Make soft, rich, same-day sourdough banana bread at home with active starter or sourdough discard. One bowl. Simple recipe. My secret? All brown sugar, overripe bananas, and a specific mixing order for a velvety soft texture and bold, caramel taste.
I’ve tested hundreds of banana bread recipes in my career and here’s what I know: this is not your average sourdough banana bread. The texture is soft and smooth, like velvet. Everyone asks for the recipe. It’s the only banana bread recipe I make.
The original version comes from The Boathouse restaurant in Manly, Australia, which I adapted to include sourdough. You can use bubbly, active sourdough or sourdough discard– whatever you have is fine.
I like to make this recipe on the same day using leftover discard from fluffy sourdough pancakes, sourdough pasta or even sourdough bread. However, feel free to ferment the batter overnight if you prefer. The texture will only change slightly due to how much the flour absorbs overnight.
Want to bake more? Check out my full collection of sourdough discard recipes here.
What Makes It Ultimate?
- All brown sugar. When combined with perfectly overripe bananas and pure vanilla extract, it creates the most exquisite caramel taste. It will blow you away. No white sugar is used in this recipe.
- Specific mixing order. Typically when making a quick bread like this, you’d simply combine the wet and dry ingredients and call it a day. But here, you’ll cream a portion of the wet ingredients first, then add the dry ingredients, followed by the milk and olive oil. I was definitely hesitant about this mixing order (the batter looks totally strange when you get to the oil part). But it’s the science behind the banana bread’s velvety soft texture.
- No cinnamon. Shocking, I know. But your won’t miss it. Cinnamon is lovely but strong and the lack of it really let’s that caramel flavor shine through.
How To make Sourdough Banana Bread {Step-by-Step Recipe}
To Start: Preheat the oven to 360 F (that’s not a typo). Baking at 10 degrees higher than the standard 350 F gives this sourdough banana bread a nice lift. Thn coast your loaf pan with softened butter Normally, I use a 9×5-inch pan. You can also use three 7x3x2 mini loaf pans instead. I like to freeze the little ones individually. So cute!
Next: Add the bananas, brown sugar and vanilla extract to a bowl. Don’t bother slicing the bananas, just break them up by hand. Cream together with a stand mixer or hand held mixer. Add the eggs and the sourdough starter.
Add: The dry ingredients, followed by the milk and oil. The liquids will not blend in right away. Just keep mixing on low speed until completely absorbed. Pour the batter into your prepared pan(s).
To Finish: Place into a sheet pan and bake until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Plan on 60-65 minutes for a standard loaf pan and 45 minutes for the mini pans. Cool before cutting into thick, sturdy slices.
Final Thoughts:
Friends, please look no further. This sourdough banana bread is truly the very best. It’s soft and moist, packed with caramel-banana flavor in every bit. Take a cue from The Boathouse restaurant and serve it with salted butter or mascarpone cheese for a decadent treat! Then come back and bake my moist sourdough blueberry muffins, these easy, no-roll sourdough scones, sourdough waffles (overnight or same day) and more.
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Ultimate Sourdough Banana Bread
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf or 3 mini loaves 1x
- Category: Sourdough Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Banana bread is a comfort food classic. My secret is plenty of brown sugar, overripe bananas, and a specific mixing order for the ultimate sourdough banana bread. Recipe adapted from The Boathouse restaurant in Manly, Australia.
Notes:
Out of sourdough starter? You can still make this recipe (and it’s delicious!). Increase the milk to 125 ml (1/2 cup) total.
You will need a standard 9×5-inch loaf pan or three 7x3x2 mini loaf pans for baking.
Ingredients
- Butter, for coating the pan
- 375 g overripe bananas (appx. 1 1/2 cups lightly smashed)
- 225 g (1 1/4 cups lightly packed) light or dark brown sugar
- 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 100 g (appx. 1/2 cup) active sourdough starter or or sourdough discard
- 250g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 60ml (1/4 cup) milk
- 125ml (½ cup) neutral flavored oil
- Powdered sugar, butter, and mascarpone cheese for serving, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 360 F.
- Lightly coat three 7x3x2 mini loaf pans or one 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter.
- Add the bananas, sugar, and vanilla to a bowl. Cream with a hand held mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, about 30 seconds to 1 minute (some small lumps of banana are okay).
