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Indulge in this banana bread for a healthier, refined sugar free, but incredibly delicious treat! Pair it with cream cheese or butter for breakfast or a snack, or serve it warm with a scoop of ice cream for a delicious dessert. You can meal prep it for the week ahead and store it at room temperature, or you can even freeze individually wrapped slices to enjoy for the months to come.
This banana bread recipe is inspired by the recipe originally created by King Arthur Baking Company. My sister had made their recipe and I absolutely loved it, so I wanted to share a refined sugar free version!
Ingredients needed
Butter – Use room temperature butter or slightly softened butter. Do not use melted because it’ll create a more flat banana bread. You can sub with melted and cooled coconut oil if you want. You don’t want it to be warm but want it to be soft.
Coconut sugar – Adds the sweet touch that banana bread is known for!
Vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt – Adds delicious flavor that we all know in a classic banana bread.
Baking soda, baking powder – Helps the bread rise properly. I love a tall banana bread!
Bananas – The necessity for banana bread! A little trick I learned from Insider is that you can use yellow bananas for banana bread, and it actually makes the banana flavor more pungent. For this recipe, feel free to use one yellow/slightly spotty banana in combination with very ripe bananas (such as 300g very ripe bananas and 95g yellow banana). The benefit of very ripe bananas is the added sweetness, so I don’t recommend replacing all of them with yellow bananas.
Honey – Adds moisture. I love honey because it’s high in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, AND it helps fight environmental allergies when you buy local, raw honey.
Eggs – They act as a binder and help the bread stay moist and rise.
Sourdough starter – The great part is that you can use discard! No need to feed your starter ahead of time, just use up some discard. But be careful not to use super old, sour discard, as that may be a little too pungent.
Flour – I used heritage flour by Sunrise Flour Mill which is non-GMO, but I also like to use white flour.
Can I omit the sourdough starter?
Yes, absolutely! The sourdough starter can easily be replaced with equal parts milk and flour. For example, the recipe calls for 115 g of sourdough starter, so if you want to replace it, then use 58 g of milk and 58 g of flour in its place (I rounded up for ease). Keep in mind, this 58 g of flour is in addition to the flour already called for in the recipe.
Customize your banana bread
If you want to customize your banana bread, then feel free to!
- Add chocolate chips: If you love chocolate in your banana bread, then I’m right there with ya! I love it to. Feel free to add chocolate chips or chopped chocolate to the recipe.
- Add chopped nuts: If you want a crunchy touch to the banana bread, then feel free to add chopped nuts, such as walnuts or pecans.
- Add extra spices: If you want extra warmth, then you can add cloves, nutmeg, and allspice. I would add 1/8-1/4 tsp each, depending on how strong you want it.
Tips for storing & reheating
Store any leftover banana bread by wrapping it tightly then storing in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.
To freeze the whole loaf: Step 1: Let the banana bread cool completely to room temperature. You want to do this because it’ll prevent freezer burn. Step 2: Either freeze the loaf whole by wrapping tightly then placing in a freezer-friendly container. Step 3: Place in the freezer and eat within 3 months.
To freeze individual slices: Step 1: Let the banana bread cool down completely to room temperature. Step 2: Slice as desired. Step 3: Wrap each individual slice tightly then place in a freezer-friendly container. Step 4: Place in the freezer and eat within 3 months.
More recipes you’ll love
Blueberry Muffins (Refined Sugar Free)
Coffee Cake (gluten-free, dairy-free)
Sourdough Discard Oat Pancakes
Oat Flour Pumpkin Bread
I hope you love this Sourdough Banana Bread! If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Sourdough Banana Bread – King Arthur Baking
Indulge in this bread for a healthier, refined sugar free, but incredibly delicious treat! Pair it with cream cheese or butter for breakfast or a snack, or serve it warm with a scoop of ice cream for a delicious dessert. You can meal prep it for the week ahead and store it at room temperature, or you can even freeze individually wrapped slices to enjoy for the months to come.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings
- Category: Breakfast, Snack
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
8 Tbsp butter, room temp or slightly softened (not melted)
1 cup coconut sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 rounded tsp cinnamon
1/4 rounded tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
395 g mashed very ripe banana
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
115 g sourdough starter (discard is fine)
280 g heritage flour or white flour
(Optional additions: chocolate chips, chopped nuts)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan (I used glass).
- In a large bowl, combine the butter, coconut sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, beating until smooth. This works best with a kitchen-aid mixer. You can use a hand mixer as well, but I recommend a large and tall bowl to prevent the mixture from flying out of the bowl while you are mixing it.
- Add the mashed bananas, honey, eggs, and sourdough starter. Beat until combined.
- Add the flour and stir just until smooth. Do not over-mix.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top. Let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Bake for 45 minutes, then gently lay a piece of aluminum foil across the top to prevent over-browning.
- Bake for an additional 25 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven; a long toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean, with a few wet crumbs clinging to it. The tester shouldn’t show any sign of uncooked batter. If it does, bake the bread an additional 5 minutes, or until it tests done.
- Allow the bread to cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan. Then remove it from the pan to cool completely on a rack.
- Please leave a comment and review if you made this recipe!! Thanks so much <3
Notes
Store leftover bread, tightly wrapped, at room temperature for several days.
Freeze for longer storage. Tightly wrap it then place in a freezer-friendly container. Freeze for up to 3 months. You can also freeze individual slices the same way.
How to omit the sourdough starter if you don’t have it:
The sourdough starter can easily be replaced with equal parts milk and flour. For example, the recipe calls for 115 g of sourdough starter, so if you want to replace it, then use 58 g of milk and 58 g of flour in its place (I rounded up for ease). Keep in mind, this 58 g of flour is in addition to the flour already called for in the recipe.
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