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
Laurel Baca says
Delicious and fluffy!
Anonymous says
Anonymous says
Anonymous says
Eileen says
Also, I have family that is gluten free. Could I substitute GF flour or even something else like almond flour? Thank you!
Samantha Shanahan says
I substituted KA GF all purpose and it worked perfectly!
Eileen says
Could I substitute conconut sugar for the brown sugar?
Virginia Tuten says
I made the discard pancakes, and they were the most delicious pancakes we have ever eaten. Thank you for the free recipes on your website.
Erin says
First time, I made two loaves out of the recipe and it turned out perfect(I fill them a little more than half the way, and with the active starter they rise to almost the top of the tin)!
Another time I did 1 loaf and 12 muffins!
Tonight, I doubled the recipe and made 2 loaves, 4 mini loaves, and 6 muffins!
Best banana bread EVER!!!
Marcy says
This is the perfect banana bread recipe. I added a few walnuts to mine. So moist and flavorful!
Doug says
Great recipe which I only looked for because my wife asked if there was a banana bread recipe for the sourdough starter we have always bubbling away!
I was a bit concerned because the bananas were definitely over (around 450 g) but I kept all the other measures the same. I figured it might need an extra 5-10 minutes but when I checked at 60 minutes if was almost there and at 65 it was perfect!
Great tasting banana bread that I will make again.
Christina Balch says
I love this recipe. It is an easy to follow recipe that produces a muffinlike texture that is simply fabulous.
Bianca says
So so good!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!! The only thing I would like to know about this recipe… is the macronutrients ? I looked for it but couldn’t find it.
Emilie Raffa says
Wonderful! You are very welcome. Unfortunately, I have not included the nutritional info. An online calculator will work!
Mare Simone says
I followed the recipe pretty closely using coconut oil. I reduced the amount of sugar and added a bit more of the starter the balance the volume. Tossed in some whole raspberries and pecan bits. It was delicious. Thank you for this great recipe.
Brittany says
I tried making this but it’s raw in the middle. ☹️ I baked it at 360 for 65 min, let it rest in the pan for 20 min & on the cooling rack over night. I cut into it the next day, flipped it around & put it back into a 360 degree oven for 20 more min & it’s still raw in the middle. Idk?!
Celeste says
Just made it and am having the same problem.
Tiffany says
Are you at a higher altitude? I am and have to lower the baking soda by at least 1/4 tsp.
Lisa Lizotte from Habits and Home says
My loaf pans were being used for your farmhouse loaf bread recipe so I turned these into muffins. I baked them for 35 minutes in 9 large muffin tins and they turned out perfect!
Olean says
I made this recipe tonight. I used unsalted butter instead of the oil. I had enough batter for a single loaf pan & an 8 inch cake pan. I added chocolate chips to half of the cake pan. I baked them with a small pan of water on the shelf underneath. Both turned out delicious & very moist. I did add chopped walnuts too. Nummy!!
Mgrace says
I have made this recipe exactly as written (absolutely delicious) and this week I made it using Measure for Measure GF flour and almond milk so that my daughter could have it too. It was still absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe – our family loves it.
Tinas says
I very carefully measured all the ingredients by weight. Even using discard starter, it over topped the pan and created a huge mess in my oven.
Barbara says
I am so happy with how this recipe turned out! Delicious!
K G says
I LOVE this recipe! I’ve made it a few times and it’s always been a hit. I like to add blueberries or chocolate chips to it.
Question – my boyfriend is allergic to eggs. Has anyone substituted the eggs with applesauce or more bananas? Would love to know how much and how it turned out. TY
Teresa says
I’ve never replaced eggs with applesauce or banana but there are egg substitutes out there like vinegar and baking soda that would probably work
Eva says
When baking, Chia seed works as an easy substitution for eggs without any flavor getting in the way of the original recipe. For one egg, mix 1 tablespoon of chia seeds to 2 1/2 tablespoons of water. Then add to the recipe without any other changes.
Ken says
Excellent recipe!! I made a few minor adjustments to take it up a notch…added chocolate chips (because chocolate chips in banana bread is the best!!) and made them in muffin tins (23 min at 360 degrees was about right…they freeze perfectly). Unlike other banana bread recipes, this is so light and airy. Every one of your recipes has been fabulous. Thank you.
May W says
This is the best banana bread and I shall never use another recipe again.