- Add the eggs, one at a time until fully incorporated. Add the sourdough starter.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a separate bowl. Working in batches, add this to the banana mixture.
- Add the milk and oil and mix until just combined. Do not over do it; the banana bread will be tough.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s). If using the mini loaf pans, place them onto a baking sheet and transfer to the oven.
- Bake for 45 minutes (for the mini loaf pans) or 60- 65 minutes (for the standard 9×5-inch pan), until rich golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cover with foil if the loaf browns too quickly.
- Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve with powdered sugar for a nice touch!
Comments
Allison M says
I’ve tried probably over 100 banana bread recipes, I don’t know how I stumbled on this one but it’s seriously the best ever. I used coconut sugar for a slightly lower glycemic index for sugar, it tastes just as good as the brown sugar (I’ve done both).
What I found interesting about this recipe was it just seems backwards when it comes to the steps. But somehow I think it’s the key to this winning recipe.
It’s hands down the best ever and all I’ll make now. Thanks!
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Ep says
Can I use olive or avocado oil?
Melanie says
Delicious. Period.
Carrie says
This is hands down the best recipe for banana bread I’ve ever come across.
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Bella says
I just tried this recipe, and the banana bread tasted fabulous – it was really similar to the banana bread I used to eat as a child, with such a rich flavor! I absolutely loved the recipe.
I do have a few questions, though.
My banana bread turned out quite dense – more like a gummy texture and taste, and after doing some research, I found a couple of possible reasons:
1) The bananas may have been too ripe. I used two very ripe bananas and two normally ripe bananas with only a few brown spots. I read that very ripe bananas contain less starch, which can affect the flour-to-liquid balance in the batter.
2) I may have overmixed the batter. After adding the oil and milk, the mixture seemed a bit oily and looked like it had separated slightly before I transferred it to the loaf pan. Because of that, I did some extra mixing. I was wondering if it’s normal for the batter to have a slight oily coating at that stage, or if that’s a sign that something went wrong.
I’m definitely going to experiment with these two points next time and see how it turns out, but I’d love to hear your thoughts and whether you have any suggestions :))
Btw I just remembered that I reduced the sugar by about half, since most sweet recipes tend to be a bit too sweet for me and my family. I’m not sure if that could have contributed to the denser texture, but I thought it might be worth mentioning! Thanks again for the wonderful recipe!!
Anide says
Delicious recipe thank you so much!
Quick question please, what’s the best way to store it?
Mar says
Delicious banana bread! I put chopped walnuts on top of the bread before baking and that gave it a nice crunch. I had to cook it for a while longer (I’m thinking it’s partly because my loaf pan was a tiny bit smaller and I ran into a temperature problem with my oven toward the end), but it was great!! I ended up using about 3.5 bananas to reach 375g. Thank you for sharing this recipe!! I’ll definitely make it again.
Robin White says
Yum yum yum!!!!!!!
I made mini muffins topping with pecans to some, mini mm’s to some, and Reece’s peanut butter chips to some. I also left a few plain. I cooked 10 minutes at 360 degrees. Suggest folks adjust how long based on how their oven cooks.
Also made 4 regular muffins and they took 18 to 20 minutes at 360.
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Hannelie says
OMG! This was so yummy and easy. I used a mix of fresh discard and discard that’s been in my fridge for a week, maybe two! So soft, so fluffy! I baked mine as muffins 25 mins.
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Charity Penney says
My bananas were going brown and that is how I decided to make this bread, naturally lol. Before I made that decision I ate on of the 7 bananas I had and now I do not have enough to make 2 loaves. How can I substitute for the lack of banana? It is about 50-75 grams short. I do not have applesauce, yougurt, or sour cream. Can I add more starter? How much? I just started baking last week (sourdough) and I have to tell you I love your recipes the best and choose you when the ratings are close on other recipes. You are very attentive in the comments and that makes a huge difference for me plus recipes have been great. Literally the best pancakes I have ever eaten and I ate them 2 days after I cooked them!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Charity! This is very kind of you to say, thank you. It makes me so happy that you are enjoying the recipes 🙏🏻 Two things come to mind: make one loaf only, freezing the remaining bananas (peeled) until you get more at some point. Or, go ahead and make the 2 loaves now, without subbing in an extra ingredient. For reference, adding more sourdough starter might cause too much of a rise (you don’t want the batter to bubble over) and because you’re technically adding more “flour and water” the overall taste of the banana bread might change. Hope this helps!
