Sourdough Discard Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips Recipe

Introduction

Sourdough Discard Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips is a delicious way to use up your sourdough discard while enjoying a moist and flavorful treat. This bread combines ripe bananas, rich butter, and melty chocolate chips for a perfect balance of sweetness and texture. It’s ideal for breakfast, snack time, or dessert.

Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup sourdough starter discard
• 1 cup ripe banana, mashed (2-3 large bananas)
• ¼ cup whole milk (substitute sour cream or applesauce)
• 2 cups cake flour (substitute all-purpose flour)
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup chocolate chips
• ¼ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Instructions

1. Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare your loaf pan. Cut a parchment paper sling slightly smaller than the width of the pan and place it flat in the bottom. Lightly spray the bottom and sides of the pan with a vegetable oil based spray, then smooth the parchment paper into the pan so it sticks to the spray.
2. Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth and fully combined.
3. Step 3: Add the sourdough discard, mashed banana, and milk. Whisk until fully incorporated; the batter will be lumpy, which is normal.
4. Step 4: Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, then fold gently until just combined.
5. Step 5: Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans, if using.
6. Step 6: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. You may top with extra chocolate chips and pecans if desired.
7. Step 7: Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out mostly clean. A few moist crumbs are okay, but avoid thick wet batter.
8. Step 8: Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Tips & Variations

• For a nutty depth of flavor, try using brown butter instead of regular melted butter.
• Measure your mashed banana carefully so you get exactly 1 cup; if needed, replace any shortage with sour cream or applesauce.
• You can easily turn this batter into muffins by using muffin liners and reducing the baking time to 25-30 minutes to make about 12 muffins.

Storage

Wrap the banana bread tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store it at room temperature for up to 4 days. To reheat, warm individual slices in a microwave or toaster oven until just warmed through.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?

Yes, all-purpose flour can be used as a substitute for cake flour in this recipe. The texture may be slightly denser, but the bread will still be delicious.

What can I do if I don’t have sourdough discard?

If you don’t have sourdough discard, you can omit it and add an additional ¼ cup of milk or sour cream to maintain moisture. The flavor will be less tangy but still rich and flavorful.

Sourdough Discard Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips Recipe

Pin Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.9 from 108 reviews

This Sourdough Discard Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips is a moist, flavorful loaf that cleverly uses sourdough starter discard to add depth to the classic banana bread. It combines ripe bananas, light brown sugar, and meltingly tender chocolate chips to satisfy any sweet tooth. Perfect for breakfast, snack, or dessert, this easy-to-make bread is baked until golden and studded with optional crunchy pecans for extra texture.

• Author: Maya
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 45-50 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 1 loaf (about 8 slices) or 12 muffins 1x
• Category: Breakfast, Snack, Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Wet Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup sourdough starter discard
• 1 cup ripe banana, mashed (2–3 large bananas)
• ¼ cup whole milk (or substitute sour cream or applesauce)

Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups cake flour (or substitute all purpose flour)
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Add-ins

• ½ cup chocolate chips
• ¼ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare the pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Cut a parchment paper sling slightly smaller than the loaf pan’s width and press it flat in the bottom. Lightly spray the bottom and sides of the pan with vegetable oil spray, then place the parchment sling inside, smoothing it to stick to the pan spray.
2. Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, light brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until fully combined and smooth.
3. Add sourdough, banana, and milk: Stir in the sourdough starter discard, mashed ripe banana, and milk. Whisk until fully incorporated; the batter will remain lumpy, which is normal.
4. Combine dry ingredients: Add the cake flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture gently until just combined—do not overmix.
5. Incorporate chocolate chips and pecans: Gently fold in chocolate chips and chopped pecans (if using) for texture and flavor.
6. Fill and bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Optionally, sprinkle extra chocolate chips and pecans on top. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 45-50 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
7. Cool and serve: Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before slicing to ensure clean slices and optimal texture.

Notes

• Wrap banana bread in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store at room temperature for up to 4 days to maintain freshness.
• To make muffins, line a muffin pan with liners and bake for 25-30 minutes instead of the full loaf time; this recipe yields about 12 muffins.
• Measure mashed banana carefully to get exactly 1 cup; if you don’t have enough, substitute the rest with sour cream or applesauce to maintain moisture balance.
• For richer flavor, try using brown butter instead of regular melted butter for a nutty depth.

Keywords: sourdough discard banana bread, banana bread recipe, chocolate chip banana bread, easy banana bread, baking with sourdough, moist banana bread, pecan banana bread