About This Recipe
Based on my original banana bread recipe, this strawberry banana bread is the perfect way to use up ripe bananas while adding a fresh, fruity twist. The sweet bananas keep the bread moist, while juicy strawberries add bursts of flavor in every bite. It’s a simple recipe that comes together quickly, making it great for breakfast, a snack, or even dessert. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced baker, this delicious loaf is sure to become a favorite!
What Is Banana Bread?
If you are not familiar with banana bread, it is a type of sweet, baked quick bread made with overripe, mashed bananas. It became popular in the United States during the 1930s when people wanted to use up ripe bananas instead of throwing them away. The bananas provide a natural moisture and sweetness to the bread, though sugar is still usually added to the batter. It is extremely popular in North America, but has become a classic and beloved baked good in many households across the world.
What I Love About This Recipe
This recipe perfectly combines the sweet, creamy taste of bananas with the bright, juicy flavor of strawberries. The bananas keep the bread soft and moist, while the strawberries add a pop of color and fresh, fruity sweetness. It’s a delicious balance of flavors, making each bite feel like a special treat.
Another great thing about this recipe is its versatility. You can bake it in a standard loaf pan, a bundt pan, mini pans, or even muffin tins—whatever suits your needs! The batter has just the right consistency, allowing the bread to rise beautifully in the oven without overflowing.
All The “Why’s”
Cream Cheese
Cream cheese is a great alternative to butter, adding both richness and moisture to the bread. While I still use a bit of butter in this recipe, cream cheese enhances the overall flavor while creating a soft, tender crumb that stays moist without becoming greasy. Additionally, it helps provide structure to the batter, working with the flour to create a loaf that is both sturdy and delicate. Whether using traditional cream cheese or coconut cream for a dairy-free option, this ingredient takes the texture and taste to the next level, making each bite even more irresistible.
Sugar
Sugar primarily serves as a sweetener in this quick bread, allowing you to adjust the amount based on your taste preferences. While this recipe is fairly sweet, some may prefer to let the natural sweetness of the bananas shine by reducing the sugar. However, sugar does more than just add sweetness—it also helps with browning, tenderizing, moisture retention, and extending the bread’s shelf life. For these reasons, I wouldn’t recommend removing it entirely.
Butter
While fat can have many purposes in a recipe, one major effect is moisture retention. Without it, the loaf would be dry and crumbly, even with the cream cheese and sugar (which also work to retain moisture). Butter pairs well with the flavors of this dish, and serves just this purpose: to keep the loaf from drying out.
Sourdough Discard
The main purpose of sourdough discard is, well, to use sourdough discard. Unfortunately, the amount I use in this recipe is limited (if you know me, you know I like to use as much as possible in any given recipe), as banana bread gets most of its moisture from bananas and eggs, leaving little room for the additional moisture from the sourdough discard.
Bananas
Bananas are the star of the show in banana bread; they add moisture, flavor, and sweetness. Ripe bananas are key; I like to use them when they are very dark. As bananas ripen, their starches are converted into sugars and moisture is released, which just means the older, the better. It also means that the time you use the banana in relation to its ripeness will effect the outcome of your bread, creating a wetter or dryer batter.
Eggs
The more eggs you add to your bread, the more cake-like the bread becomes. Eggs add fluff and moisture, as well as make your bread lighter and taller. I find two eggs to be the perfect balance: it is not too cake-like, but is also not too dense.
All-Purpose Flour
While I try to minimize flour in some of my discard recipes, it’s essential for this one. Flour provides the necessary structure to an otherwise loose batter, ensuring the bread holds its shape. I prefer a sturdier banana bread, so this recipe uses more flour than some others you’ll find online. However, accurate measuring is key—either carefully measure by volume or, better yet, use the weighted measurements. Flour is one of the most inconsistently measured ingredients by volume, and too much can lead to a dry, crumbly loaf.
When it comes to flour choice, all-purpose flour is superior to bread flour for quick breads. In fact, the lower the protein content, the better. Though I haven’t tested it, cake flour could work well, but since it’s not a pantry staple for most, I don’t base recipes around it unless necessary. The reason all-purpose flour works best is the same reason we mix the batter only until “just incorporated”—gluten development is not desirable. Too much gluten creates a chewy texture, which is great for bread but not for banana bread. This loaf should be moist and tender, with a soft crumb that’s slightly dense but never heavy, which is why limiting gluten formation is key.
