Sourdough Chocolate Banana Bread

4.75 from 4 votes

This Sourdough Chocolate Banana Bread is an easy way to use up overripe bananas, sourdough discard, and get your chocolate fix.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 5

Total Time1 15

Course: Sourdough Recipes and Tips

Cuisine: American

Servings: Loaf

Calories: 4452kcal

Author: Erica Schramek

Equipment

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa Dutch-process or natural
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
4 ripe bananas broken into large pieces
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup neutral oil (canola, vegetable, etc.)
2 large eggs
1 cup sourdough discard (fed or unfed)
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 ¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips divided

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Move the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a loaf pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
Whisk the 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon espresso powder,1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon baking powder together in a large bowl. Set aside.
In a second large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment mix the 4 ripe bananas on low, gradually increasing the speed to medium-high. Continue mixing until the bananas have broken down and look like lumpy baby food.
Add the ¾ cup brown sugar and ½ cup neutral oil and mix until smooth and creamy, approximately two minutes. At medium speed, add the 2 large eggs one at a time, mixing until each egg is fully incorporated. Mix in the 1 cup sourdough discard and 2 teaspoon vanilla on medium speed until combined.
With the mixer running at low speed, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until no flour clumps remain. Do not over-mix. Use a rubber spatula to fold in one cup of the chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and top with the remaining ¼ cup of chocolate chips. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes. The banana bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Notes

For accuracy, the best way to measure the flour is by using a digital kitchen scale. If you don't have a digital scale, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it with the back of a butter knife. Try not to compress the flour into the measuring cup. Too much flour creates dense banana bread.

If you don't have any sourdough discard, you can substitute sour cream, yogurt, unsweetened applesauce, or even canned pumpkin puree.

Flour: For a nuttier flavor swap up to half of the AP flour for whole wheat flour.

Frozen Bananas: You can use frozen bananas instead of fresh ones. Thaw them at room temperature and drain off any excess liquid before using them in the recipe.

Customize this banana bread by adding your favorite mix-ins. See the list above for suggestions.

If you don't have a mixer, you can use a potato masher to mash the bananas and then mix the batter by hand.

If the top of your chocolate sourdough banana bread is browning too quickly, cover it with a piece of aluminum foil.

Storage: Banana bread is best when stored at room temperature. Wrapped in plastic wrap it will keep for 4-5 days. Any longer, especially when temperatures are warmer, it will start to have a fermented flavor.

Nutrition