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Perfect 1-Bowl Sourdough Banana Bread (Video Recipe)

Get ready for a weekly sourdough staple. After multiple rounds of improvements, this updated sourdough banana bread recipe is, hands down, the perfect loaf of banana nut bread. It fits a 9×5-inch loaf pan like a glove and comes together quickly in 1-bowl.

A baked loaf of sourdough banana bread with two slices cut and a few walnuts beside.

If you are a sourdough enthusiast like myself, you’ll love this sourdough discard banana bread recipe. The discard enhances all those classic banana bread flavors — cinnamon, vanilla, sweet ripe banana, and walnuts (if you like them).

Don’t take my word for it, though; give this quick and easy sourdough banana nut bread a try, and I promise you won’t be disappointed. It’s an essential breakfast recipe that nobody gets tired of.

Slices of sourdough banana bread laid down on each other in a row with some walnuts in the background.

A lot of banana bread recipes call for too much mashed banana, resulting in a gooey texture, a loaf that overflows the pan, or sinks in on itself. This recipe is different, calling for only 1 cup of mashed banana, which is about 2 large bananas.

The result is a moist sourdough banana bread with a subtle banana flavor and the perfect amount of bready texture. And because I’m a food blogger, I have a legitimate reason to use the word bready. It is a real word; I looked it up. 😂😁

A loaf of baked sourdough banana nut bread in a glass loaf pan with nuts and milk in the background.

Banana bread is hard to beat when it comes to make-ahead sourdough breakfast ideas, but my husband thinks my raisin sourdough scones are the best, and my kids love these sourdough carrot cake muffins. Give them all a try, and let me know which ones you like best!

Tips For Making Sourdough Banana Nut Bread

Keys for Success

Tent your loaf with aluminum foil halfway through the baking time to prevent over-browning.

When baking, it’s best to bring ingredients to room temperature before mixing up the batter.

  • Use a 1:1:1 ratio for your sourdough starter. 1 part unfed sourdough starter, 1 part flour, 1 part water. This is a 100% hydration starter, which means you are using equal parts flour and water each time you feed your starter. It should be a thick yet runny consistency similar to pancake batter. Kinda pasty looking.
  • If you don’t have overripe bananas on hand, you can use unripe bananas by placing them unpeeled on a parchment-lined baking sheet and baking in a 250-degree F oven for about 30 minutes. The peels should look nice and brown when finished.
  • You can substitute melted butter for the neutral flavored oil. I like to use avocado oil since it’s a healthier option than vegetable oil, but any neutral-flavored oil will work great. Grape-seed and melted coconut oil are also excellent choices.
  • This recipe can be made into mini or regular sourdough banana bread muffins. Follow the recipe exactly the same and pour the batter into regular-sized muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees F for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. For mini muffins 10-12 minutes.
  • If you’d like to use whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour, I recommend white whole wheat or einkorn flour. Those types of whole wheat flour are less dense and will give you a fluffier texture.
Sourdough banana bread batter in a greased 9x5-inch glass loaf pan.

Recipe Box Repertorire

Reasons why this recipe is worth adding to your recipe collection.

  • It’s a 1-bowl banana bread recipe! Less mess and easy clean-up.
  • The best banana bread stays true to the quick-bread code of honor, with the batter whipping up in less than 15 minutes. Perfect for a mid-day snack or a leisurely breakfast treat to enjoy alongside your morning coffee.
  • It’s a great way to use up your excess sourdough starter discard.
  • Sourdough banana bread > Regular banana bread. (It’s greater than!) 😉
  • You can jazz things up by tossing in chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, or by sprinkling on a crunchy streusel topping.

Photos of the Process

process shots of making sourdough banana nut bread

Quick-Guide How-To Make

It doesn’t get any easier than this 1-bowl banana bread. Check out the video version in the recipe card below.

Mix the wet ingredients:

  • brown sugar and granulated sugar
  • neutral-flavored oil (like avocado)
  • sourdough starter (discard or fed)
  • sour cream
  • eggs
  • mashed bananas
  • vanilla extract

Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet and mix:

  • flour (all-purpose or a 50/50 mix of whole wheat and all-purpose)
  • baking soda + baking powder + cinnamon + nutmeg + salt

Fold in the chopped nuts or favorite add-ins with a spatula:

  • 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts or chocolate chips

Top with crunchy streusel (optional)

  • flour + brown sugar + cinnamon + cold butter + chopped nuts

FAQ

Can you use frozen bananas?

