Big Cluster Sourdough Discard Granola

I love finding new ways to cook or bake with sourdough discard, extending its use into something delicious. From sourdough biscuits to zucchini muffins, and pumpkin bread, the options with sourdough discard are endless!

When it comes to granola, I’m a chunky, clumpy, big cluster girl. And what better to get that result than sourdough discard, a natural binder that’s a bit sticky and can bond oats, seeds, and nuts together.

Based off my Extra Clumpy Granola, this sourdough discard granola uses maple syrup and coconut sugar for a natural caramelized flavor, along with cinnamon for warmth.

And both walnuts and pepita seeds for extra roasted, toasted nuttiness.

What’s the secret to clumpy granola?

I think you’ll find the texture of this granola to be absolutely perfect, shattering into large clusters while being crisp, yet light. It’s great for snacking, as a cereal, or as a yogurt topper. Instead, I learned from Laura Wright in her “The First Mess Cookbook“ that ground flax seeds are key to the snappy, break apart texture. When the ground flax hits liquid, it creates a coating that clings to the dry ingredients and clumps them together, creating an excellent crisp texture.

How to Make Sourdough Discard Granola:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put oats on a baking sheet, and bake for 5-7 minutes, until you can smell a little toasty-ness from the oats. Remove from oven and turn down to 300 degrees F.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together sourdough discard, maple syrup, oil, vanilla, and coconut sugar.
3. When oats are lightly toasted, add to a bowl with the seeds, nuts, and ground flax. Add cinnamon and salt. Spread granola onto parchment lined baking sheet into even layer so that everything is touching each other.
4. Pour wet mixture over dry and stir to fully combine.
5. Bake granola for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and LET FULLY COOL before touching.

How Long Does Sourdough Discard Last?

You can keep sourdough discard in your refrigerator for up to 10 days. The discard will be more sour the longer it stays in the fridge. So for something like this granola where I don’t want the sourness to come through, I use discard that is less than 6 days old.

Your discard might accumulate a little liquid on the top while it’s in the fridge, which is called hooch, simply meaning alcohol that is the byproduct of fermentation. You can simple pour the liquid off into garbage, and scrape the very top off, and use the rest as discard.

Best Way to Store Granola So It Stays Crisp:

Store your granola in a glass container with tight seal, or a quart sized ziploc bag. Both ways keep air and moisture out, so that crisp texture is not lost. My preferred method is the ziploc bag because I can keep the granola in big clusters rather than having to break them so they fit into a glass jar.

More Sourdough Discard Recipes:

• Easy Zucchini Sourdough Discard Muffins
• Flaky 5 Ingredient Sourdough Discard Biscuits
• Favorite Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Bread

Big Cluster Sourdough Discard Granola

Use sourdough starter discard to make the tastiest granola that has giant clusters, nuts, and seeds! Naturally sweetened with maple syrup. Breaks apart into clumps.

5 from 25 votes

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Prep Time :10 minutes minutes

Cook Time :45 minutes minutes

Yield: 10 servings

Author: Amanda Paa

SCALE:

1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 225 grams rolled oats
• 75 grams sourdough discard that’s less than 6 days old
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup sunflower oil or grapeseed, canola
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon whole flax seed ground up (or 2 1/2 tablespoons ground flax seed)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 75 grams raw walnuts or almonds
• 75 grams raw pepita seeds

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Equipment

• Half Sheet Pan

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Put oats on a baking sheet, and bake for 5-7 minutes, until you can smell a little toasty-ness from the oats. Remove from oven and turn it down to 300 degrees F.
• Whisk together sourdough discard, maple syrup, oil, vanilla, and coconut sugar so that it is smooth and homogenous.
• Add seeds, nuts, and ground flax to a large bowl. Then add cinnamon, salt, and your toasted oats.
• Pour wet mixture onto the dry mixture and stir until everything is fully coated. Spread granola onto parchment lined baking sheet into even layer so that everything is touching each other.
• Bake granola for 40 minutes. It will still be a tiny bit moist, but will dry as it cools. Trust this. :)
• Remove from oven and LET FULLY COOL before touching and breaking into clumps.