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  • RecipesWe love to create delicious recipes with gut health in mind. By using our recipes, you can easily create any dish knowing that it’s good for gut health! Our recipe blog also includes Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, and Paleo Recipes.
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Sourdough

Sourdough Carrot Cake Banana Bread

Bake some sourdough carrot cake banana bread this spring or fall! My carrot cake banana bread incorporates shredded carrots & warm spices for the best flavor that perfect for Easter or any fall get together.

Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
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Recipe Index | Ferment | Sourdough

Sourdough Carrot Cake Banana Bread

Bake some sourdough carrot cake banana bread this spring or fall! My carrot cake banana bread incorporates shredded carrots & warm spices for the best flavor that perfect for Easter or any fall get together.

Sourdough Carrot Cake

Since this is sourdough banana bread, it doesn’t go straight into the oven after mixing the ingredients. Instead, I let my sourdough carrot cake banana bread rise for two hours. This allows the flavor to develop and allows the sourdough microbes to digest the flour, making the bread easier for us to digest. Since I added shredded carrots to this recipe, the two-hour rise time really adds a nice carroty flavor.

showing how easy it is to glaze a sourdough loaf with just a spoon.

Carrot Cake Banana Bread

I stick to this saying: If I’m making bread, I’m figuring out a way to make it sourdough bread. A lot of our blog readers know that I was gluten-free for about a year. I did an elimination diet to help heal my eczema. When I reintroduced gluten into my diet, I decided I wanted to stick to sourdough. First, sourdough has way more flavor and tastes better than regular bread. Also, sourdough is more nutritious and digestible. Since the dough ferments for a longer period of time, it’s kind of like the microbes in the sourdough starter pre-digest some of the bread for you.

Sourdough Carrot Cake Starter Options

For this recipe, I used our Sprouted Rye Sourdough Starter, but any sourdough starter will do. We also have an Easy Sourdough Starter Recipe with Sourdough Starter Feeding Instructions.

a slice  sourdough carrot cake banana bread with white icing on top on a white plate.

Making Carrot Cake Banana Bread

Most sourdough banana bread and zucchini bread recipes I’ve seen don’t allow for any rise time. Instead, the bread is treated more like a muffin mix with a bit of sourdough starter added, which goes straight into the oven after just combining the ingredients.

I decided to try out my own sourdough baking instincts, and create my own recipe with time for rising. Trust me, letting this bread rise will result in the BEST banana bread you’ve ever had. The flavor is so rich, it’s unbeatable.

How to Make Sourdough Carrot Cake Banana Bread

This recipe is so simple and quick! Basically, you’ll mix all the wet ingredients, then separately mix the dry ingredients. Then, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Next, transfer to a loaf pan, let it rise for two hours, then bake. I personally like very moist banana bread, so I usually add an extra 1/2 cup of carrots to this recipe.

For icing the icing I just picked up some of this vegan Simple Mills vanilla icing.

Other Sourdough Recipes to Try

  • Sourdough Banana Bread
  • Blueberry Sourdough Bagels
  • Dutch Oven Sourdough Boule Recipe
a loaf of sourdough carrot cake banana bread with white icing on top.
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Sourdough

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.8 from 8 reviews

Simple Sourdough Carrot Cake Banana Bread

Bake some sourdough carrot cake banana bread this spring or fall! My carrot cake banana bread incorporates shredded carrots & warm spices for the best flavor that perfect for Easter or any fall get together.

  • Prep: 30 minutes
  • Cook: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 Teaspoon Salt (dry)
  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda (dry)
  • 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour (dry)
  • 1 Cup Rye Flour (dry)
  • 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon (dry)
  • 1 Teaspoon Nutmeg (dry)
  • 1/4 Cup Rolled Oats (dry)
  • 1 Cup Sourdough Starter (wet)
  • 1/2 Cup Milk (wet)
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla (wet)
  • 2 Ripe Bananas, mashed (wet)
  • 1/4 Cup Coconut Oil, Melted (wet)
  • 1/2 Cup Maple Syrup (wet)
  • 1 Cup Carrots, Grated (wet)
  • vanilla icing (topping)

Instructions

  1. Line a loaf pan on all sides with parchment paper. 
  2. In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Mix until evenly combined. 
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Whisk until the mixture is uniform. 
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold in gently until evenly combined. Don’t over mix. The mixture will be wet and stretchy.
  5. Transfer the mixture to the parchment paper-lined loaf pan. Using a spatula, spread the mixture into the pan evenly. 
  6. Allow rising at a warm temperature for 2-3 hours. 
  7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  8. Bake for 1 hour, rotating the pan halfway through.
  9. Allow to cool for one hour, then add icing and slice  

Notes

  • I use a 4.5×8.5 inch loaf pan
  • for milk you can use whole milk or plant-based

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a 5-star review below if you loved it! Tag @cultured.guru on Instagram

 

Nutrition information is auto-calculated and estimated as close as possible. We are not responsible for any errors. We have tested the recipe for accuracy, but your results may vary.