Rose says
Can I use honey instead of brown sugar?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Rose! Honey will change the recipe completely. It behaves differently than brown sugar. It will also cause the loaf to brown faster so the bake time will need to be adjusted. I haven’t tested it, so I’m unable to advise with specifics. If you happen to experiment, let us know!
Julie Ann Schuette says
you mean it BEE HIVES differently…if you use honey….
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Emilie Raffa says
Ha! You are too funny. This made my day 😂
Lela says
Can I use GF flour?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Lela! You can, but to make this banana bread truly gluten free, you’ll need a GF sourdough starter as well.
Madison says
I accidentally used bread flour instead of all purpose. To maintain the moisture I used 75 ml of milk. Turned out perfect!
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Louise says
I have used the same banana bread recipe for years…until today when I had an abundance of discard and wanted to try something new. This will now be my go-to recipe! So so moist and full of flavour. Absolutely delicious! Now I’m on my way to find more over-ripe bananas.
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Paddy says
I looked at this recipe (and others using leftover sourdough starter) and they all seemed to call for more than twice as much sugar as I use in my normal (very good) banana bread – with other ingredients being similar in quantity. So, I took a chance and used 1/2 c. of dark brown sugar instead of the called-for 1 1/4c. I also used a cup of whole wheat flour instead of 2 c. of white, and added a 1/2 cup of pecan pieces, which I also normally do with my own recipe. Had a bit too much batter for my 8.5×4.5″ pan, so made a couple of muffins (which took 20 minutes to bake for those wishing to know if muffins work etc.) as well – and it’s great! Both muffins were “disappeared” before they were remotely cool. :D
Definitely would NOT want more sugar – it’s plenty sweet. It rose nicely, and is very moist – a bit less dense than my normal non-sourdough loaf, which is probably due to the additional egg and the sourdough starter, as those were the only significant differences once I reduced the sugar.
Also – I didn’t fuss with the order of mixing the ingredients. Mashed the banana with the immersion blender in one bowl and added all the rest of the wet ingredients and the salt and mixed. Mixed the baking soda into the flour with a whisk in another bowl. Pour the wet into the dry ingredients and mixed gently until well combined – just don’t over mix. Note: I used the volume measurements for this recipe throughout.
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Emilie Raffa says
Thank you for taking the time to share such thorough tips, Paddy. Love the idea of adding pecans – it adds a nice waxy crunch paired with the soft texture of the banana bread.🥰
Sameerah says
My first try ever using a sourdough starter and this recipe came out perfectly just like your photos. Your recipe is absolutely spot on. I shocked myself lol 10/10! Thank you so much for sharing.
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Leah says
I’m confused. 2cups of flour is about 315g, not 250g. I ended up using 280g flour. The mixture came out kind of loose at the end. I’m baking it now. Hopefully it’s going to be good.
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Leah! I’m glad you brought this up. A lot of bakers run into this issue. Converting cups to grams with respect to flour (in any recipe) is not exact; it’s only approximate. This is because we all measure flour differently. Some of us pack the flour down into the measuring cup which makes it weigh more, whereas others will lightly spoon and level it off (making it weigh less). Confusing? Absolutely. The debate lives forever all over the internet. This is why bakers stress using weight for accuracy and standard conversion charts using 125 g to 130 g to streamline the process. Hope this helps to clarify things a bit!
Abbey says
Hey! Just made this one and enjoy it, however im really not a fan of the oil in this recipe, I find I can really taste it. Is there a chance I can use butter instead and if so should I replace with a 1:1 ratio?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Abbey! You can swap out the oil for butter. Keep in mind the texture will change slightly. A 1:1 ratio should work.
Dyl says
What does 1:1 ratio mean?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! Equal parts by weight.
Chrissy says
Simple to follow recipe with wholesome ingredients which I love. Brad came out of the oven nice and brown. Will dig into a piece after dinner tonight.
