Ingredients:

100g (heaping 3/8 cup) Sourdough Starter, active or discard

365g (~4  medium) Overripe Bananas

125g (1/2 + 1/8 cups packed) Brown Sugar

40g (heaping 1/8 cup) Liquid Sweetener (Maple syrup, honey, agave syrup, etc.) 

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

125g (heaping 3/4 cup) Olive Oil

60g (1/4 cup) Plant Milk

6g (1 tsp.) Apple Cider Vinegar

3g (1/2 tsp.) Fine Sea Salt

3g (1 tsp.) Cinnamon

230g (scant 2 cups, spooned and leveled) All Purpose Flour

40g (1/3 cup) Cocoa Powder

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

Dark Chocolate Chips, for the top of the loaf, optional

• I like Trader Joe's Mini Dark Chocolate Chips. They're the most accessible and cost-wise option for vegans looking for mini chips!

Method: 

(see pictures and video tutorial below the steps)

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Step 1: Combine plant milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl to make vegan buttermilk. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. 

Step 2: Mash the bananas and sourdough starter together. In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients:

 brown sugar, liquid sweetener, olive oil, vanilla, and vegan buttermilk.

Step 3: In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients:

 all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. 

Step 4: Add the mashed banana and sourdough starter to the wet ingredients. 

Step 5: Pour the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients. Fold to combine. Be careful not to mix too much; just fold the ingredients until just combined. Let sit for 5 minutes. While your batter rests, grease your loaf pan.  I like to use olive oil to grease the pan, as the main fat in the loaf is also olive oil. 

Step 6: Pour into a greased loaf pan. Top with as many dark chocolate chips as you'd like. To make a dramatic loaf, cover the entire top of the loaf with chocolate chips. 

Step 7: Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. I advise not going the full 65 mins, as the outside of the loaf may overbake while cooling in the pan. However, use your best judgment based on the toothpick. 

Step 8: Once baked, allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then flip the bread out onto a wire rack. Allow to cool for an additional 25-35 minutes, at least, on the wire rack, before slicing in!