Easy Sourdough Discard Granola Recipe – Sourdough Brandon (2024)

Rolled Oats: Instant oats are thinner and will likely bake too fast for this recipe. If instant oats are all you have, pay attention to the granola as it bakes, and take it out sooner before it gets too brown. For that reason, old-fashioned rolled oats are my go-to for baking.

Unsweetened Coconut Flakes: Like instant oats, shredded coconut will bake faster than flakes because the shreds are smaller. If you only have sweetened coconut flakes, you can undoubtedly use them, but I would cut down on the sweetener in the recipe slightly.

This olive oil is my preferred oil for granola. As it bakes, the granola takes on a very slightly savory quality and browns everything beautifully. Of course, coconut oil or another neutral oil will work, but olive oil makes granola special!

Any liquid sweetener will work for this recipe, but honey harmonizes with all of the other flavors best. Agave would be my second choice and an excellent substitute to make the recipe vegan.

The sourdough discard acts as a binder in this granola recipe, so you get many granola clusters. I don’t use too much in the recipe, but if your discard is over a couple of weeks old, it might contribute a more tangy flavor to the granola. Use 1-2 egg whites as a sub.

Vanilla is the obvious granola flavoring and is excellent too. However, almond extract takes this granola to the next level, complementing the apricots and coconut flavors better. Plus, this is pantry granola. So grab that almond extract probably sitting in the back of your pantry that you used for one recipe and use it here!

Half-sheet pans are a workhorse in the kitchen. Invest in high-quality pans like these from Nordic Ware because they bake evenly, won’t rust, and are incredibly durable. You’ll need one half-sheet pan for this recipe.

You only need one silicone spatula for this recipe to mix and spread the granola on the half-sheet pan.

To ensure all of the liquid ingredients, especially the sourdough discard, are evenly mixed you’ll need a solid whisk like this one from Oxo.

I love bowls. Big, small, metal, wooden, vintage- can’t have enough of them! You will need a large mixing bowl for the dry ingredients and a couple of small mixing bowls for the wet ingredients and dried fruit in this recipe. This set of Vollrath stainless steel bowls is my favorite because they’re flat on the bottom; they don’t wobble when you stir and are dishwasher safe.

I use these reusable silicone baking mats all the time when baking. They reduce waste, handle high temperatures, and nothing sticks to them. But, of course, parchment paper is also acceptable.

4.94 from 15 votes

Dry Ingredients:

• 3 cups Rolled Oats, 240g
• 1 cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes, 60g
• ½ cup Raw Pistachios, 60g, can sub with any nuts
• ⅓ cup Slivered Almonds, 40g
• ¼ cup Pumpkin Seeds/Pepitas, 30g, can sub with any seeds
• ¼ cup Chia Seeds, 40g
• 1 ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Ground Ginger
• ½ tsp Sea Salt

Wet Ingredients:

• ¼ cup Sourdough Discard, 45g, a little less than ¼ cup
• ⅓ cup Olive Oil, 71g
• ½ cup Honey, 168g
• 1 tsp Almond Extract, optional

Dried Fruit:

• ¾ cup Dried Apricots, 140g, can sub with any dried fruit
• ¼ cup Golden Raisins, 40g

• Preheat oven to 325ºF

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients together with a spatula. Sub any of the nuts, seeds, or sppices with whatever you have on hand.

  3 cups Rolled Oats, 1 cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes, ½ cup Raw Pistachios, ⅓ cup Slivered Almonds, ¼ cup Pumpkin Seeds/Pepitas, ¼ cup Chia Seeds, 1 tsp Ground Ginger, ½ tsp Sea Salt, 1 ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon

  

• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Whisk until the wet ingredients are thoroughly combined and the mixture is thick and somewhat gloopy.

  ¼ cup Sourdough Discard, ⅓ cup Olive Oil, ½ cup Honey, 1 tsp Almond Extract

  

• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

  Using a spatula, mix together the wet and dry ingredients until the dry ingredients are coated in the thick goo.

  

• Dump the mixture onto a prepared half-sheet pan with a reusable silicone mat or parchment paper.

  Use the spatula to firmly press the granola mixture into an even, thin layer until the entire baking sheet is covered in granola.

  

• Bake the sourdough discard granola at 325ºF for 30 minutes, stirring the granola after 15 minutes so it browns evenly.

  Check the granola about five minutes before it’s finished baking to make sure it is not browning too quickly. If so, take it out earlier.

  When done, the granola should smell toasty and be evenly browned all over.

  Let cool on a wire rack.

  

• While the granola is baking or cooling, roughly chop the dried apricots or any other dried fruit you're using if larger than raisins. Mix the dried apricots with golden raisins together in a small bowl.

  ¾ cup Dried Apricots, ¼ cup Golden Raisins

  

• Once the granola is cooled, break up the granola with your hands or spatula. Break up the granola clusters as big or small as you’d like!

  On the sheet pan, toss in the dried fruit. Mix gently to combine and add to storage container or jar. Enjoy!

  

• Don’t break apart the sourdough granola until it is completely cooled. Otherwise, you won’t get large clusters of granola.
• This sourdough discard granola can keep for a couple of weeks if kept in a cool, airtight container like a glass Mason jar, Weck jar, or plastic deli container.
• If the granola stales, simply reheat it in the toaster oven.
• Serve as a snack on its own, over yogurt, or as cereal!
• Discover more sourdough discard recipes!