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!
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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.
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.
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.
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).
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!
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.
Vegan Sourdough Banana Bread
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
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×5-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
Nutrition
About Stephie
Stephie is the creator of Stephie Cooks, a food blog that focuses on creating memories around the food we share, with family recipes at the site’s heart. Stephie lives in Central Illinois with her husband, daughter, and a menagerie of cats and dogs. When she’s not in the kitchen or at her computer writing, you can usually find her curled up with a book or working on one of her many grandma-esque hobbies. Learn more >
The texture is incredible!!!
I made it with date sugar, so it’s not as sweet, but it’s still very tasty. I can’t wait to eat it with some vegan chocolate spread and peanut butter!
So glad you enjoyed!!
This bread is so good. I didn’t have pecans but chopped Brazil nuts added a nice crunch. Thank you!
Love the idea of the chopped Brazil nuts instead! Thank you for sharing your feedback, Jacquie, and so glad you loved the bread!
Just made this and it’s wonderful. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it, Gisele! Thanks for sharing!
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.
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! 🙂
Wonderful!! Thank you so much for sharing. 🙂
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.
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.
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!
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.
Gosh, this loaf is gorgeous! I make banana bread pretty regularly and this will be the next recipe I try – thanks!!
I hope you love it!
Oh this is amazing!! Love love loveeeeeee vegan recipes.
As if sour dough bread and banana bread aren’t good on their own, this kicks it up a notch! Yum!