Sourdough Granola Bars: How to Use YOUR Sourdough Discard

Sourdough Granola Bars Cut into Squares
Sourdough Granola Bars Cut into Squares

For me, summertime means playing, socializing, relaxing, traveling, and trying something new. Eating well with some indulgence is a must. I encourage you to stop buying all those preservative-ladened snack bars that you (and your kids) tolerate out of convenience. Why not make EXACTLY what YOU (or your kids) want with YOUR (or their) favorite ingredients and get them involved in the process. My sourdough granola bars provide you that flexibility to cater to your most indulgent needs and the pickiest of eaters.

Why Granola Bars?

Close up of my sourdough granola bars
Close up of my sourdough granola bars

Granola bars are one of the most convenient, nutrient-dense, and appetite-suppressing foods available. They last “forever” and there’s no need to store them in any special way. I always have homemade granola bars sitting in my fridge (for longer storage) ready for any outing, travel, hiking trip, or quick mid-morning or afternoon snack.

I have a variety of incredible granola bar recipes that I’ve made and created over the years. This version is different because the goal was to use up my sourdough starter discard. Later in the summer, I’ll post our favorite homemade granola bars that include nut butter, chocolate (of course), and NO baking (minus the initial toasting 😉).

But for this version, I’ve kept it simple. It’s a little more nutritious than my usual version yet versatile to appeal to most. The main difference in this recipe compared to other’s I’ve made is the sourdough discard and required baking. However, they do not lack in flavor!

Talk About Versatility!

The great thing about homemade granola bars is that there are no rules. I hardly ever make the same bar twice using the exact same ingredients. Once you have a good base understanding of appropriate wet to dry-ingredient ratios, you can put in anything you want. For me, it’s all about what I have available in my pantry and fridge, what I need to use up, or what I’m craving at the moment. You really can’t go wrong following your gut… in the hunger sense. 😉

If you or your loved ones have food allergies, you can substitute recipe ingredients for those you can eat. These days when I shop online or peruse the grocery store aisles, I’m always surprised at what’s available. We truly live in a time where we can buy almost anything.

Just 20 years ago, people with dairy, nut, and gluten intolerances couldn’t find decent substitutes. Now, you can either buy the allergy-free prepared food item or find quality substitute ingredients to make those foods you love. I know this from being a vegetarian and vegan living in Arkansas in the early 90s… almost impossible!

How did I Arrive at this Sourdough Granola Bar Recipe?

In creating this recipe, since there was a very wet component from the sourdough, I knew it had to be baked. I looked online at many different recipes to get an idea about appropriate wet to dry-ingredient ratios when it came to baking an oat bar. Once I settled on this, it was a matter of deciding which liquid sweetener, extracts, and dry ingredients I wanted to use.

TIP: Using a liquid sweetener in homemade granola bars is generally important, because it acts as a binder in keeping the individual “pieces” together.

Since I still had pistachios and dried cranberries left from the holidays, it became clear what my base was going to be. Then, it was determining appropriate, complimentary flavorings to add.

Maple syrup and almond extract made sense to me. Although, honey would be fabulous, too. My usual granola bar recipe incorporates honey with almond or peanut butter (homemade nut butters, mind you!) I’ll post on homemade nut butters later, as well. I have some amazing ones that use roasted nuts, yummy!

Check out the Sourdough Granola Bar Making Process!

Let’s Look at the Ingredients

Ingredients: oats, pistachios, chia seeds, dried cranberries, salt, sourdough discard, maple syrup, and almond extract

These ingredients follow a basic granola bar recipe in that we have a grain (oats), nut (pistachio), seed (chia), dried fruit (cranberries), liquid sweetener (maple syrup), binder (sourdough discard), flavoring (almond extract), and salt.

TIP: Always add salt to any sweet treat. Salt balances out the sweetness and enhances it… hits all taste buds!

Toasting Time!

It’s not time to celebrate yet! But toasting the grain, nuts, and seeds brings out a caramelized, smoky, degree-of-depth flavoring to the granola bar. Heating the nuts and seeds also releases the natural oils that brings out the natural flavors. I always toast my oats, nuts, and seeds in any granola bar I make, though you don’t have to.