Katelyn Reynolds says
Can I make this in a muffin tin? I don’t have a bread tin, but this sounds delicious.
valeria says
Hello! Is it possible to substitute the oil for butter? Thanks
Megan says
Can you use Unsweetened apple sauce instead of oil in this recipe? I like to use that instead.
Mary says
I have made this recipe a couple of times now and it is so delicious and moist. I added pecans to this and used stevia without powder sugar or mascarpone. Also baked in large muffin pan that makes 6 individual muffins. They look like the muffins bought at Costco but much healthier. I also store them in the freezer and reheat in microwave and they taste just as good as right out of the oven. Thank you so much for such a moist banana bread!
Renee Huffman says
Have you tried subbing out the milk for buttermilk? Ben Starr says it improves any baking recipe. Curious if anyone has tried it!
Tina says
This is the most AMAZING banana bread recipe I’ve ever tried 🖤 I’ve made it a few times now, it’s definitely my new go to! Can I use sourdough discard or does it have to be active starter?
Holly says
I used sourdough discard and it came out great!
Katia says
Can I make this recipe after rise peak?
Emily Palmer Brown says
This was easy, moist and rich in flavor. My bananas were wonderfully soggy ripe- no yellow left on skins- and I used coconut oil. Great banana bread option!
Nicky says
Amazing recipe! Soft , tasty!
Abigail says
The best banana bread I’ve had! Yesterday I made this recipe into muffins (I think it made about 16 muffins) and they’re almost gone. Next time I’ll have to try making it with melted butter.
Leonie says
Girl I have never commented on a recipe before but this is SO good? What the hell?? I was depressed because my sourdough bread didn’t turn out great but I think the lord in heaven assigned me my starter so I could make this.
C says
Made this recipe but made it into cupcakes rather than loaves. They look great – impatiently waiting for them to cool so I can try them!
Abby says
Did you change the baking time because you made muffins instead of a loaf?
C says
Hi Abby, yes I adjusted the timing down to 25mins but checked them at around 20mins. They turned out really well – light, fluffy and very tasty. I’d probably cut the sugar next time round as I found them a little too sweet but no-one else thought so!
Mrs Mackintosh says
Baked this yesterday night to use up some excess starter and save some overripe bananas from going to waste. Turned out beautifully moist, lovely texture and delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Danielle says
This was phenomenal! Cut the sugar down to 150 g, subbed the oil 65%/35% applesauce/olive oil, and added walnuts. Brought it to a party and the banana bread was rated higher than a cake from a bakery featured on food network shows! Thanks for sharing
Denise says
Thanks for this suggested adjustment! I made per recipe and loved it with walnuts. Am excited to cut back on the oil and sugar!
Deb says
Wow! This is a moist and delicious banana bread. I am new to the sourdough world and this is the first recipe I tried. It worked out perfectly and the family told me not to lose the recipe. I did put in a bit less sugar as I added chocolate chips. Thank you for sharing!
SG says
Have made this so many times and aways get rave reviews. I add in walnuts and chocolate chips, and usually half the amount of brown sugar, and it still turns out pretty sweet. My husband once made banana bread using a different recipe and it tasted no where near as good as this one. Super fluffy and perfect.
Emilie Raffa says
Thank you! I LOVE adding walnuts to this recipe. In fact, I’m on a weird walnut kick right now, adding walnuts to everything. Glad you liked the recipe! xx
Melanie Thompson says
I love love love this recipe! I have made it 3 times, once as is, once with pecans, once with walnuts. This honestly makes the world’s best banana bread. I was not expecting to love it before I made it since it didn’t have any warm spices – no cinnamon, no nutmeg, no cloves, but had to use up over-ripe bananas and wanted to use some sourdough starter. Try this recipe, it will NOT disappoint, I promise!
Amy says
Just made this and it was delish! I did veganise it by replacing the eggs with two table spoons of chia seeds soaked in 6 tablespoons of water for ten minutes. Worked perfectly!
Sarah says
I have a question. I Was adding everything with a scale. The oil amount didn’t seem right. My 9×5 loaf had to bake for around 90 minutes for it to not be doughy in the middle. What could have gone wrong with this. I’m just starting my sourdough journey and I’m not sure if this was a success or failure. Only time will tell in the morning. I added white chocolate chips to mine.
G says
Did you change the scale from gram to mL ?
Rachel Wells says
You can’t measure ml with a scale. Ml are a volume measurement. Grams are weight, which are measured with a scale. Your batter had too much oil.
