Sourdough Banana Bread with Chai Spices

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What is Banana Bread?

Banana bread is more akin to a cake than bread. Banana bread consists of sugar, eggs, and fat, and is baked in a bread loaf pan. The result is moist cakey bread that slices easily, stores and travels well, and makes a great breakfast treat, dessert, or afternoon snack.

While this recipe highlights warming spices in banana bread, you can add nuts or chocolate chips for additional flavor and texture.

Baking vegetables and fruits into desserts have been around for centuries, but the first banana bread recipes were documented in the 1930s during the Great Depression. Instead of wasting overripe bananas, they were baked into cakes to extend their convenience (and likely to market baking powder). This is similar to using excess garden zucchini to make zucchini bread.

More recently, banana bread was all the rage during the early months of COVID-19 lockdowns (along with sourdough baking, of course). I guess when life gives you bananas…make banana bread? 🤷‍♂️

Furthermore, banana bread is easy to make! Mix the dry and wet ingredients, pour into a bread loaf pan, and bake for about an hour. It doesn’t get much easier than that in baking!

Moist interior of sourdough banana bread sliced

🛠 Tools Needed:

Click on the toggles below for more information, recommendations, and possible substitutes.

Bread Loaf Pan

Bake this banana bread in a 9×5″ bread pan. If you’re using a smaller pan, only fill it up 75% so it doesn’t overflow. I really like the USA Pans linked above because they have a natural non-stick coating.

Baking Scale

I always list ingredients by weight in grams because it is the most accurate way to measure baking ingredients. Use a scale, and your baking will immediately be better!

I love my Escali baking scale and use it every day. The batteries last a long time, the scale is accurate, and it comes in many colors.

Whisk

I use this great Oxo whisk to mix everything together. With one utensil, making banana bread couldn’t be easier!

🛒 Ingredients Needed:

Click on the toggles below for more information, recommendations, and possible substitutes.

Bananas

This bread is packed full of bananas. Four bananas are in the batter, and one is sliced on top of the bread, which caramelizes in the oven.

Only use very ripe bananas to make banana bread. Ripe bananas are sweeter and less starchy, add moisture, and make the bread taste more like…well, bananas.

The bananas should have many brown spots and be overripe.

All-Purpose Flour

I use King Arthur all-purpose flour for this recipe but any all-purpose flour would work well here.

Baking Powder & Baking Soda

Baking powder and baking soda help the bread rise in the oven, and the baking soda will react and balance out the acidity of the sourdough starter.

Spices

For this banana bread recipe, you can use any mix of spices. I’m fond of warming spices commonly found in masala chai, such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, allspice, clove, and a touch of black pepper.

This mix of spices, especially the cardamom (slightly citrusy and spicy), pairs nicely with the caramel banana flavors, and each spice adds its own unique flavor.

Nonetheless, you can substitute the spices or add anise, nutmeg, mace, etc.

Masala chai spices on plate including cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, allspice, cardamom, and cloves — Ground masala chai spices from top clockwise: cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, allspice, and ginger

Sourdough Starter (active or discard)

Active sourdough starter or sourdough discard work for this banana bread recipe.

Don’t have a sourdough starter? Follow my How to Make a Sourdough Starter guide to learn how to make and maintain your own in just a week.

Coconut Oil

I find refined coconut oil in banana bread keeps the bread extra moist. Substitute it with a neutral oil like vegetable oil if you don’t have coconut oil.

Unrefined coconut oil is okay to use, but there might be more coconut flavor in the loaf (not an issue to me, though!).

Unsalted butter

The other fat used in this recipe is melted butter. Butter adds richness and more moisture to the loaf.

While you could only use butter or only use oil in banana bread, I found the best results in recipe testing using both! The two balance flavor, richness, moisture, and slightly crumbly texture to make a perfect loaf.

Sea Salt
Eggs
Vanilla
Light Brown Sugar
Demerara or Raw Sugar (for topping, optional)

Dry ingredients needed for sourdough banana bread including flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and masala chai spices — Dry ingredients needed for sourdough banana bread

Wet ingredients needed for sourdough banana bread including bananas, light brown sugar, eggs, sourdough starter, butter, coconut oil, and vanilla extract — Wet ingredients needed for sourdough banana bread

🍌 How to Make Sourdough Banana Bread:

Follow this visual and detailed recipe guide to help you make the best sourdough discard banana bread.

1. Preheat Oven and Prepare Bread Loaf Pan

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC).

Coat the interior of a 9×5″ bread loaf pan with butter or non-stick spray.

Line the pan with a piece of parchment paper that fits the length of the pan and has a couple of inches of overhang on each side like two wings. This will help you remove the bread from the pan.

Oil or spray the parchment paper. Set aside.

Prepared bread loaf pan sprayed with oil with parchment paper — Prepared bread loaf pan

2. Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the following dry ingredients:

2 cups (240 grams) of all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Ground Spices: 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp cardamom, ½ tsp ginger, ¼ tsp allspice, ⅛ tsp cloves, ⅛ tsp black pepper
1 tsp sea salt

Set aside.

Whisking dry ingredients for sourdough banana bread together in bowl — Whisking the dry ingredients

3. Mash the Bananas and Mix the Wet Ingredients:

In another large mixing bowl, mash four ripe bananas with a fork.

