Brown Butter Sourdough Banana Bread with Cinnamon Streusel
Updated: Aug 11
Brown butter and sourdough discard turn a classic banana bread into something richer and tangier, topped with a buttery cinnamon streusel that crisps up in the oven.
This has become our go-to when we want a healthier sweet treat, and there's nothing like how it makes the whole house smell while it's baking.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Browned butter adds a nutty depth boxed mixes can't touch
That crunchy cinnamon streusel topping makes it feel bakery-bought
A great way to use up ripe bananas and sourdough discard at once
Yield: One 9x5-inch loaf (about 10-12 slices)
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 60-70 minutes
Total Time: About 1 hour 45 minutes
Ingredients
Banana Bread Batter:
113g (½ cup) salted butter, browned and cooled
100g (½ cup) coconut sugar or cane sugar
100g (½ cup) light or dark brown sugar
10g (2 tsp) vanilla extract
2 eggs
300g (1¼ cups) mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium bananas)
125g (½ cup) sourdough discard
125g (½ cup) plain Greek yogurt, sour cream, or blended cottage cheese
310g (2½ cups) all-purpose flour
5g (1 tsp) baking soda
2g (½ tsp) baking powder
4g (1½ tsp) ground cinnamon
4g (¾ tsp) fine sea salt
100g (½-⅔ cup) chocolate chips, optional
80g (¾ cup) chopped walnuts, optional
Cinnamon Streusel:
65g (½ cup) all-purpose flour
65g (⅓ cup) brown sugar or coconut sugar
8g (1 tbsp) ground cinnamon
Pinch of fine sea salt
56g (4 tbsp) cold salted butter, cubed
Instructions
Preheat: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease or line a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
Brown the Butter: Brown the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until golden. Let cool for 5-10 minutes.
Combine Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, whisk together the browned butter and sugars until combined.
Add Vanilla and Eggs: Whisk in the vanilla and eggs.
Add the Wet Ingredients: Stir in the mashed bananas, sourdough discard, and Greek yogurt until smooth.
Add the Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix just until combined, don't overmix.
Fold In Mix-Ins: Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts, if using.
Make the Streusel: In a separate bowl, mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in the cold butter and squeeze with your fingers until crumbly.
Assemble: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle evenly with the streusel.
Bake: Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil or turn on the convection fan.
Cool: Let cool in the pan for 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Storage
Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freezer Instructions
Slice and place into a ziplock bag, separating slices with parchment paper if you'd like. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and warm individual slices before serving.
Ingredient Notes
Brown butter: Cool it before mixing or it will melt the sugars and change the crumb. The nutty flavor is the whole point of the recipe.
Very ripe bananas: Heavily spotted or black bananas give both more sweetness and more banana flavor.
Sourdough discard: Adds tang that keeps a sweet quick bread from tasting flat.
Streusel: Keep the butter cold and work it in lightly so it stays crumbly rather than turning into paste.
Troubleshooting Tips
My loaf sank in the middle. This is almost always underbaking, or the bananas were extra large and threw off the wet-to-dry ratio. Test with a toothpick in the very center before pulling it.
My streusel sank into the batter instead of staying on top. Make sure the batter is thick enough to hold the streusel, and don't press it in, just sprinkle it evenly on top before baking.
What to Serve This With
Great with a cup of coffee for breakfast, or warmed with a pat of butter for dessert.
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