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Kaitlynn Fenley Author, Educator, Food Microbiologist
Kaitlynn is a food microbiologist and fermentation expert teaching people how to ferment foods and drinks at home.
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  1. Kelly
    11|26|2020

    So delicious! Delicately sweet- the vegan cream cheese frosting will top it nicely. I used 1/2 Whole spelt And 1/2 organic white flour and added a few nuts to half of the batch. Also made some muffins on the side because this recipe made more than my loaf pan would fit.

    Reply
  2. Hadley
    07|11|2022

    Truly incredible. Best carrot bread/cake I’ve ever had. I didn’t even add the frosting. Dreaming about making it again.

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      07|11|2022

      I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for trying it and leaving a review!

      Reply
      1. Hadley
        07|11|2022

        Update: made it again! (the last review was meant for June 3) you guys…nothing compares. I didn’t have rye this time so I replaced with whole wheat bread flour. And decided to try applesauce in place of oil. It still turned out perfect. I love that it is a true sourdough loaf. The texture is unreal it has some of the chewiness of a traditional sourdough loaf. I’m in love. The crust is incredible too! I love that it’s lightly sweet and more of a bread texture than a cake or banana bread. We slice it, toast it, and eat it was butter. Perfect treat that leaves you feeling good.
        It’s also freezes really well.

        Reply
  3. Missy
    09|08|2022

    Love this recipe. Did u feed your starter first or did you use it straight from the refrig? I’m new to this starter stuff. Thx

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      09|08|2022

      I use active bubbly starter in this recipe!

      Reply
  4. Danica
    12|11|2023

    If I did want to make these as muffins, do you suggest making any changes to the proportions? I’m so excited to try this!

    Reply
    1. Kimberly
      02|07|2025

      This is a great recipe that exceeded my expectations. I used 1 cup of ww flour and 1 cup of all-purpose instead of the 2 cups of all-purpose. Used agave instead of maple syrup. Plain yogurt instead of milk. Added 1/2 cup of hemp seeds AND used 285 g of discard. It’s amazing!

      Reply
      1. Kaitlynn Fenley
        02|10|2025

        So glad to hear this! Thanks for leaving a review!

        Reply
  5. Sarah
    03|03|2024

    unfortunately, this loaf never baked through. i bumped up the temperature and baked for 30 more minutes and let it cool for an hour, to no avail. i would recommend squeezing out any moisture from the carrots in the future.
    also, i was skeptical about the lack of sugar. it smelled great, but the baked edges just tasted like straight maple syrup. Great idea, but it just fell short of my expectations.

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      03|04|2024

      Sorry to hear this! This is not a discard recipe, so I hope you used active sourdough starter. Thank you for your feedback, though. I’ll give this recipe a retest to make sure it’s up to standards!

      Reply
  6. Tina
    03|07|2024

    I don’t have rye flour can I just use all unbleached all purpose white flour?

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      03|10|2024

      I think that will work

      Reply
      1. Tina
        03|12|2024

        I needed up getting dark rye flour and it turned out great. It was a crown pleaser and gone in one day, so I made another loaf the next day. I want to make this again and I’m going to add walnuts and raisins next time 🙂

        Reply
        1. Kaitlynn Fenley
          03|12|2024

          yay!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!

          Reply
  7. Anonymous
    05|07|2024

    Great recipe! I intended to follow exactly and then got lazy and didn’t feel like dirtying up the food processor for the carrots, so I used an extra banana instead. Delicious banana bread!!

    Reply
  8. Tmax
    05|31|2024

    Is it possible to use discard and let it rose for longer or is the peak starter a must for this recipe? I used all my starter for bread this morning and have some really ripe bananas, so wanted to ask. Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      05|31|2024

      I haven’t tried it with discard. The starter is used for rise in this recipe, so I recommend using an active starter for best results.

      Reply
  9. Stacy
    07|31|2024

    I made this recipe, and we live at 6000ft. altitude in Colorado. Added in some flax seeds, chia, and sunflower seeds. Absolutely phenomenal! Turned out fantastic! I used whole wheat flour in place of the rye flour, this is a top notch recipe! The house smelled amazing, and it does every time I pop a slice into the toaster!
    And the ferment yielded a crumb strong enough to produce a slice that doesn’t crumble in the toaster. Thank you SO much!
    I started my sourdough journey when my wife had one GI diagnosis after another, most recently metaplasia. It’s a life changer. Metaplasia is gone too.