Start by chopping the nuts and preheating the oven to 350˚F / 177˚C.

Oven preheating for both toasting and baking
Oven preheating for both toasting and baking

Place the oats, nuts, and seeds on an ungreased baking sheet and toast/roast them for 15 minutes. The nuts should be golden brown. Keep an eye on the oats and nuts as they can burn, but I find 15 minutes works just fine.

Oats, pistachios, and chia seeds ready to toast
Oats, pistachios, and chia seeds ready to toast

Check Them Out AFTER Toasting!

Notice the oats are slightly brown, but the pistachios are definitely brown. The chia seeds, however, are difficult to discern, since they are so dark anyway. We certainly don’t want to burn them. Our 15-minute time frame was just right here!

Oats, pistachios, and chia seeds are nice and toasted!

Combine ALL the Ingredients

First, place the toasted ingredients in a large bowl and the other dry ingredients like the salt and dried cranberries. I stirred them well, so when I add the wet ingredients there wouldn’t be any clumps of one dry ingredient.

All dry ingredients well combined

Time for Wet Ingredients

Then, add the wet ingredients starting with the sourdough discard followed by the almond extract and maple syrup. There’s no need to stir until all are added.

Pour & Pat Sourdough Granola Bar Mixture into the Prepared Pan

This recipe is perfect for baking in an 8×8 inch square baking pan lined with parchment paper. You could use aluminum foil if you don’t have parchment paper. Regardless, lining a pan is best because you simply lift up the paper/foil edges after the bars have cooled and they come right out.

Since the sourdough granola bar mixture is wet, it’s best to use a spoon to scoop it out and pat it down in the pan.

TIP: You want to pat the mixture down well to eliminate any air bubbles. If you have a loose mixture, the bars will fall apart after they are baked. They should be dense and air tight, so to speak.

Baking Time!

The oven should still be on from toasting the oats, nuts, and seeds. So, just place the pan in the oven set at the same temperature 350˚F / 177˚C and bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown on top
Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown on top

My granola bars were ready in 30 minutes, but your oven may produce different results. Set the time for 20 minutes and check them. Add more time, if needed, until they are golden brown on top.

Sourdough Granola Bars are DONE

After 30 minutes of baking, they appear to be golden brown on top and ready to cool.

Sourdough Granola Bars hot out of the oven and ready to cool
Sourdough Granola Bars hot out of the oven and ready to cool

Cooled, Cut, & Ready to Eat!

Once they’ve cooled, cut them into bars or squares. I like to cut my square batch into 9 squares. If I know we’re going to be traveling with them or taking them for work lunches, then I’ll wrap them individually in plastic wrap, so they’ll be easy to transport.

Notice the individual ingredients peppered throughout the bars. You can see the cranberries, toasted pistachios, oats, speckles of chia seeds, all bound nicely together with maple syrup and sourdough discard.

Close up of the Sourdough Granola Bars

Final Thoughts…

Baker’s Perspective

Having made many granola bars over the years, I found this one to be simple and versatile. The sourdough discard required an extra step from my usual, because I had to bake them. But overall, they still required little effort to make.

Since they were wetter than normal due to the sourdough, the extra liquid soaked into the oats produced a softer granola bar than you might expect. So, if you prefer a softer bar, then this recipe would be a good option for you. Regardless, you can substitute any of my ingredients for those you prefer and still create a great tasting snack.

Taster’s Perspective

Since I used a regular flour sourdough discard, I was unable to taste these; however, Scott managed to do the honors. He’s eaten LOTS of store-bought and homemade granola bars over the years, so he definitely has perspective.

First of all, he prefers my homemade granola bars, hands down, over any store-bought version. Given that, while he liked the sourdough version, he was less of a fan of the “cake-like” texture it had due to the sourdough softening the oats as it baked. Keep in mind, this is certainly based on personal preference with regard to texture alone.

He definitely liked the flavors. The cranberries, pistachios, and almond extract complemented each other well. They weren’t too sweet, so they would work well for breakfast, snack, or dessert.

