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Vegan Sourdough Banana Bread is a great way to use up your sourdough starter discard! This easy banana bread does not require eggs or milk, making it easy to whip up even if your pantry is a little sparse!

Overhead view of sliced loaf of vegan sourdough banana bread on a cooling rack, set on a marble countertop

Sourdough starter is really having a moment.

With everyone stuck at home, it is hard to find someone who hasn’t at least considered dabbling in sourdough.

I’ve been a fan of sourdough for a long time. For a couple of years I had a starter made using my sourdough starter tutorial.

When we got married and were gone several weeks for the wedding and honeymoon, I ended up letting my starter die off. RIP.

Several months ago I decided to get into sourdough again. This time, instead of making my own starter, I got some from a friend who works at a local bakery.

If you aren’t up for starting your own from scratch, getting some from a friend or a bakery is a great option. The older a starter is, the more flavorful it is, so you’d be ahead of the game from the jump.

Overhead view of bubbly sourdough starter in a glass jar on a marble counter

Either way, one of the things I like most about sourdough is how versatile it is.

Sure, you can make a traditional sourdough boule or batard. (My current favorite being Joshua Weissman’s No Knead Beginner Sourdough Bread.)

But you can also make less-traditional breads, such as sourdough focaccia or Roasted Strawberry Sourdough Muffins, with your starter.

Hell, you can even make pancakes, waffles, or sourdough crackers.

The thing about making recipes like muffins and crackers is that you can actually make use of your starter discard – that is, the leftover starter that you would normally throw away when you feed your starter.

But one of my favorite ways to use my discard is in this Vegan Sourdough Banana Bread.

Side view of bubbly sourdough starter in a glass jar in front of a marble backsplash

BANANA BREAD USING SOURDOUGH DISCARD

As you guys know, I’m not strictly a vegan baker, and most of the time my vegan recipes are only vegan by accident.

But the happy side-effect of this recipe being intentionally vegan is that, in addition to using up your sourdough discard, it can be made even if your pantry and fridge are looking a little sparse.

No eggs? No problem.

No milk? No problem.

No butter? No problem.

Angled view of sliced loaf of sourdough banana bread on a cooling rack with a measuring cup of flour in the backgroun

The sourdough starter provides the same moisture and tang that buttermilk would in traditional banana bread, and a “flax egg” (ground flax and water) stands in place of chicken eggs.

This recipe also has very little oil, using only 2 tablespoons of coconut oil.

If you like, you can use one large egg in place of the “flax egg” if you happen to have eggs on hand (and don’t need the bread to be vegan, of course).

Baked loaf of vegan sourdough banana bread on a cooling rack, with a bowl of brown sugar and a glass jar of sourdough starter in the background

HOW TO MAKE SOURDOUGH BANANA BREAD

Unlike traditional sourdough breads that require stretching and folding and long fermentation (rise) times, making Vegan Sourdough Banana Bread is not that much different from making regular banana bread.

First, combine the ground flax and the water. As that hangs out, it will thicken and take on a consistency similar to an egg. This is your “flax egg”!

Whisk together the dry ingredients.

Mix together the wet ingredients.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold in some chopped pecans.

Pour into a prepared loaf pan and bake!

Overhead view of 2 gray plates with slices of sourdough banana bread next to a sliced loaf of banana bread on a cooling rack

I like to make this bread with some chopped pecans, but you could go for some chocolate chips if you prefer.

But what about toppings? Before baking, you can sprinkle the top with some more ground flaxseed, cinnamon sugar, or more chopped pecans!

You could even decorate the top with some slices of banana. Really, it’s all about what sounds best to you.

How you eat your banana bread? Well, that’s up to you. Although I personally suggest it warmed with some butter {or, you know, vegan margarine} and a hefty sprinkling of cinnamon sugar.

But that’s just my opinion.

Overhead view of baked loaf of vegan sourdough banana bread on a cooling rack next to a bowl of brown sugar, a measuring cup of flour and a jar of sourdough starter

Overhead view of sliced loaf of vegan sourdough banana bread on a cooling rack, set on a marble countertop

Vegan Sourdough Banana Bread

Vegan Sourdough Banana Bread is a great way to use up your sourdough starter discard! This easy banana bread does not require eggs or milk, making it easy to whip up even if your pantry is a little sparse!
4.61 from 33 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 10

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup sourdough starter
  • 3 bananas mashed
  • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans
  • Optional toppings: Ground flaxseed; cinnamon sugar; chopped or whole pecans

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan; set aside.
  • In a small bowl, combine the ground flaxseed with the water. Set aside for 10-15 minutes, or until thickened and the consistency of an egg.
  • In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, and salt.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the starter, mashed banana, flaxseed mixture (your "flax egg"), vanilla, oil, and brown sugar. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Gently fold in the pecans.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. If desired, sprinkle the top generously with extra ground flaxseed, cinnamon sugar, or pecans. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before removing from the pan, then set on a rack to cool completely.

