October 28, 2025

I’m letting you in on one of my best-kept secrets: my banana bread recipe. If you want to impress people with a simple loaf, this easy recipe is all you need.

Easy and Healthy Banana Bread

Whenever anyone sees the words “sourdough discard” they automatically think it’s an advanced baking recipe. This recipe is not that at all. In fact, it’s one of the easiest things I make! It all happens in one bowl and one loaf pan. It’s very similar to other banana breads in terms of texture and taste, but this one has some leftover sourdough starter and some whole food ingredients involved.

What Makes This Banana Bread Healthy?

This banana bread is made using wholesome real food ingredients such as:

Oat flour
Bananas
Coconut oil (or olive oil)
Maple syrup
Sourdough discard
Walnuts

By opting for these ingredients, instead of white sugar, highly processed oils, and all regular white flour, we improve the glycemic index, nutrition, and fiber content. I know all of that may sound kind of boring, especially when all you want to do is enjoy a sweet treat. There are loads of other banana bread recipes on the internet that are super tasty, but if you’re looking for one that’s super tasty and also better for you, then this is it.

What If I Don’t Have Oat Flour?

The beautiful thing about oat flour is that most people have some form of oats in their kitchen. All it takes is putting them into a high-speed blender! I like to make a larger batch of it and keep it on hand. The texture is different from regular flour, so don’t try to use it as a 1:1 replacement for that (or if you do, don’t blame me if it doesn’t work out). I’ve replaced a small portion of flour with oat flour in recipes before, but it all depends on what you’re baking. It works really well in this banana bread. It adds a certain texture and even complements the flavor of the banana and walnuts well.

So if you think you don’t have oat flour, you probably do, you just have to blend up some oats. Please don’t go out and buy oat flour. I’m sure it’s expensive. I can only imagine what a bag of it costs at Whole Foods lol. Just use what you already have. (:

Why Use Sourdough Discard?

Sourdough discard is what takes this bread to the next level! For years, I was using an adaptation of this recipe that did not call for discard. I started baking sourdough a year ago and it changed me for the better when it comes to baking. One day I had a large amount of discard after feeding my starter, so I decided to throw it in my banana bread batter to experiment a little. It turned out FABULOUS, and I only had to tweak the recipe a teeny bit to create a permanent spot for it.

If you don’t have sourdough discard to use for this recipe, you can potentially do it without it, but your loaf may not rise as much, be as moist, or have that “bready” texture. The ratios of this recipe are designed to work with the discard. Do without at your own discretion (:

Why Sourdough is a Friend to Your Gut

Sourdough bread isn’t just delicious—it’s a powerhouse for gut health. Unlike regular bread made with commercial yeast, sourdough relies on a natural fermentation process involving wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria. During fermentation, these microorganisms break down gluten and phytic acid, making the bread easier to digest and helping your body absorb more nutrients like zinc, iron, and magnesium.

Although this banana bread is not made using true active sourdough starter, it still has some of these benefits since we’re using discarded starter. You can use active starter in this recipe if you’d like. The bread may rise a bit more in the oven and have more of that sour taste to it depending on your starter, but since we’re not letting it ferment it won’t be too different. To learn more about sourdough bread, check out this other blog post:

How to bake the best loaf of sourdough

Okay, I’m done yapping. Let’s get into the recipe! This banana bread will change your life. You’ll be making it every weekend after you try it.

Sourdough Discard Banana Bread Recipe