Chewy Sourdough Granola Bars {Easy Discard Recipe}
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These chewy Sourdough Granola Bars are a wholesome snack made with simple ingredients like rolled oats, natural peanut butter, honey, and sourdough discard. They come together in one bowl and bake in about 30 minutes, making them a perfect easy sourdough discard recipe for busy weekdays.
If you love homemade granola bars that are chewy, sweet, and freezer-friendly, this sourdough discard granola bar recipe is for you. Toss them into lunch boxes or enjoy them as a quick snack with your favorite add-ins like mini chocolate chips, dried fruit, or pumpkin seeds. They pair perfectly alongside my Sourdough Granola for a wholesome breakfast spread.
Quick Look: Sourdough Granola Bars
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Servings: 20 granola bars
- Calories: ~195 kcal per bar (based on nutrition panel)
- Cook Method: Baked
- Flavor Profile: Soft, chewy, and naturally sweet with peanut butter, honey, and mini chocolate chips. A simple, wholesome snack packed with rolled oats and a subtle sourdough tang!
- Difficulty: Easy — Stir everything together, bake, and chill. Ready in under an hour!
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Why You’ll Love This Sourdough Granola Recipe
- Made with wholesome ingredients you already have: These homemade sourdough granola bars use basic pantry staples like rolled oats, honey, natural peanut butter, vanilla extract, and a portion of your sourdough starter. No trip to the grocery store needed. Unlike store-bought granola bars loaded with preservatives, these are made with simple ingredients you can feel good about serving to your family right alongside a sourdough loaf sandwich.
- A quick snack that practically makes itself: Mix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients together in a large bowl, press the granola mixture into a prepared pan, and bake. The whole process takes about 30 minutes of active time. While the bars chill in the fridge, you can whip up another easy recipe like my Sourdough Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies to use up even more leftover sourdough discard.
- Kid-friendly and freezer-friendly: If your kids love sourdough graham crackers or sourdough goldfish crackers, they will love these chewy sourdough granola bars too. Bake a big batch and freeze the extras in an airtight container for up to 3 months. They are a great addition to school lunches and road trips.
Ingredients & Substitutions
* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*
- Oats: This recipe calls for rolled oats. Quick oats are too thin and won’t work well for this recipe. The texture of quick oats deteriorates as they cook.
- Peanut Butter: Use your favorite creamy nut butter, such as peanut butter, cashew, or almond. If your peanut butter is firm, heat it up in the microwave for easy mixing.
- Honey: Adds just the right amount of sweetness and helps hold the granola bars together. If you prefer, you can use maple syrup instead, but they don’t hold up as well when made with it.
- Butter: I used melted butter (unsalted), but you can use coconut oil for a non-dairy option.
- Sourdough Discard: Sourdough discard or active sourdough starter can be used for this recipe, just be sure to use the same amount in grams.
- Mix-ins: My kids and I love adding mini chocolate chips for a little extra crunch and sweetness, but you can get as creative as you want. You can mix in chopped nuts, dried fruit, sweet spices, or any favorite option. There are so many fun flavor combinations to play with.
How to Make Sourdough Granola Bars
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 9×13 baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Add the peanut butter, honey, melted butter, vanilla, salt and sourdough discard to a bowl and stir until smooth.
- Fold the oats into the peanut butter mixture. Finally fold in the mini chocolate chips.
- Pour the oat mixture into the prepared pan and press the oats into an even layer.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are lightly brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow the granola bars to come to room temperature before covering and placing them in the fridge for at least 2 hours to chill.
- After chilling, slice into even pieces and enjoy!
McKenna’s Helpful Tips
- Use rolled oats, not quick oats. Old-fashioned oats hold their shape during baking and give these bars their signature chewy texture. Quick oats break down too much and create a crumbly result. If you enjoy oats in baked goods, try my Sourdough Oatmeal Quick Bread for another delicious way to use them.
- Press the oat mixture firmly into the pan. A common reason homemade granola bars fall apart is not pressing them tightly enough. Use the back of a spatula or your hands to compact the granola mixture into a thin layer in the prepared pan. For another great recipe that uses a similar pressing technique, check out my Sourdough Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins which also use peanut butter and oats.
- Let them chill completely before slicing. Patience is key here. The bars need at least 2 hours in the fridge to set up properly. Cutting too early will cause them to crumble. While you wait, you could make a batch of Sourdough Pop Tarts for another fun snack your kids will love.
- Warm your peanut butter if it is stiff. If your natural peanut butter or almond butter is firm from the fridge, microwave it for 15-20 seconds before mixing. This helps it blend smoothly with the honey and melted butter. For another recipe that uses peanut butter beautifully, try my Sourdough Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins.
- Customize your favorite add-ins. Mini chocolate chips are my go-to, but you can swap in dried fruit like golden raisins, chop
- ped apricots, or cranberries. Seeds like chia seeds, sunflower seeds, or sesame seeds add extra crunch. If you love oat-based treats with mix-ins, my Sourdough Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are another favorite.
How to Store
Store the granola bars in an airtight container, a zip-top bag, or wrapped tightly in beeswax or plastic wrap. On the counter, they’ll stay fresh for about 3 to 4 days. For longer storage, keep them in the fridge, where they’ll last up to 10 days.
Freezing and thawing: Wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap or parchment paper, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. They’ll keep well in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let the bars thaw at room temperature or in the fridge until they become soft enough to enjoy. Your kids will love you more for every chewy granola bar.
