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.

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.

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. 😂😁

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.

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

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.
- brown sugar and granulated sugar
- neutral-flavored oil (like avocado)
- sourdough starter (discard or fed)
- sour cream
- eggs
- mashed bananas
- vanilla extract
- flour (all-purpose or a 50/50 mix of whole wheat and all-purpose)
- baking soda + baking powder + cinnamon + nutmeg + salt
- 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts or chocolate chips
- 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 Size | Baking Time |
---|---|
9x5x3 inch loaf pan | 55 to 75 min. |
8x4x2 inch loaf pan | 50 to 60 min. |
7 ½ x 3 ½ x 2 inch loaf pans | 40 to 45 min. |
4 ½ x 2 ½ x 1 ½ inch loaf pans | 30 to 35 min. |
2 ½ inch muffin cups | 18 – 20 min. |
mini muffins | 10 – 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.

Long-Fermented Banana Bread Directions
- 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.
- Transfer the batter to the refrigerator and ferment for up to 16 more hours (18 total).
- 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.

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
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.