Notes

If you don't need the recipe to be vegan, you can use 1 large egg in place of the "flax egg" (ground flax + water) in the recipe.
Makes 1 9x5-inch loaf.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 224kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 230mg | Potassium: 210mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 28IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg

44 Comments

  1. Totally relate to the inconsequential speck of Internet real estate feelings you have. I feel like sometimes my life motto is based on Dory from Finding Nemo, “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..” Just keep moving forward, everything will be as it is supposed to be! PS sourdough and banana…. Genius!

  2. Two things. 1: So could I make dairy-free soda bread with sourdough starter? This intrigues me. 2: I totally understand how you feel, but remember that in a weird way you are so lucky to have all of your “competitors” since they are also your community! OK three things. 3: Good for you for sticking with the job hunt until you find something that works, and not just settling and being bummed.

  3. I think your honesty about what you want out of life is going to get you very far! Do you know how many people float around and don’t know what they want? You know exactly what you want! Now, go get it! I’ll email you more…. 😉

  4. Gonna have to try this with some of those de-woozicated bananas that tend to hang around. I’m thinking a pecan/cinnamon sugar mixture on top. 🙂

  5. Sluuuuurp…oh sorry, that was me sucking back the saliva that was forming in my mouth while reading your post. Sourdough banana bread, Stephie, you craaaazy! It sounds sooo good! and slathered in melty butter is exactly how I like it. I say kudos to you for following your dreams! Great things are headed your way, missy!!

  6. One year later…. I’m discovering more of your fantastic sourdough recipes. This one is excellent. I shared it with my loved one of course but also with a very nice lady who turned 93 today. Totally delicious! I was so happy I could use my sourdough friend for something else than bread. Thank you again!

    1. This comment seriously made my day. I love that you shared it with your 93-year-old friend on her birthday! What sweet memories. Honored that I could be a part of them in a small way.

  7. Hi Stephie!

    First of all, I should say you’ve got a resourceful site. Interesting way of using sourdough starter in making banana bread and I’m thinking of trying it out but can I omit using baking powder or soda. Will the result be the same.

    Thanks.

    1. Hi Abby! Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I have never made he bread without the baking soda so I can’t tell you precisely what would happen, but because the sourdough does not have enough time for it to really do it’s rising job, you need the soda to give it a boost. The starter isn’t there so much for rise in this case as much as it is for flavor.

  8. I made this a couple of weeks ago, let it cool and wrapped it in foil and then into a ziploc to freeze. Got it out for family day weekend, and it was fantastic. Really moist and delicious! thank you! I used toasted walnuts because I didn’t have pecans, and sprinkled the top with some brown sugar, ground walnuts, and plenty of cinnamon. Also, I used 4 small to med. bananas, since who knows, maybe your three were extra large, right? 🙂 Fantastic.

    1. I just made this for the second time, and I decided to try something. After I mixed up the batter I let it sit on the counter for about 30-40 minutes while I washed up and preheated the oven. I wondered if my starter might start fermenting in this batter like it does in bread. The result was what I had hoped for! The banana bread rose beautifully in the oven – much more than it did the first time when I baked it immediately after mixing. Now I have a banana bread recipe that is even better! 🙂

  9. This was very good banana bread. I was surprised how “moist” it was using a lot less oil than the traditional banana bread recipe I usually use. Next time I want to try leaving it to ferment longer like Shelly did.

  10. This turned out so amazing and perfect. I used my sourdough discard and Pamela’s All Purpose Gluten free flour blend in place of the All Purpose flour. I did let the batter sit for 40 min to kind of activate, and then baked it. SO. GOOD! Thanks so much for this recipe! This will be my go to banana bread recipe from now on 🙂

  11. Stephie, I’m interested in making vegan discarded sourdough bread with the same recipe as your banana bread recipe, please help ! I’ve been going nuts looking for one. thank you for your recipes I will be trying some.
    Sincerely Virginia

  12. Bananas vary so much in size.
    I a curious what the ‘cup’ measurements should be for this recipe.

    Anxious to make this! Yum!

    1. Hi there! They definitely do vary a lot in size, but I have made this many, many times with bananas of varying sizes and it has always turned out great. Use what you have available and I know it’ll be great!

  13. Hi there, I’m wondering if regular flour can be used or even gluten free, instead of the wheat flour? Thanks so much🩷💫

    1. Hi Cristina – I haven’t tried using gluten-free flour, but you could definitely sub the whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour. Hope this helps!
      Stephie

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