walnuts or chopped pecans if desired.
- In order to get the most sourdough flavor into this banana bread, the starter must be "aged". This simply means that the sourdough discard has been allowed to sit in the fridge for a minimum of one week before using it to bake with. This will allow the acid to build up, producing the sour flavor.
- Dark brown sugar can be replaced with either light brown sugar or white granulated sugar.
- Store at room temperature for up to 3 days, wrapped in plastic wrap or in a container with a lid.
- Store in freezer for up to 3 months tightly wrapped in foil and plastic.
PREVIOUS
Jamie says
Browned the butter and added mini chocolate chips and holy yum! So moist and has such flavor depth. Will def be making again.
Donna says
THIS WAS SO GOOD! I MADE IT FOR MY 90 YEAR OLD FATHER. He has a sweet tooth but I always try and sneak in some "good" stuff. The sourdough is that extra special touch. Great recipe. Thank you!
Kristen says
2 cups is 240 grams.
Judy Woods says
So excited to have this fabulous Banana Bread recipe.... it's so easy to make, moist and delicious. I used Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream. Thank you for sharing!
Dennise says
best banana bread we've tasted. and my husband is a blunt critic, he would have said otherwise if it wasn't.
Holly says
Hello Amy,
I just want you to know that this Banana Bread recipe is the best one yet, and I have made many at the age of 81! Today Friday Dec 23rd I'm doubling the recipe for the holidays. The only thing I do deferent is to use Fage Plain Yogurt to replace the sour cream and half coconut sugar.It is so moist and flavorful. I also make your Soft Honey Wheat Sourdough Bread, which is the best also.
Thank you so much for all your recipes.
Amy says
Thank you so much! 🙂
Stacey Borge says
Hey! After discovering your option to long ferment the lemon poppy seed muffins, I’m curious if I can apply that to any quick-bread sourdough recipe of yours? I prefer to ferment any flour I eat since it improves the health benefits and my guts like it better 🙂
Amy says
Hi Stacey, I have found that I can ferment any of the quick-breads in the fridge. You shouldn't have any issues!
Esteban says
I use a ripe leaven.. so very tasty
Baylie says
Excited to try this recipe! Would love to use a healthier substitution for the sugar (even though I love the flavor brown sugar gives). Any chance of using honey instead? I may try using the coconut sugar that one reviewer suggested.
Amy says
I would use coconut sugar if you have it!
Wren Loveday says
This is the best banana bread ever according to Mr13, and I tend to agree!
He loves it as is, also when I sub 20g of flour for Cacao as a chocolatey treat.
thank you so much 💕
Country Girl says
Are there any substitutions for sour cream that would work do you think? I don’t have any (and organic is hard to get locally for me!). Would a pretty thick raw milk yogurt work? Or maybe cottage cheese?? I do have a ton of ripe bananas and am hoping to make a couple of loaves.
Amy says
You can use the raw milk yogurt in place of the sour cream!