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?
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
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.
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.
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!
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.
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 in sourdough discard Followed by the almond extract Ending with the maple syrup All mixed and ready for the oven!
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.
Spoon out mixture Pat it down well
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
- ⅔ 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
- ⅓ 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
Interested in other sourdough discard recipes? Check these out!
Cheddar & Chive Sourdough Biscuits
Blueberries & Cream Sourdough Muffins
New Zealand Potato Sourdough Starter & Bread
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