Big Cluster Sourdough Discard Granola
By Amanda Paa – Updated April 5, 2022
This sourdough discard granola is easy to make and shatters into giant clusters that filled with oats, nuts, and seeds! A fabulous use for leftover sourdough starter that's absolutely delicious, naturally sweetened with maple syrup, that also adds to its warm flavor. The secret to the clumpy texture is thanks to the binding powers of sourdough discard and flax seeds.
Jump to Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
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:
- 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.
- Meanwhile, whisk together sourdough discard, maple syrup, oil, vanilla, and coconut sugar.
- 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.
- Pour wet mixture over dry and stir to fully combine.
- 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
Yield: 10 servings
SCALE:
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
Equipment
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.
Did you make this?
tag @heartbeetkitchen on instagram and hashtag it #heartbeetkitchen
March 8, 2022
A-MAZE-ING !! I’ve been making my own granola for years, but have never been able to get the clusters, so it’s always really been more like toasted muesli. This recipe is an absolute game changer! I’m quite new to sourdough dough baking, and have yet to master bread making, so it feels very satisfying to have a foolproof recipe for my starter. I used flaked almonds, sunflower seeds and flaked coconut and I don’t have any flax seeds, but the result was still fantastic. I’ve already made it 3 times, slowly lowering the (brown) sugar content as my first batch was a wee bit sweet. The maple syrup and cinnamon add such depth of flavour. Highly recommended 👌
I’m so glad you enjoy the big cluster granola, Kirsty!
I wonder how hard it would be to turn this recipe into a granola bar…?
That’s an interesting thought! I might have to play around with it.
OMG!! This is delicious and so easy to make. This is the 2nd time I’m making it because the first time it was gone in 24 hours. Hard to stop eating. Thanks for a wonderful recipe for sourdough discard!!
yay, thanks for making the recipe!
DELICIOUS! A staple in the house along with all of the sourdough varieties. Thanks so much for sharing your recipes!
Yay, glad you are enjoying the sourdough granola!
This granola was delicious! The whole family loved it! I will definitely be making this again.
Glad your family enjoyed it!
Best granola ever! This is my favorite way to use up my discard! I used coconut oil instead of veg oil and I like to mix up the nuts I use. Also I’ve added a couple tablespoons of cocoa powder and it was also delicious!!!
Oh, so glad to hear! And I cannot wait to try it with cocoa powder – great idea.
Looks good! I don’t have coconut sugar, could I add more maple syrup instead?
Hi! The granola will be too wet if you use all maple syrup. You could use brown sugar instead of coconut sugar though!
The best granola I have ever made! My house smells amazing! I tried not to add coconut but I simply had to. Shame on me!!!🤭
I just made this with my discard! Oh my! It is so yummy! Planning on putting it on my yogurt but it was hard not to nibble as it was cooling! This will definitely be in my favorites!
Yay, so glad you enjoyed it!
This is a really tasty granola-love to snack on it! I replaced the oil with applesauce to cut down the fat-it is still yummy
I just made this and it is one of the best granolas I’ve made. I added chia seeds and unsweetened coconut flakes as well as substituted sunflower oil for coconut oil. This recipe will be my go to to homemade granola!
Yay! It’s our house granola too.
Perfecto! Used coconut oil, ground chia, and cardamom as substitutes. Delicious.
Sounds great, so glad you liked the recipe!
My favorite granola ever!! And super easy to make. I love miking up the nuts and seeds to whatever I have in the pantry.
Yes, it’s very versatile! I’m so glad you like the recipe.
Love this! The clumps are everything! It’s now my favorite granola recipe, and easy to change the nuts depending on what I’m in the mood for. Thanks for sharing!
Yay, so glad you like the recipe!
Delicious way to use excess discard. I was looking for a good snack for the afternoon and this is it!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
This granola is amazing! I’ve made this many many times and it always turns out no matter what mix-in’s I use. Today I used cacao nibs, unsweetened shredded coconut and orange zest. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
So glad you like it, Charlotte! And your variation sounds incredibly delicious.
The sourdough discard sound yummy! Can’t wait to try this. Thank you!
Great texture and flavor. Easy to customize the size of pieces for whatever you want to do with your granola (mix smaller bits into yogurt or grab bigger chunks for a snack). I added a bit of coconut flakes and the kitchen smelled great!
So glad you liked the recipe, Brian! Love the idea of adding a little coconut.
I’ve been on the hunt for a good granola recipe! Can’t wait to try it!
(I occasionally feed my discard a little bit of flour in fridge so that I can keep it for longer than a week!)
I have made this recipe several times now and it is the perfect granola recipe in my opinion! I like that it is so low maintenance – just stick it in the oven for 40 min and don’t have to worry about stirring it (although I did forget to turn the oven down to 300 one time and sadly burnt it to a crisp). It’s not too sweet and you can easily substitute (I used pecans instead of pepitas) and added chia and hemp seeds. It’s my favorite way to use discard and everyone who has had this recipe loves it. Thanks!
Love hearing that, Kaitlin! I like using pecans too sometimes, or cashews!
Our favourite granola recipe ever!! Make it on repeat!! Thank you!
So glad you like it, Karen!
I’m not usually big on granola but this big cluster one is so addictive! It’s not too sweet which I love and super light and crunchy. Love the texture. Can’t wait to have it with milk!
Yay, so glad you liked it!
Fantastic recipe! Just made it today – so delicious!
yay, so glad to hear it!
Fantastic way to use up sourdough discard – super easy to make and so yummy!
so glad you liked it, Hayley!
This granola is so easy and delicious! I used melted coconut oil and it came out perfectly!
yay, so glad you enjoyed it and the coconut oil worked well!
Addictively good! Made with sunflower seeds and pepitas to keep it nut free for school lunches. Though I may keep it all to myself.
love to hear it!
Excellent recipe! I love using my discard in purposeful and delicious ways. My family thinks this granola is outstanding!
Made a batch of this for a road trip snack. (Subbed turbinado sugar for the coconut sugar.) I’m watching my BIL, who would tell you he doesn’t like sourdough, scarf it down as I type this. (What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him!) I consider this one a win! 😁
that is hilarious, Becky! love to hear that it’s a hit.
I really love granola and i’m always looking for new ways and combination. The sourdough discard usage made me very curious and I had to try!! Let me tell you … it’s awesome. So so crunchy, how i love it most.
yay, so glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve made a lot of granola this spring and this is the best one I’ve made thus far! The giant clusters are unreal!
yay, so glad you liked it, Kellie!
I was so excited to make this granola. My house smells like fall. This granola has big clusters with all the perfect flavor. Thank you Amanda for adding another yummy sourdough recipe to my collection. Also, super easy to make. This would be cute to gift out in mason jars for family and friends 👩🏻🍳
I have been making granola for years. I have one recipe that I love and sometimes try news ones. I made this granola today and it is so so good. The crunch and clusters are amazing. Will definitely be making this again and again.
So happy to hear that, Liz! It’s on repeat at our house, too. :)
Best granola recipe in…maybe ever! Always looking for creative new ways to use my sourdough discard. This will be on rotation for ever and ever!
Yay, so glad you liked it!!
It was another super easy recipe to use my sourdough discard! I didn’t put pepita seeds in the mix since my daughter isn’t a big fan. According to my family “Your granola has a crack quality to it. Can’t stop eating it!” I think I will add coconut chips to next batch, maybe reduce sugar add some dry fruit.
10 out of 10 Would recommend!
So glad the whole family is enjoying it! I bet coconut chips would be delicious in it.