Yes, but make sure to thaw them first and drain off any excess liquid.

What do you eat banana nut bread with?

If serving for breakfast, a side of fresh fruit, eggs, and a tall glass of milk pair well with this sweet sourdough quick-bread. A steaming mug of fresh coffee and a buttered slice of banana bread make this a quick and filling treat in the morning.

How ripe should bananas be for banana bread?

The riper, the better when it comes to baking sourdough banana bread. The banana peels should be soft and mostly brown, or at least developing some nice dark spots. Don’t be afraid to use very ripe bananas as long as they don’t smell off or have any mold growing on them.

What size pan should I use for banana bread?

For this recipe, I recommend using a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan, but you can adjust your pan size and baking times according to this handy table below. Bake times will vary, so keep an eye on your banana bread and remove it from the oven as soon as it develops a nice golden brown top, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Pan SizeBaking Time
9x5x3 inch loaf pan55 to 75 min.
8x4x2 inch loaf pan50 to 60 min.
7 ½ x 3 ½ x 2 inch loaf pans40 to 45 min.
4 ½ x 2 ½ x 1 ½ inch loaf pans30 to 35 min.
2 ½ inch muffin cups18 – 20 min.
mini muffins10 – 12 min.

Remember only fill two-thirds of the way to the top. You can turn any leftover batter into muffins, but this recipe should make the perfect amount. If you want to make muffins, too, you can double the recipe for extra batter.

A tea-towel lined bowl filled with sourdough banana mini muffins and some bananas in the background.
Sourdough Banana Mini Muffins

Long-Fermented Banana Bread Directions

  1. Mix the sourdough starter, eggs, oil, and flour together. Cover the bowl with plastic or beeswax wrap and allow it to ferment at room temperature for 2 hours.
  2. Transfer the batter to the refrigerator and ferment for up to 16 more hours (18 total).
  3. After fermentation is complete, add the rest of the ingredients, mix, and continue with the baking directions.

How To Store

Wrap your banana bread in plastic wrap, or place it in an airtight container and store it at room temperature for 3 days. It will last longer in the refrigerator, up to a week.

Freezing Instructions

Don’t forget, you can easily freeze this banana bread. Wrap the loaf with plastic wrap or wrap up individual slices, toss them in a freezer bag or container, and freeze for up to 4 months. When you are ready to enjoy, thaw overnight at room temperature.

A loaf of sliced sourdough banana nut bread on a countertop.

If you’ve tried this Sourdough Banana Bread recipe, remember to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you, and it helps me so much! — Thank you.

More favorite recipes from Rooted Deep Home:

Perfect 1-Bowl Sourdough Banana Bread

Alicia Pyle
This classic breakfast loaf gets a sourdough spin with the addition of discard, resulting in the perfect sourdough banana bread. Serve up everyone's favorite quick-bread with this easy-to-make banana bread recipe. Drop a rating, please!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 12 slices (1 loaf)
Calories 296 kcal

Equipment

  • 9×5" loaf pan
  • Large mixing bowl
  • electric handheld mixer or stand mixer
  • Wire cooling rack

Ingredients
  

For the Batter:

  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup neutral-flavored oil or melted butter
  • 1/3 cup sourdough starter discard or fed
  • 1/4 cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt
  • 1 cup mashed over-ripe bananas about 2 large bananas
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup chopped walnuts optional

For Crunchy Struesel Topping:

  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or old-fashioned rolled oats

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9×5" loaf pan with butter or baking spray.
  • In a large bowl, beat the sugars and oil, then add the starter, sour cream, mashed bananas, and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Scrape down sides as needed.
  • Sprinkle the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt over the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Fold in the chopped nuts or add-ins.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, tenting about halfway through with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.
  • Let baked banana bread cool in the pan for 20 minutes then remove it to a wire rack to finish cooling.

For optional Streusel Topping:

  • In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the cold butter and fold in the chopped nuts. Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the batter right before baking.

Video

Notes

Tip: For best results, bring all the ingredients to room temperature before mixing up the batter. [starter, eggs, sour cream, (and bananas if using frozen)].
Sourdough Banana Bread Muffins: You can use this recipe to make regular or mini banana muffins. For regular-size muffins, bake at 350 degrees F for 18-20 minutes. For mini muffins, 10-12 minutes. Bake times can vary, remove muffins when golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs.

Nutrition

Calories: 296kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 3gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 280mgPotassium: 124mgFiber: 1gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 98IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 1mg
Keyword sourdough banana bread
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