Name: Easy Sourdough Granola Recipe {made with discard}
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: 1/4 cup discard sourdough starter (active sourdough starter is ok too); 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil; 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup; 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 cup rolled oats; 1/2 cup crisp rice cereal; 1/2 cup chopped, raw nuts; 2 T sunflower seeds/seeds of choice

Jump to Recipe

Sourdough granola is such an easy discard recipe that’s so delicious as cereal, with yogurt and fresh fruit, or all by itself as a delicious snack!

If you’re always on the lookout for new ways to use your sourdough starter – this recipe is for you. Adding starter to homemade granola gives it a tangy flavor and acts as a natural binder for the perfect granola consistency.

I’m definitely not the crunchiest of the crunchy, but I generally do not keep store-bought cereal in my house because it’s crazy expensive, not at all filling, and full of super questionable ingredients. However, my kids love having “cereal” for breakfast. And by cereal, I mean granola – because I make a big gallon jar’s worth regularly so we can enjoy it without the cost and lack of nutrition in the store-bought stuff.

I may receive a small commission for items purchased through affiliate links in this post at no additional cost to you.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Making this sourdough granola recipe is a great way to use up extra starter or discard when you have it. It’s super easy with only 5-10 minutes of hands-on time, just throw a bunch of wholesome ingredients in a big bowl, stir, spread on a baking sheet, and bake.
This base recipe is very easy to customize according to your preference or the season. In the fall I add pumpkin spice, pumpkin seeds, and raisins which is delicious. The add-in possibilities are endless.
One big, quadruple batch of this homemade sourdough granola lasts a whole week for my family of 7. It probably wouldn’t last that long if we ate it every morning, but we can get 3-4 breakfasts out of a quadruple batch (a gallon’s worth) which means I only have to prep breakfast once for several days.

In this video, I’m spending a Saturday morning making a couple of easy recipes with sourdough discard – including this easy sourdough discard granola recipe!

What You’ll Need

INGREDIENTS

yield: 1 quart

1/4 cup discard sourdough starter (active sourdough starter is ok too)
1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup crisp rice cereal
1/2 cup chopped, raw nuts
2 T sunflower seeds/seeds of choice

TOOLS

cutting board
large bowl
wooden spoon or spatula
baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mat
glass jars for storage

Step-By-Step Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Mix the wet ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, add the sourdough starter discard, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk everything together.

Add the dry ingredients

Add the crisp rice cereal, rolled oats, chopped nuts, and seeds to the wet ingredients and stir everything together really well.

Bake the granola

Spread the granola mixture in an even layer over the baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes at 350F.

Do NOT stir the granola, resist the urge, If you stir throughout baking, the final product won’t be chunky sourdough granola, but rather a toasted oat mixture.

After 20 minutes, rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees in the oven so everything bakes evenly, bake for another 8-10 minutes. Keep an eye on the granola at this point to make sure it doesn’t look too crispy.

Break up into granola clusters and store

**if you’ll be adding chocolate chips, or any kind of “chip” (I added cinnamon chips to the batch I made for these photos) just sprinkle them over the hot granola right when it comes out of the oven and let it set. The chips will melt just enough to set into the granola without losing their shape.

Once the granola is finished baking, let it cool and set at room temperature for 30-60 minutes – until it’s completely cooled.

Once cooled and set, you should be able to break the sheet into smaller clusters. Break the granola up into cluster sizes of your choosing and store it in an airtight container.

FAQ

Can I add dried fruit to homemade granola?

Yes, you can add dried fruit to homemade granola, but it’s best to add it to the granola after it comes out of the oven so the fruit doesn’t burn and become too hard to chew.

Can I make homemade granola bars with this granola recipe?

No, this granola recipe will result in chunky clusters rather than a chewy sheet of granola that could be cut into bars.

Do I have to use sugar in homemade granola?

No, you can omit the sugar and it will still turn out great! I’ve made homemade granola with no sugar and it was just fine.

Tips

Don’t stir the granola while baking. Seriously, don’t stir it! It will not bind and set properly if it is stirred during the baking process or before it has cooled.

Follow the directions for mixing the wet ingredients before adding the dry, it can be very tough to evenly distribute all of the wet ingredients if everything is dumped in the bowl at once and then stirred.

Make a big batch if you’re feeding a crowd. I homeschool my kids and have a lot of them, so I quadruple this recipe and make a gallon’s worth of granola at a time. It’s such a time saver and we always have a super quick breakfast option to grab when we need it!

Storage

When stored properly in an airtight container, homemade sourdough granola can last at room temperature for up to four weeks. It’s very important to make sure it has cooled and dried completely before storing since storing it while still warm can lead to condensation and moisture in the container, which will shorten the storage time.