Moist sourdough banana bread flavored with warm baking spices and studded with chocolate chips, finished with a creamy vanilla glaze. No one will notice the sourdough starter discard!
Why this recipe works
- A moist and flavorful sourdough banana bread spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves
- Chocolate chips add pools of rich chocolate for another layer of flavor
- The strong flavors mask the sourdough starter discard, so it's not detected
So, about those overripe bananas sitting on your counter, or in a baggie in the freezer? Banana bread is the obvious answer, but not something dry and tasteless. How about a chocolate chip banana bread recipe that is moist and delicious instead?
Wait...how about a banana bread recipe that uses unfed sourdough starter? You now, two birds and all that...
I've got you covered!
And it gets better. This easy sourdough discard banana bread is flavored with cinnamon and other warm baking spices, is studded with chocolate chips, and is topped with a creamy vanilla glaze. What are you waiting for?
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What you need
What makes this sourdough banana bread recipe better? Using better ingredients!
Really overripe bananas, which form the basis for banana bread, provide natural sweetness. I usually freeze chunks of overripe bananas in a ziplock bag. When I have enough, that's when I make this bread. Don't be put off by the brown blob below - it's just how bananas look after they've been frozen and defrosted.
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Brown sugar increases the bread's moisture and adds an undertone of molasses to give this quick bread a solid foundation. Sour cream and canola oil add richness. If you want, you can cut back on the calories by substituting applesauce for the canola oil. Vanilla extract, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg add a lovely, spicy warmth and layer on more flavor.
The presence of the sourdough starter discard is just a way to use it up, and won't be detected. This quick bread is an ideal use for unfed sourdough starter.
As for the chocolate chips...need I say more? You can substitute chopped walnuts or pecans for the chocolate chips (but really, no chocolate?). Use regular-sized chips if making a full-sized loaf, or mini chocolate chips for mini loaves or mini muffins (more on that in Pro Tip#2)
Banana bread is always better when there's a vanilla glaze! It's made from powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Melted butter adds richness and helps the glaze to set thickly.
How to make Sourdough Discard Banana Bread
Step 1: Make the batter
Whisk together flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and spices (photo 1). If necessary, mash any large lumps of brown sugar.
Combine the bananas, sourdough discard, egg, canola oil, sour cream, and vanilla (photo 2). Mix together until smooth.
Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips (photo 3).
Step 2: Bake the bread
Spray a standard loaf pan with baking spray. You can line it with parchment paper also if you'd like, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the long sides. Note: This recipe will make one extra-large loaf. See the Pro Tip#2 below for alternate sizes and baking times. In the pictures, I made one full-sized loaf to have for now, plus two mini loaves to put in the freezer for later.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350˚F for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean (photo 4). Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, then remove it from the pan and allow it to cool completely.
Step 3: Glaze the bread
Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl, then add the melted butter and vanilla extract. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon of the milk and stir. Continue to add milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you have a consistency of a smooth, flowing glaze (photo 5).
Once the bread has completely cooled, use a spoon to drizzle on the glaze, allowing some to drip down the sides (photo 6). You can drizzle it on in a pretty pattern, or choose to cover the breads. More vanilla glaze goodness!
Allow the glaze to set before serving.
Questions asked and answered
Here are some questions you might have...
You really want over-ripe bananas for banana bread. The skin will have thinned, and be turning dark brown, if not black. The banana inside will be soft and mushy - there's no such thing as a too-ripe banana for this recipe. If you're not ready to use them or don't have enough yet, you can freeze chunks of ripe bananas in a ziplock bag in the freezer for later.
If you want to make banana bread, but your bananas aren't ripe yet, you can soften them in the microwave. Poke holes in the unpeeled bananas, then cook them on a plate or paper towel on High for 30 seconds. Repeat until they're at the softness that you want.
Having a dry banana bread is most unappealing, and that comes from not having enough bananas or other wet ingredients in relation to the flour. If you "pack" your flour into a measuring cup instead of spooning it in and leveling it off, you can end up with too much flour. Replacing some of the flour with unfed sourdough starter helps.
If you use too much banana, sourdough discard, or another wet ingredient, that will lead to a heavy bread that's damp in the center. Another unappealing choice. To prevent both these scenarios, using a kitchen scale to measure out your ingredients is the best way to make sure you're using the right amount of each ingredient.