Whisk in the following wet ingredients:

2 large eggs
½ cup (150 grams) sourdough starter (active or discard)
6 TBS (85 grams) melted unsalted butter
¼ cup (40 grams) melted refined coconut oil
½ cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla extract

The wet ingredients will still be a bit lumpy from the bananas, which is fine! The more lumps of bananas you leave, the bigger pockets of bananas you’ll get in your bread, which I prefer.

Mashing ripe bananas in bowl with a fork — Mashing bananas

Whisking the wet ingredients for sourdough banana bread in bowl — Mashing bananas

4. Mix:

Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients.

Mix the banana bread batter until no dry pockets of flour remain.

At this point, you can fold in ½ cup of toasted nuts or chocolate chips if you desire. Mini chocolate chips are also welcome!lig

Whisking wet and dry ingredients together in bowl — Whisking the wet and dry ingredients together

sourdough banana bread batter mixed in bowl with a whisk — Whisking the wet and dry ingredients together

5. Bake:

Pour the banana bread batter into the prepared bread loaf pan.

Slice one banana in half lengthwise and lay each half cut-side up on top of the batter.

Finally, sprinkle the top with a tablespoon of demerara or raw sugar.

Pouring the sourdough banana bread into the bread loaf pan — Pouring the sourdough banana bread batter into the bread loaf pan

Sliced bananas and demerara sugar sprinkled on top of unbaked sourdough banana bread — Pouring the sourdough banana bread batter into the bread loaf pan

Bake the banana bread at 350ºF (177ºC) for 55-65 minutes until the top caramelizes, a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or the internal temperature reads 200ºF (93ºC).

Cool the loaf on a wire rack. Lift the loaf out of the pan using the parchment paper.

Finally, slice and enjoy!

Hand pulling a slice of sourdough banana bread from loaf

How to Serve Sourdough Banana Bread

This spiced sourdough banana bread recipe pairs exceptionally well with something creamy. Think a dollop of crème fraîche, mascarpone, Greek yogurt, or cultured butter.

I also enjoy banana bread with creamy nut butter and flaky salt, like peanut butter or almond butter.

Banana bread can be served any time, but it’s particularly good as an afternoon pick-me-up, evening treat, or sweet breakfast.

Furthermore, because it stores well, the bread is a solid traveling loaf cake for get-togethers or as sliced baking gifts for others.

Slice of sourdough banana bread with a dollop of peanut butter and flaky salt — Sourdough banana bread with peanut butter

How to Store Sourdough Banana Bread

You can store sourdough banana bread at room temperature for three to four days wrapped tightly in aluminum foil.

To keep longer, store in the refrigerator for up to a week. Eat the bread cold or reheat it slightly in a toaster oven or oven.

Additionally, banana bread can be frozen for long-term storage. Freeze the entire loaf to retain moisture. Wrap the loaf in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place it in a resealable freezer-safe bag.

To thaw the frozen banana bread, place it in the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight or for a few hours on the counter.

Tips for Success:

Don’t Overmix:
- Overmixing is probably the biggest fatal mistake of most cake recipes! If your cakes always turn out tough and chewy instead of tender and soft, then you are probably overmixing your batter. Mix just until combined and no more.
- When flour hits a liquid, gluten immediately starts to form, and the gluten strands are what create chewiness in breads (something we’d want in a recipe like My Everyday Sourdough Bread recipe), but not in a soft and tender cake like this recipe or my Sourdough Apple Cider Upside-Down Cake.
Use Overripe Bananas:
- The longer bananas ripen, the sweeter they become. This is because the starches convert to sugars overtime. Ever had a green banana? It’s not tasty! For this recipe, we’re looking for bananas that are covered in brown spots. This is what will give you the best banana flavor and texture!
Bake Long Enough:
- It’s easy to be inpatient and rush this recipe, but banana bread does require about an hour in the oven to bake. Use a toothpick or a cake tester to check if the bread is done baking. No crumbs or only a few should remain on the tester at the end of baking.
Cool:
- If you slice into any baked goods too quickly, they will lose moisture as steam escapes. This can lead to the cake drying out faster and to a sunken loaf. I typically let banana bread cool for at least an hour before slicing (the wait is worth it!).

Sourdough Banana Bread FAQs:

Can I double this recipe?

This recipe makes one standard banana bread loaf. You’re welcome to double the recipe. Simply double the ingredients, follow the same instructions, and divide the batter in half to pour into two bread loaf pans.

Can I make this recipe vegan?

Yes! Replace all of the butter with vegan butter or coconut oil. Use a flax egg or egg replacer.

Can I make banana bread into sourdough banana muffins?

Yes, simply pour the batter into muffin tins/liners and bake at 350ºF for 20-30 minutes (time can depend on how dark your muffin pan is).

Can I add whole wheat to this sourdough banana bread?

Replace ½ cup all-purpose flour with whole wheat or another type of flour. Substituting all-purpose flour with whole-wheat flour might result in a denser loaf.

What other additions can be added?

This is an adaptable and flexible recipe. Add ½ cup of toasted pecans, walnuts, dried fruit like raisins, or chocolate chips to the banana bread after mixing the loaf. It makes a delicious chocolate chip banana bread!

Furthermore, swap out spices or add peanut or almond butter to the batter. If you add nut butter, reduce the butter in the recipe.

Loaf of sliced sourdough banana bread with a bread knife and chai spices

What Questions Do You Have About Sourdough Banana Bread?

Leave your questions or comments in the discussion below.

Sliced sourdough banana bread with masala chai spices

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