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Whitnie Kain says
Looking to make this recipe but was wondering if it works good with almond milk?
Katie says
I always use almond milk and it works great ◡̈
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Emilie Raffa says
You can absolutely use almond milk in this recipe.🥰
Pearly says
Made this recipe and had to make a second loaf right away because it was so popular and delicious!! Also I made it vegan by substituting the egg for JustEgg and used plant based oat milk instead and literally no one knew it was vegan. I enjoy the sweetness it has in the recipe but if you make it with 1/3 less sugar, it still turns out great and doesn’t affect the texture at all. This will forever be my go to banana bread recipe, it is absolutely divine!
Emilie Raffa says
This is excellent feedback. Thank you for sharing your tips with vegan modifications. Beautiful!
Yvette says
Made this with half the sugar amount and it was still very tasty, my children approved. The butter helped make the outside very crisp in my cast iron pan. Can’t wait to try this with maple syrup next.
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Avia says
Super easy & so delicious that my partner scoffed down 2 slices in quick succession! Thank you!
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Paige says
The best recipe imo!!! Thank you
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Katie Pace says
Made this Banana Bread today. Amazing! Previous to this I tried 2 other recipes, both terrible. This was so different, turned out as pictured. So happy!
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Carmie says
Great recipe!! Have you tried adding any nuts or chocolate chips to it?
Kim says
I added one cup of walnuts to the batter at the end and using two regular-sized loaf pans. Divine.
Emilie Raffa says
I’ve added both and they are delicious. I love chocolate and walnuts together (sometimes I’ll do miso-candied walnuts for a salty-sweet kick).
Debbie says
Recipe looks really good. My husband prefers muffins instead. Can you confirm if you would do anything different in recipe / cooking temperature and length of cooking time. Thanks.
Paddy says
I’m in the middle of baking a loaf and a couple of muffins – the muffins were done in 20 minutes and came out perfectly. I did make some modifications to the recipe which I’ll document in another post.
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Debbie says
Thanks for the update. Can you confirm the modifications made to make muffins instead. Temperature/time and any changes to the recipe.
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Emilie Raffa says
Hi Debbie! I typically bake muffins for 18-20 minutes @ 360 F.
Rachel says
Where is the option to ferment/culture overnight? I’d like all of the flour to be “transformed” by the sourdough culture.
Sarah says
First of all I love this recipe. Second, I’ve always made it with an overnight (sometimes 24 hour) rest in the fridge. It’s perfect!!!
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Jacqui says
Do you mix all of the ingredients when placing in the fridge for an overnight ferment? I’m wanting to let it ferment too.
Becky says
I overnight fermented this recipe about 24 hours (I used cold sleepy discard) at room temperature. I did not add the baking soda until 10 minutes before baking. I got a lovely sourdough rise then the baking soda quick bread rise on top… make sure you only fill loaf pans 2/3 full.
I straight up tripled the recipe and came out with 5 various sized loaves, all delicious, all fermented.
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Melanie says
I successfully made muffins yesterday. Preheated the oven to 410 degrees, and used standard muffin tins, filled to the top. Baked them for 5 minutes at 410 degrees and then reduced the oven temperature to 350 degrees and baked for an additional 15 minutes. The recipe made 12 muffins.
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jeff bossardet says
Wow. I will forever be making, and sharing, this recipe. Many thanks.
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Misha says
I’ve baked so many different banana bread recipes and this one takes the cake (pun intended haha). My husband said it was the best tasting banana bread he’s ever had and my kids inhaled it! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Misha! I’m so glad you love this recipe. That’s why I call it the “ULTIMATE” 😉 So good to share!
LeAnna says
Nice texture, very light and moist, not dense. Strong baking soda taste.
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Squid says
I added walnuts and it’s delicious, moist and actually rose – which my cakes never do! Slightly burnt even though it was only 60 min in the oven though.
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Robert says
I have made this banana bread 3 times, it is a great sweet treat!
Adding some walnuts and doing an overnight ferment before adding the baking soda this time.
TY for the recipe!
Kaytlyn says
I just made this but with 100% spelt flour cause that’s all I have left in my house. Other than the texture being more crumby, this loaf is fabulous. Thank you for a great recipe.