Pro Tip#1: Steps for better banana bread
There are some things that will improve your results:
- If you're using frozen bananas, they're usually really watery after defrosting. Take some time to drain them well in a fine mesh strainer. That will keep the batter from being overly wet.
- After whisking the dry ingredients together, smash out those larger lumps of brown sugar with a spoon (your hands work, too!).
- Have your sourdough starter discard, egg, and sour cream at room temperature. It helps hold the bread's volume as you mix the batter.
- Try not to over-mix the batter - you want the gluten network kept to a minimum.
What if you don't like bananas? It happens - my older daughter studiously avoids them (although she'll really miss out this time!). You can omit the banana to make Sourdough Spice Cake, or replace it with canned pumpkin for Sourdough Pumpkin Cake. Have fun with it!
Pro Tip#2: Make different sizes or shapes
This chocolate chip banana bread recipe will make one extra-large quick bread, but you have lots of choices for other sizes and shapes:
- Full recipe
- One extra large loaf in a standard loaf pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes
- One large loaf in a standard loaf pan and two mini loaves using mini loaf pans. Bake the large loaf for 35 to 40 minutes and the mini loaves for 25 to 30 minutes.
- 12 muffins in a standard muffin pan. Bake for 18 to 23 minutes
- 48 mini muffins in two mini muffin pans. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes
- One large bundt cake in a 10- to 12-cup bundt pan. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes
- Half recipe
- One large loaf in a standard loaf pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes
- Two mini loaves using mini loaf pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes
- One small bundt cake in a 6-cup bundt pan. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes
The benefit of having the smaller loaves is that they make great gifts, and they ship well! Just wrap them in wax paper to protect the glaze, then in plastic wrap to keep the bread fresh.
Strong flavor hides the sourdough tang
This sourdough discard banana bread is very flavorful from the baking spices, plus sweetness from the ripe bananas and chocolate chips. There's no detectable sourdough tang, so like with Sourdough Gingerbread, this recipe is a great place to hide sourdough starter discard.
Sourdough banana bread keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. For longer storage, wrap the loaves well in plastic wrap, put in an airtight bag, and freeze up to 3 months.
I love having a plethora of sourdough starter discard recipes at hand, and this chocolate chip banana bread made better is another example. No one will know that unfed sourdough starter is there, and I promise not to tell!
Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!
Tammy
Related Recipes
When you maintain a sourdough starter, you have a dilemma. What do you do with your unfed sourdough starter discard? I've got lots of suggestions for sweet and savory ways to use your fed sourdough starter and the sourdough starter discard.
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Recipe
Glazed Sourdough Discard Banana Bread
Ingredients
For the bread
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 to 1½ cups bananas, ripe, mashed (about 3), see Recipe Notes
- 1 cup sourdough starter discard, at room temperature
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- ¼ cup canola oil, see Recipe Notes
- ¼ cup sour cream or plain yogurt, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 ounces chocolate chips, (1 cup), see Recipe Notes
For the glaze (optional)
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Make the bread: Preheat oven to 350 °F and spray a standard loaf pan with baking spray. You can line it with parchment paper also if you'd like, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the long sides. Note: This recipe will make one extra-large loaf. See the Recipe Notes for alternative sizes and baking times.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and spices. If necessary, mash any large lumps of brown sugar.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the bananas, sourdough discard, egg, canola oil, sour cream, and vanilla. Mix together until smooth.
- Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, then remove it from the pan and allow it to cool completely.
- Make the glaze: Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl, then add the melted butter and vanilla extract. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon of the milk and stir. Continue to add milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you have a consistency of a smooth, flowing glaze.
- Once the bread has completely cooled, use a spoon to drizzle on the glaze, allowing some to drip down the sides.
- Allow the glaze to set. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
- Sourdough Banana Bread keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. For longer storage, wrap the loaves well in plastic wrap, put in an airtight bag, and freeze up to 3 months. These loaves also make great gifts and ship well!
Notes
- Full recipe
- One extra large loaf in a standard loaf pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes
- One large loaf in a standard loaf pan and two mini loaves using mini loaf pans. Bake the large loaf for 35 to 40 minutes and the mini loaves for 25 to 30 minutes.
- 12 muffins in a standard muffin pan. Bake for 18 to 23 minutes
- 48 mini muffins in two mini muffin pans. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes
- One large bundt cake in a 10- to 12-cup bundt pan. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes
- Half recipe
- One large loaf in a standard loaf pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes
- Two mini loaves using mini loaf pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes
- One small bundt cake in a 6-cup bundt pan. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes
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