You could always add more sweetener OR dip them in chocolate and add chocolate chips. That would hit the sweet spot, for sure. However, if you aren’t a fan of or are allergic to any of these ingredients, remember you can substitute. See my recipe below for the MANY substitute options.

For a close-up, detailed, step-by-step video of this recipe, see my video entitled “Sourdough Granola Bars: How to Use YOUR Sourdough Discard“. It’s a quick, to-the-point, 2:41 minute video.

Check out the Recipe With MANY Substitute Options!

Sourdough Granola Bars

This super simple and versatile granola bar recipe will convince you to say "goodbye store-bought versions"! The sourdough discard creates a soft bar as it bakes into the oats. Make a granola bar EXACTLY the way you like it using your FAVORITE flavorings. These bars are wholesome and nutritional, but you can substitute with your preferred ingredients to make them as indulgent as you want. This is a great way to use up that sourdough discard.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: sourdough granola bars, granola bars, fruit and nut granola bars, snack bars, breakfast bars, oat bars, camping bars, backpacking bars
Servings: 9 squares
Author: Summer

Ingredients

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup sourdough starter or any sourdough starter, 100% hydrated = 50/50- flour/liquid ratio
  • 1 cup dried fruit or dried cranberries, raisins, dried blueberries, dried kiwi, dried mango, etc.
  • cup pistachios, shelled and roughly chopped or chopped almonds, pecans, walnuts, macadamia, peanuts, etc.
  • ¼ cup chia seeds or sunflower, flax, or hemp seeds, etc.
  • ¼ tsp almond extract &/or 1 tsp vanilla (or other extract)
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • cup maple syrup or honey, agave syrup, or other liquid sweetener

Instructions

  • Step 1: Preheat oven to (350˚F / 175˚C). Spread oats, pistachios, and chia seeds on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until toasty ~15 minutes.
  • Step 2: In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.
  • Step 3: Pat mixture out into an 8×8 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper and press down the mixture to remove any air bubbles so the mixture will stick well together as it bakes.
  • Step 4: Bake in a preheated oven (350˚F / 175˚C) for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Once completely cooled, cut into bars or squares and enjoy!

Video

Notes

*These granola bars are versatile and work well with different fruit, nuts, and extracts.
*Consider white, milk, or dark chocolate chips, dried cherries, raisins, chopped dried apricots, chopped dried dates (like medjool dates, my fav!), crystalized ginger, sunflower seeds, flax seed, etc.
*For the kiddos or kiddos at heart, throw in some M&Ms, Reese’s Pieces, or other hard-shelled candy. I’m sure crumbled chunks of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups would be pretty tasty, too!
*Why not drizzle white, milk, or dark chocolate over the bars or dip them IN chocolate. YUM!
*Try different extracts like vanilla, chocolate, lemon, orange, or rose water.
*Add spices like 1 tsp of cinnamon, cardamom, pumpkin or apple pie spice for those holiday flavors.
*Store these at room temperature for a week. They store well easily in the fridge for a month or so. For much longer storage, place them in a freezer bag in the freezer for months.

Interested in other sourdough discard recipes? Check these out!

Sourdough Pizza Crust

Cheddar & Chive Sourdough Biscuits

Blueberries & Cream Sourdough Muffins

Sweet Sourdough Pancakes

New Zealand Potato Sourdough Starter & Bread

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes.

Published by Summer

Bonjour! As a teacher of French and English to international students, amateur baker, traveler (having studied and lived in France), life-long learner, and a cycling and hiking enthusiast, I believe I’ve found my next adventure. I have many years of experience in all of these areas as well as having moved and lived all over the country (US that is). I’m fortunate to have in my camp PhD level experts in the fields of nutrition, dietetics, exercise physiology, and sports nutrition whom I can lean on for advice and scientific-based knowledge. I’m excited to piece all of these elements together during my journey to provide honest and accurate information as well as my own potentially disastrous first-hand experiences, without edit, to demonstrate the reality of a new journey. Please join me in learning something new, in laughing at my faults, and in appreciating all of the perceived differences in the world.