Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55–65 minutes
Cooling Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Yield: 10 slices
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- ½ cup (120g) sourdough discard or active sourdough starter
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) brown sugar
- ½ cup (115g) melted unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
- ½ cup chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
Step 2: Mash the Bananas
In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas until smooth. A few small chunks are perfectly fine and add texture to the finished loaf.
Step 3: Mix the Wet Ingredients
Add the melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and sourdough discard to the mashed bananas. Whisk until everything is smooth and fully combined.
Step 4: Combine the Dry Ingredients
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
Step 5: Make the Batter
Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula. Mix only until no dry flour remains. Overmixing can make the bread dense.
If using walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips, gently fold them into the batter.
Step 6: Fill the Pan
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. If desired, slice an extra banana lengthwise and place it on top for a decorative finish.
Step 7: Bake
Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached.
If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover it with aluminum foil during the final 15 minutes of baking.
Step 8: Cool
Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Recipe Tips
- The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful the bread.
- Sourdough discard straight from the refrigerator works perfectly.
- Do not overmix the batter to keep the loaf soft and tender.
- Add chopped nuts for crunch or chocolate chips for extra sweetness.
- Store leftovers tightly wrapped to maintain freshness.
Serving Suggestions
Serve warm with butter, honey, peanut butter, almond butter, or cream cheese. It also pairs wonderfully with coffee, tea, or a cold glass of milk. Toast leftover slices for an even richer flavor.
Storage
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Freeze individual slices or the entire loaf for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving.
Nutrition Information (Per Slice)
- Calories: 255
- Protein: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 37g
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Fiber: 2g
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Potassium: 230mg
- Cholesterol: 48mg