Leavening
This recipe relies on a balance of baking powder and baking soda for leavening rather than sourdough discard. This means you can bake your bread right away without waiting for fermentation to take effect. I prefer chemical leavening in sourdough discard recipes because the starter is not in its prime state and may not rise well. While adding flour can feed the yeast and lead to a slow rise, discard-leavened bread often turns out more sour due to the increasing bacteria population (which produces the tangy flavor) and may still fail to rise properly. Plus, the waiting period could negatively affect other ingredients in the bread, particularly the bananas.
If you want to try long fermentation, refrigerate the batter and wait to add the baking powder and baking soda until just before baking. While the yeast in the discard won’t be very active in the cold, the bacteria will continue breaking down proteins in the flour, which can improve texture and digestibility. Adding baking powder and baking soda before baking ensures the bread is properly aerated, since the yeast from the discard alone won’t provide sufficient lift.
Salt
Salt brings out flavor. I use just a touch in this recipe to enhance all the flavors in this quick bread.
Strawberries
For this strawberry twist on banana bread, I dice eight ounces of fresh strawberries into small pieces to ensure they’re well-dispersed throughout the batter. Although the strawberries add extra moisture, the batter is structured enough that no adjustments are needed—they won’t affect the recipe negatively (though you might still choose to pat the strawberries dry for more consistent results). I then gently fold the strawberries into the batter to prevent them from being crushed. The fresh, slightly tart flavor of the strawberries complements the sweetness of the ripe bananas beautifully. I haven’t yet tested this recipe with frozen strawberries. For best results, store the strawberry banana bread in the refrigerator to keep the fruit fresh and extend its shelf life.
📌 Quick Tip: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.
Strawberry Banana Bread
Ingredients
Instructions
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Preheat an oven to 350 F (175 C).
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Grease a bundt pan (or 9 X 5 loaf pan) and set aside. (You could also make this into muffins or mini loaves. See notes for baking modifications.)
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To a large bowl, add the cream cheese, sugar, and butter. Using a handheld mixer, mix until smooth and some air is incorporated.
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To the same bowl, add the eggs, mashed bananas, and sourdough discard. Mix, again, until everything is incorporated. Set aside.
Mixing each ingredient into the batter one at a time ensures they are fully incorporated, but you can add them all at once if you prefer. -
In a smaller bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
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Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir with a spatula until almost completely incorporated.
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Work in the chopped strawberries. Mix until everything is just incorporated.
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Add all the batter to your baking pan(s). Smooth the top out nicely, so that everything bakes evenly.
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Bake in the preheated oven for about 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
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Cool 5-10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
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Enjoy!
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Nutrition Facts
Servings 12
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 349.82kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 12.1g19%
- Saturated Fat 6.78g34%
- Trans Fat 0.22g
- Cholesterol 61.1mg21%
- Sodium 299.51mg13%
- Potassium 212.03mg7%
- Total Carbohydrate 55.08g19%
- Dietary Fiber 2.08g9%
- Sugars 25.73g
- Protein 6.58g14%
- Vitamin A 107.62 IU
- Vitamin C 13.78 mg
- Calcium 81.55 mg
- Iron 2.04 mg
- Vitamin D 0.16 IU
- Vitamin E 0.53 IU
- Vitamin K 1.49 mcg
- Thiamin 0.3 mg
- Riboflavin 0.28 mg
- Niacin 2.36 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.16 mg
- Folate 29.74 mcg
- Vitamin B12 0.12 mcg
- Phosphorus 146.77 mg
- Magnesium 22.55 mg
- Zinc 0.57 mg
* Nutrition values are auto-calculated and should be used as an approximation only.
Notes
- Storage: Store in the fridge 5-7 days, or slice and store in the freezer. From the freezer, allow to come to room temperature before serving.
- For mini loaves: Bake at 350 F (175 C) for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Makes four mini loaves.
- For muffins: Bake at 350 F (175 C) for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Makes about 24 muffins.
- Recipe modifications: Try replacing the cream cheese with coconut cream for dairy free, adding a teaspoon of cinnamon for extra flavor, and/or replacing half the strawberries with mini-chocolate chips for a chocolate/strawberry loaf!
