Big Cluster Sourdough Discard Granola

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The secret to big cluster granola

When it comes to granola, I only want it if it’s chonky and clumpy.
Like actual clusters and not crumbs.
That’s exactly what this Maple Sourdough Discard Granola is – and I fear it may have ruined me! You see, sourdough discard is an awesome natural binder that’s a bit sticky and can bond oats, seeds, and nuts together.

I also 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, shattering into large clusters while being crisp, yet light.

So I based this recipe off my reader favorite Extra Clumpy Granola, which uses maple syrup and coconut sugar for a natural caramelized flavor, along with cinnamon for warmth. I tested and adjusted some of the ratios to account for the inclusion of sourdough discard and landed on the best granola I’ve ever made. And I love the extra toasty crunch from the pepitas and walnuts.

It really doesn’t even need yogurt – I eat handfuls right out of the container! But of course, it’s extra delicious with any dairy and fresh berries.

Just a note! I keep my sourdough discard jar in the fridge 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.

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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 49 votes

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Prep Time :10 minutes minutes

Cook Time :45 minutes minutes

Yield: 10 servings

Author: Amanda Paa

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Equipment

• Half Sheet Pan

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

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.

Notes

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.