Sourdough Granola FAQs
In most cases, you will not need to adjust the wet ingredients when swapping in nuts, seeds, or coconut flakes, as long as you keep the total amount of mix-ins about the same as the recipe calls for with the chocolate chips. The main thing to watch is the texture before pressing the granola mixture into the prepared pan. It should feel slightly sticky and hold together when pressed. If it seems a bit dry, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of honey or melted coconut oil to bring it back to the right consistency. For more ideas on favorite add-ins, check out my Sourdough Granola which also uses a variety of nuts and seeds.
You can use other creamy nut butters like almond butter or cashew butter as a great alternative. Just make sure it is smooth and easy to stir. Creamy butters mix in well and help the bars hold their shape. Crunchy ones do not blend as easily and can cause the bars to fall apart. If you need a nut-free option, you could try sunflower seed butter, but I have not tested it with this recipe. For another recipe that pairs wonderfully with peanut butter, try my Sourdough Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins.
I have tested these sourdough discard granola bars with maple syrup and they turned out fine, but they did not hold together as well as when made with honey. Honey acts as a natural binder that helps keep everything together. If you do use maple syrup, you may want to add an extra tablespoon to compensate. My family prefers honey since it is a natural sweetener with wonderful flavor.
If your homemade granola bars crumble when you slice them, they might not have enough binder. Honey and peanut butter are the natural binders that hold everything together. Make sure to press the granola mixture firmly into the pan. Let the bars chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before cutting. Overbaking can also dry them out and make them crumbly. One more thing: always use rolled oats instead of quick oats for better texture. If you love chewy baked goods with oats, my Sourdough Oatmeal Quick Bread is another great recipe to try.
If you tried this Sourdough Granola Bars recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Sourdough Granola Bars Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 140 grams creamy peanut butter 1/2 cup
- 200 grams honey 2/3 cup
- 57 grams unsalted butter, melted 1/4 cup
- 4 grams vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
- 3 grams salt 1/2 teaspoon
- 100 grams sourdough discard 1/3 cup
- 315 grams rolled oats 3 1/2 cups
- 150 grams mini chocolate chips 3/4 cups
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9×13 baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Add the peanut butter, honey, melted butter, vanilla, salt and sourdough discard to a bowl and whisk until smooth. If the peanut butter is firm, heat it up slightly in the microwave for easy mixing.140 grams creamy peanut butter, 200 grams honey, 4 grams vanilla extract, 3 grams salt, 100 grams sourdough discard, 57 grams unsalted butter, melted
- Fold the oats into the peanut butter mixture with a rubber spatula, then fold in the mini chocolate chips.315 grams rolled oats, 150 grams mini chocolate chips
- Pour the granola bar mixture into the prepared pan. Using another small piece of parchment paper, firmly press the oats into an even layer. This helps to keep your hands clean!
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are lightly brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow the granola bars to come to room temperature. Then cover and place the bars in the fridge for at least 2 hours to chill.
- After chilling, slice into even pieces and enjoy!
Notes
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Oats: This recipe calls for rolled oats. Quick oats are too thin and won’t work well for this recipe. The texture of quick oats deteriorates as they cook.
- Peanut Butter: Use your favorite creamy nut butter, such as peanut butter, cashew, or almond. If your peanut butter is firm, heat it up in the microwave for easy mixing.
- Honey: Adds just the right amount of sweetness and helps hold the granola bars together. If you prefer, you can use maple syrup instead, but they don’t hold up as well when made with it.
- Butter: I used melted butter (unsalted), but you can use coconut oil for a non-dairy option.
- Sourdough Discard: Sourdough discard or active sourdough starter can be used for this recipe, just be sure to use the same amount in grams.
- Mix-ins: My kids and I love adding mini chocolate chips for a little extra crunch and sweetness, but you can get as creative as you want. You can mix in chopped nuts, dried fruit, sweet spices, or any favorite option. There are so many fun flavor combinations to play with.
When using other mix-ins like nuts, seeds, coconut flakes- do I need to adjust the wet ingredients in order to keep the consistency accurate? Thanks!
Great question! In most cases, you won’t need to adjust the wet ingredients when swapping in nuts, seeds, or coconut flakes—as long as you’re keeping the total amount of mix-ins about the same as the recipe calls for with the chocolate chips!
The main thing to watch is the texture before pressing the mixture into the pan. It should feel slightly sticky and hold together when pressed. If it seems a bit dry, you can add 1–2 tablespoons of honey or melted coconut oil to bring it back to the right consistency.
Delicious! How do you store them once they are cut?
So glad you loved them, Jen! You can store the granola bars in an airtight container, a zip-top bag, or wrapped tightly in beeswax or plastic wrap. On the counter, they’ll stay fresh for about 3 to 4 days. For longer storage, keep them in the fridge, where they’ll last up to 10 days.
Can you omit the peanut butter or use chunky peanut butter?
You can use other creamy nut butters like almond butter or cashew nuts butter. Just make sure it’s smooth and easy to stir. Creamy butters mix in well and help the bars hold their shape. Crunchy ones don’t blend as easily and can cause the bars to fall apart. If you need a nut-free option, you could try sunflower seed butter, but I haven’t tested it with this recipe.
This is the best granola bar recipe I’ve found and my kids love it!
So thrilled to hear that it loved by the whole family! Thank you so much for sharing.
Wholesome homemade granola bar recipe utilizing my sourdough discard–big win! Thank you for sharing <3
So thrilled to hear that, Mindy!
Such an easy sourdough snack that my kiddos love! Quick to make and never last long!