If you’re looking for a great recipe to use up some of your sourdough discard, look no further! These vegan, sourdough banana muffins only need one bowl and a muffin pan to create a delicious snack.

Last year, I had quite a bit of sourdough discard stowed away in the back of my fridge, and while I have made biscuits, pancakes, and flatbread with it, I wanted to try something new! So, I found Lisa’s (the Viet Vegan) recipe for Sourdough Banana Bread, and made it a few times, and I think it’s a great foundation recipe.

Now, I like my bread a lil’ sweeter (but not too sweet!), and with a couple other additions, but still kept it nut-free to be more allergy-friendly, though you’re more than welcome to add some in! I’ve added a note in the Substitution + Tips area below, just for you. On top of the ingredient changes, I have made the recipe into muffins, which are great for sharing. Though I’ve made it as a loaf as well, in case you like that form better.

Substitutions + Tips

• Very Ripe Bananas – if you want the best flavor, and most added sweetness, make sure that your bananas are VERY ripe. I mean brown peels. Typically, I let bananas ripen on the counter, and once they’re dark I pop them in the freezer for later.
• Sourdough discard – the recipe works better if you let your discard get close to room temperature, if it has been in the fridge. Mine was fed with 1/2 whole wheat flour, so that changes the texture of the muffins slightly. This will vary from starter to starter!
• Dark brown sugar – I find this lends more depth of flavor than light or cane sugar. If you don’t have it on hand you can use cane sugar and add 2-3 teaspoons of molasses to the mixture.
• Olive oil – I love the richness this adds to the muffins, but you can also use sunflower, canola, or melted coconut oil in place of it, if need be.
• Unbleached all-purpose flour – normally I would offer a gluten-free option for this, but because 99% of the time sourdough starters are made with wheat flour, I don’t think it wise to suggest anything else!
• Nuts – as mentioned before, I kept nuts out of this recipe to keep it allergy-friendly. But, if you’re a fan, fold 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans into the muffin batter before scooping into the cupcake liners.
• Loaf – if you’d rather make this into a loaf, use a 9-inch loaf pan and bake for 60-70 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned and an inserted toothpick draws clean.

If you love banana bread but don’t have any sourdough discard, or just like the banana-nut combo, I highly recommend the recipes below!

• Pumpkin Banana Nut Muffins with Chocolate Chips
• Strawberry Banana Nut Oatmeal Cookies
• Pumpkin Banana Nut Bread

Glad to start off the year’s first post with muffins, as baking is still my favorite, right now. Hoping to have a delicious, dump-and-bake-style rice casserole recipe up for you next week! Sign up for my newsletter (below) so that you don’t miss it.