Sourdough Discard Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips Recipe
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.
- 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
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
- 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.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, light brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until fully combined and smooth.
- 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.
- 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.
- Incorporate chocolate chips and pecans: Gently fold in chocolate chips and chopped pecans (if using) for texture and flavor.
- 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.
- 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.
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