Sourdough Granola

Quite possibly the easiest sourdough or sourdough discard recipe, this Sourdough Granola is crunchy and cozy and perfect for an easy breakfast or a late night snack. Choose your own adventure when it comes to the mix-ins as this recipe is endlessly customizable - I'll give you lots of ideas below!

Recipe Background and Details

Making granola at home is almost too easy to believe. Store bought granola is always way too sweet for me and WAY too expensive and it is nearly impossible to find with the fats/oils I prefer. For all of these reasons, I've been making my favorite Cinnamon Maple Pecan Granola recipe at home for over a decade.

I have to tell you, as much as I love granola and as much as I LOVE sourdough, when I first saw a recipe for Sourdough Granola I thought, why?? It seemed pretty weird to me and I didn't really get it. Of course my curiosity got the better of me and I took my favorite granola recipe and started experimenting. Well, I get it now! It totally worked and it's just a really quick and easy way to create a no-waste recipe out of sourdough discard. And bonus - the starter acts like glue and creates the most lovely little clusters (my favorite!).

If you are just getting started with sourdough, be sure to check out my beginner's guide on How to Make a Sourdough Starter as well as all of my popular Sourdough Discard Recipes!

Ingredients (with substitutions and variations)

This ingredient list is just a suggestion. Other than the oats, you can switch up the other ingredients for your preferred nuts, seeds, sweeteners, fats, spices, etc. I never make granola the same way twice so have fun and mix it up! Just try to keep the ratios roughly the same as this will impact the texture and how it bakes.

• rolled oats: I prefer old fashioned rolled oats. I have never tried making granola with quick oats but it might work. Do NOT try using steel cut oats.
• shredded coconut: I love a combo of finely shredded, unsweetened coconut as well as the larger coconut chips as you see in some of the photos. You can use one or the other or omit it and add an extra cup of oats if you are not a coconut fan.
• sliced almonds: or any nut or combination of nuts you prefer.
• seeds: flax seeds, sunflower seeds, and chia seeds are one of my go-to combos and what I used in this recipe, but I also enjoy sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, ground flax seeds, etc.
• cinnamon: for warmth and coziness. Leave it out if you don't love cinnamon.
• salt: I like a little salt in almost everything, but again feel free to omit if you want.
• coconut oil: or your preferred fat such as butter, ghee, olive oil, etc. Just keep in mind it will need to be in liquid form (melted) and the flavor will come through so maybe don't use anything too strong or meaty.
• maple syrup: or your preferred liquid sweetener such as honey or agave.
• vanilla extract: I always add a bit of vanilla extract but it is optional. Use your favorite extract or add lemon or orange zest.
• sourdough starter: You can use your starter at any stage: fed, unfed, discard, etc. It makes no difference in this recipe as we are not leavening anything. Keep in mind that a very old, hungry starter from the back of the fridge will have a much more pronounced sour flavor than a more recently fed starter.
• dried fruit and/or chocolate chips: Once the granola has cooled add a couple handfuls of your favorite mix-ins. Raisins are a classic and my favorite but use whatever dried fruit you love - dates, figs, cranberries, apricots, etc.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

It doesn't get simpler than this sourdough discard granola. Stir it up, bake it, cool it, store it. I often double the batch and split it between two large trays.

1. Step 1: Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.

2. Step 2: Add wet ingredients.

3. Step 3: Mix everything together.

4. Step 4: Spread on sheet pan and bake.

I find one hour, stirring once halfway, is the perfect amount of time to get mine nice and toasty and completely dried out. If yours seems a little damp still, give it more time.

Storage

Store cooled granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 weeks though I bet it will disappear long before then.

How to Serve Sourdough Granola

• Grab it by the handful straight out of the jar.
• In a bowl (or a coffee mug if you're me) with whole, raw milk. Yum!
• Serve over yogurt with fresh berries or your favorite seasonal fruit.
• Stir it into Sourdough Pancake batter just before cooking for the most delicious granola pancakes!
• Sprinkle on top of a smoothie bowl.

More Sourdough Recipes