Melanie Thompson says
I didn’t find too much oil, was perfect and moist. If you use a Pyrex glass measuring cup it has “cup” measurements on one side and “ML” measurements on the other. I put 1/2 cup of oil (I’ve used Canola and I’ve used Avocado Oil) in the cup, then add 1/4 cup of milk to the cup, which brings the liquid to 3/4 cup. Perfect everytime!
Kimberly says
I did mine in the same size loaf pan and it also took 90 minutes. Followed the recipe to a T. I think it just needs to be adjusted in the actual recipe.
Kristen says
I did everything to a T and had the same issue. Not sure why but just had to put foil over the top so it didn’t burn
Val says
I’ve made this bread a few times now and it sure is tasty! But I’ve had issues with the bake time and the bottom/sides getting over cooked and dry (for reference I use a 9×5 pan and baked for 60min).
Next time I make it I will try baking at 350 or decrease time in the oven.
Dana Zia says
Just made this tonight and it was delicious!! The only change I made was halved the sugar and added cardamom and walnuts. I’ll be making this again!
Jessica says
Hi, I haven’t made it yet. I am curious, why do you add the milk and oil after the flour? Wouldn’t it eliminate the risk of it being tough if you already had those liquids in with the egg sugar etc. before adding the flour slowly?
Thanks!
J9 says
I’ve never left a comment before. This banana bread is so good that I had to say it. Fluffiest and moistest and most deliviousness. Wow that crunchy crust with the soft inside. You can’t beat this.
Anne Curry says
Mel says
Really like this. I subbed half the brown sugar with coconut sugar.
Leah says
Hello!
Is it possible to do a long ferment on this banana bread? I am interested in the benefits of fermenting. Thanks!
Tiana Smith says
I love King Arthur’s sourdough pancake recipe, with the overnight fermentation. I May try to do that for this recipe—mix everything except the egg, baking soda, salt, which I’ll add tomorrow morning.
Has anyone tried this already?
Katie says
I’ve been leaving out just the eggs and milk for the overnight ferment in the fridge. Then adding them in the morning before I bake. Works great! Next time I’ll have to try leaving out the baking soda till the morning too.
Astrid says
I tried this recipe for 3-4 times, everytime with different method haha.
First one: mix all ingredients and ferment for 5 hours in fridge. Bake
2nd: mix all ingredients and bake
3rd: mix ingredients except baking soda/salt and mix in the morning before bake
4th: mix all ingredients, let ferment in RT (30 celcius) for 2 hours, then put in the fridge for few hours before bake.
To be honest, all turns out great and my family couldn’t tell the difference haha. Probably there was some minor difference but it’s not obvious.
Very yummy banana bread and so easy to make
Thank you for sharing ❤️
Lynette says
Thank you for providing measurements in grams. If we could have a temperature for done, this recipe could be replicated exactly! This is my family’s all time favorite banana bread recipe! We make it twice a month with over bananas sold for fifty cents a bag at our local Mexican food market. We add a few pecans to the top before backing. Delicious !
Birdie says
Tried the recipe this morning and it’s delicious! I only used a hand mixer for the bananas, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs… the rest of the ingredients were mixed in by hand.
Sunny says
OMG! Emilie! This is absolutely THE BEST banana bread I’ve ever tasted! I have just begun my sourdough journey and I am loving the results of everything I have baked so far. I first made your sourdough pancakes (after a thorough search & review of ‘the best sourdough pancakes’ recipes available on Google!) and then found your banana bread recipe. It works for all the reasons you outline and it is simply DA BEST! The brown sugar, I believe, is the reason, and the order in which all ingredients are added to the mixer. Wow. I love it! Thank you for helping aspiring bakers/cooks realize some beautiful, enticing and delicious recipes! Cheers!
Becky Sue says
Possibly the best banana bread recipe out there. The only thing I would do differently next time is add walnuts.
Rachel says
I changed this to suit what I had, and it was still amazing!! I only had two old bananas, so I used canned pumpkin to substitute for the rest. I used sourdough discard, buttermilk instead of milk, and I added cinnamon and apple pie spice because I like spices in my banana bread and also because of the pumpkin. Thanks for the recipe!
Melanie T says
I hope you try it “as is” because this banana bread is amazingly tender – I might even say **luscious** exactly as written. I have made this many times, I now look forward to bananas going bad on me – actually make “tsk” sounds when my husband eats one before it gets the perfect amount of browning. I regularly make it for gifts – a few of those folks think it isn’t banana bread without nuts – for those I finely chop pecans and sprinkle them on the top before the loaf goes in the oven.