Dem says
Súper súper yummy! Made it last week, gluten free with gf sourdough starter and Bob’s 1to1 gf flour.
I did bake it in a 7×11 pan so I didn’t have to worry about the middle not cooking well, and it’s easier to serve to a crowd that way. Also added chocolate chips into the mix at the end and covered with foil while baking as soon as it started browning up on the outside. My husband (not gf) asked me to make it again this week and to serve to guests.
LINDA J NELSON says
I wanted to receive the health benefits of fermentation, so I followed the recipe, with the exception of adding the baking soda, until I was ready to bake the bread. I refrigerated overnight, and the next morning I added the baking soda and baked. The results were amazing; a soft, moist bread.
Robert says
Thank you I am giving that method a try today.
LINDA J NELSON says
How do you make it if fermenting the flour and starter overnight?
Heather says
Absolute best banana bread recipe! I substitute the flour with einkorn flour. The flavor is excellent!
Jewel says
Made this twice now, so good! 2 year old is my favorite helper! Thank you!
KB says
Hands down the best banana bread recipe I have ever used! Everyone wants their own loaf!
Janet says
I’ve made this recipe twice now and every time, my flour mixture always clumps into little pellets (similar to what happens when you add flour to hot liquid). I followed the recipe in the right order. Do you know what I did wrong?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Janet! Are you adding the flour in batches? This will help. Doing so (a little bit at a time) will ensure the flour absorbs the liquid slowly. Too much too soon could be the culprit. Also: using a stand mixer or hand held mixer will help too.
Janet says
The first time, I added them in 2 batches and used a rubber spatula to fold it in, which was probably too much. I continued to bake it thinking the clumps would go away (like with pancake batter), butt they didn’t. This time, I added the flour mixture a little at a time using a whisk and I was still getting big and little clumps. I went through and broke up all of them individually. I seem to be the only one having this problem. :) My bread was good with a lovely “ear” but pretty dense. Is it supposed to be a little heavy or light? Thank you.
Caite says
Substituted about 1/3 of the flour for whole wheat. Everything was great and it turned out perfectly moist.
Max says
The first time I made this recipe I thought it’s one of the softest banana breads i’ve ever eaten. I tried to recreate it in different orders, but its never as fluffy and soft.
What’s the science of adding the oil and milk in the end? Is it like a protective layer from forming the gluten?
Lucinda Kiessling says
Forgot to rate them. Definitely 5 stars for this recipe and every recipe that I have tried of Emilie’s with great success.
Emilie Raffa says
You are so kind for circling back! Thank you, Lucinda 🥰
Lucinda Kiessling says
Used thawed out cranberries along with the mashed banana when I didn’t have enough ripe bananas. I had quadrupled the recipe and added the cranberries at the very end of the mixing. The loaves took longer to bake but they were very yummy with the tartness of the cranberries and sweetness of the banana. This will be my go to recipe from now on. Your recipes Emilie are incredible and I have tried several. My other favorites are the cranberry/orange scones and the oatmeal raisin cookies. Yum 😋 😋 😋 Thanks for sharing your recipes, Emilie.
Jill says
I agree 100%. She has GREAT recipes!!
Nikki says
These were perfect! I wanted muffins so I baked for 17 minutes. First batch I tried a higher temperature of 400 as I saw suggested in a comment here, but it made them extremely dark. Still good! Next two batches I baked at 360 and they came out perfect!
Janet E Smith says
I made this and while it worked out well, it is too sweet for me. I will decrease the sugar next time, or just eat the bananas fresh with some berries for a very healthy snack, dessert, or with a few nuts sprinkled on, and. toast for breakfast.
Fleur says
Truly an outstanding recipe. Best banana bread I’ve ever made.
Soph says
This recipe was delicious! I added half a cup of semi sweet chocolate chips which sealed the deal. A must try
Angie says
I haven’t rated because mine is in oven baking now. The bananas I used were frozen. I measured them out when frozen & then thawed them. I added all the juices from them. When I got to the point of adding the milk & oil, I didn’t because it would have been way too runny. I don’t know if i made the right decision. I don’t know, maybe it won’t turn out. Do you think using frozen bananas weren’t a good idea?
Jen says
I always use frozen bananas but follow the rest of the recipe as is and it’s always perfect