    Reply
  10. Bay Girl
    08|25|2024

    What size loaf pan is needed for this recipe?

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      08|26|2024

      4.5 x 8.5 inch

      Reply
  11. Katrina
    01|03|2025

    Hi! I will try this tomorrow and can’t wait! Instead of Maple syrup do you think I can substitute with honey? Thanks

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      01|03|2025

      honey should work great!

      Reply
  12. Deirdre
    04|02|2025

    How much does 1 cup of your sourdough starter weigh? I would think the weight could vary depending on how active is the sourdough starter.
    Recipe looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it. Lots of great recipes here to try! Thank you for sharing your creativity!

    Reply
    1. Kaitlynn Fenley
      04|02|2025

      yes, the weight can vary depending on what flour you use and how bubbly your starter is. But this recipe is quite forgiving, so you can measure it by the cup.

      Reply

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@cultured.guru

My favorite topic I teach in our online course is My favorite topic I teach in our online course is called Fermentation Variables. The whole lesson is centered around the fact that there are six main variables that influence the outcome of fermentation.

Here they are, in no particular order:

Sugar
Salt
Oxygen
Acidity
Temperature
Time

Temperature and time depend on each other most closely. 

that means, for all of our foods and drinks that ferment at room temp, things slow way down in the winter cold. 

The fermentation timeline is simply longer when it’s colder (and faster when it’s hotter). The microbes, kind of like us, make things happen slowly in the cold winter. 

I think this is yet another sign from nature that we’re supposed to rest and be gentle and gracious with deadlines, work, and not rush things this time of year. 

Let it be slow, it’ll still be great, it just takes a little more patience and time. 

If you’re looking to start fermentation as an analog hobby in the new year, our courses are 40% off right now! You can use code NEWYEARS at checkout. (Yes, you learn online, but it’s delicious, long form content + the skills are life long). What you learn empowers you to get off the computer/phone and go ferment some delicious foods and drinks. 

Touching cabbage and dough is just as good as “touching grass” lol 

Let me know if you have questions about our courses or just fermentation in general in the comments!

#fermentation
Yes cooking kills the microbes, but idc. I mean, I Yes cooking kills the microbes, but idc. I mean, I care, but in a “thank you for your service microbes” kinda way. 🫡

Cider braised pork and sauerkraut is a perfect choice for New Year’s or any winter meal! I lovvveee pairing it with butternut squash polenta bc it’s full of vitamin C for cold and flu szn. 

Eating pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s Day is a tradition. And I really do think it brings good luck and prosperity.

Get the recipe on our blog, linked in my profile and in story highlights! 

I’m really looking forward to creating more recipes like this in the new year, to show you all the joys of incorporating ferments into meals and recipes 😌✨ stay tuned! 

#newyear #sauerkraut #fermentation
One Christmas I gifted everyone in my family the N One Christmas I gifted everyone in my family the New York style sourdough bagels and they were thrilled. (The bagels we’re actually way under proofed, but I still gifted them and everyone loved them lol)

You can get the full recipe on my blog! And these can be made with discard and instant yeast or with just active starter.

 All the details are in the 5-star rated recipe on my website. 

#bagels #sourdough
This cookie dough is long-fermented overnight in t This cookie dough is long-fermented overnight in the fridge for the softest, most flavorful, melt-in your mouth sourdough gingerbread cookies.

For Christmas 2025, I tried something new with these cookies. I created a gingerbread sourdough starter to use in this recipe! I made it by feeding some of my established starter a mix that includes molasses and gingerbread spices. I just added the instructions for the gingerbread starter in the notes of my cookie recipe.

Get the full recipe and directions on my website! https://cultured.guru 

You can use the recipe index to see all my Christmas season recipes!

#gingerbread #sourdough
My gingerbread sourdough starter recipe 🎄✨ Like a My gingerbread sourdough starter recipe 🎄✨

Like and save for some fun Christmas sourdough baking! 

I made this up a few days ago to use in my soft sourdough gingerbread cookies. (cookie recipe is in my recipe index on my website!)

#sourdough #gingerbread
Christmas gift feta cheese🧀🎄✨ Part two of my four Christmas gift feta cheese🧀🎄✨

Part two of my four part series on homemade fermented foods to gift this holiday season! This one takes about five days total to prepare, so start now if you plan to gift this one on Christmas. 

GOOGLE “cultured guru feta” to get my feta recipe any time! You can also use the recipe index linked in my bio! 

#fermentation
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