Brown Butter Sourdough Banana Bread with Cinnamon Streusel

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.

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

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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

1. Preheat: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease or line a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

2. Brown the Butter: Brown the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until golden. Let cool for 5-10 minutes.

3. Combine Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, whisk together the browned butter and sugars until combined.

4. Add Vanilla and Eggs: Whisk in the vanilla and eggs.

5. Add the Wet Ingredients: Stir in the mashed bananas, sourdough discard, and Greek yogurt until smooth.

6. Add the Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix just until combined, don't overmix.

7. Fold In Mix-Ins: Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts, if using.

8. 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.

9. Assemble: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle evenly with the streusel.

10. 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.

11. Cool: Let cool in the pan for 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

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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.