This Discard Banana Bread with Greek yogurt and chocolate chips works with either fed or unfed sourdough discard and is made in just one bowl.
We love to spread honey butter on warm slices straight from the pan. This recipe turns overripe bananas and sourdough discard into moist, fluffy banana bread, using two bananas just like in my other banana recipes.
This recipe uses ½ cup (about 125 g) of sourdough discard. I save discard in the fridge and use it in recipes like this to avoid waste.
The discard adds flavor and, together with Greek yogurt and baking soda, helps the loaf rise and stay moist longer. The acid in the discard reacting with the baking soda lightens the texture compared with plain banana bread.
Why This Recipe Works
- Works with active starter or cold, unfed sourdough discard.
- Mixes wet and dry ingredients in one bowl for easy prep.
- The discard and Greek yogurt react with baking soda to give a lighter, less dense crumb.
- Ingredients are listed by weight and volume for more consistent results, especially when banana sizes vary.
🛒 Ingredients
- Bananas — use fully ripe bananas with brown spots for the best flavor and easiest mashing.
- Sourdough discard — ½ cup (fed starter or cold discard). Stir to remove bubbles or weigh for accuracy.
- Brown sugar — adds sweetness and helps retain moisture during baking.
- Baking soda — reacts with the discard and yogurt to help the loaf rise.
- Greek yogurt — keeps the bread moist and helps activate the baking soda. Sour cream can be used instead.
See the recipe card below for exact quantities.
✏️ Substitutions & Variations
- Greek yogurt: substitute with sour cream (full fat or low fat).
- Melted butter: can be swapped for a neutral oil like vegetable or light olive oil.
- Sugars: coconut sugar or granulated sugar can replace brown sugar if preferred.
- Switch chocolate chips for peanut butter chips or white chocolate chips.
- Add ½ cup chopped peanuts, walnuts, or pecans for extra texture.
- Omit chips or nuts, or include both for a heartier loaf.
🧑🍳 Instructions
This sourdough discard banana bread follows a familiar banana-bread method: combine wet ingredients, then stir in dry ingredients. Use a 9×5-inch loaf pan and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Line the pan with parchment paper or grease it with baking spray.
- Step 1. Mash 2 ripe bananas in a measuring cup to yield about 200 mL (a little more than ¾ cup). Exact volume isn’t critical but aim to be close.
- Step 2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, 2 eggs, ½ cup sourdough discard, ⅓ cup melted butter, ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt, and 1 tsp vanilla until smooth.
- Step 3. Add ¾ cup brown sugar and ½ teaspoon salt; whisk to combine.
- Step 4. Add 1½ cups all-purpose flour and 1½ teaspoons baking soda. Stir until just combined and no pockets of dry flour remain. Avoid overmixing to keep the crumb tender.
- Step 5. Gently fold in ½ cup chocolate chips (optional).
- Step 6. Transfer batter to the prepared loaf pan, sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top if desired, and bake on the center rack for 50–55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes before removing and slicing. Letting it rest prevents the slices from crumbling and yields neater cuts.
📌 Top Tips For Success
- Stir active starter before measuring to remove large bubbles; weighing is most accurate.
- Bake on the middle oven rack for even browning.
- Measure dry ingredients by weight and measure bananas by volume for consistent results.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
This loaf includes protein from eggs and Greek yogurt, but it also contains sugar, butter, and chocolate. Enjoy it as a sweet treat in moderation.
Either fed (active) or unfed (cold) discard works. If using active starter, stir before measuring to avoid trapped air.
Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
A 9×5-inch loaf pan was used for testing this recipe.
🍌 More Ways To Use Bananas
Ripe bananas are versatile. A few family favorites include baked banana pie, banana cinnamon rolls, banana coffee cake, and banana nut oatmeal.
Baked Banana Pie-
Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
-
Banana Coffee Cake
-
Banana Nut Oatmeal
Did you try this recipe? Leave a star rating and a comment below the recipe card — feedback helps other readers. If you enjoyed it, share with family and friends. Thank you!
📝 Printable Recipe
Sourdough Discard Banana Bread
This discard banana bread with Greek yogurt and chocolate chips yields a moist, tender loaf and uses just one bowl.
Ingredients
- 2 bananas (about 200 mL mashed)
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup (125 g) sourdough discard, fed or unfed
- ⅓ cup (78 g) salted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup (88 g) plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (146 g) brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups (200 g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ cup (90 g) chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or spray it.
- Mash 2 bananas to about 200 mL (a little over ¾ cup).
- In a bowl, combine mashed banana, eggs, sourdough discard, melted butter, Greek yogurt, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
- Stir in brown sugar and salt.
- Add flour and baking soda; stir until just combined and no dry pockets remain. Do not overmix.
- Fold in chocolate chips gently.
- Pour batter into the pan, sprinkle extra chips on top if desired, and bake on the center rack for 50–55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool 10–15 minutes in the pan before removing and slicing.
Notes
Sourdough discard can be fed or unfed; stirring before measuring removes air. Store at room temperature in an airtight container up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 319 kcal • Carbohydrates: 48 g • Protein: 6 g • Fat: 12 g • Sugar: 25 g