Chewy Sourdough Granola Bars {Easy Starter/Discard Recipe}
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
As a busy mom of 2, I’m always looking for nutritious snacks for my kids that are easy to make and that they will love! My kiddos love my Sourdough Goldfish Crackers when they’re craving something salty, but to satisfy a sweet tooth, these Sourdough Granola Bars do just that!
It’s super simple. Simply stir everything together, pop it in the oven, and before you know it, you’ve got a pan of chewy sourdough granola bars. Slice them for a convenient snack now or wrap them in parchment paper and freeze them for later.
Our favorite mix-ins are mini chocolate chips, but you can mix and match with extra chopped nuts, dried fruits and warm spices!
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
Want To Save This Recipe?
Enter your email below, and we’ll send it straight to your inbox! Plus, you’ll get my newest sourdough recipes and best tips every week!
MY LATEST VIDEO
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Made with simple, wholesome ingredients:
No hate for store-bought granola bars, but I’m guessing you’re here because you love hearty, homemade recipes, and this is one of them. These bars use basic pantry staples you probably already have: sourdough discard, honey, peanut butter, butter, chocolate chips or your favorite nuts, sweet spices, dried fruit, or even seeds. It’s a filling snack that keeps you satisfied until your next meal, making it perfect for school lunch boxes, road trips, or afternoon slumps.
A super easy and quick snack:
After mixing the dry ingredients with the wet, you’ll bake the bars for no more than 30 minutes. Chilling takes about 2 hours, but that’s hands-off time while the fridge does the heavy lifting. You can use that break to relax on the couch with a good sourdough cookbook or whatever else you like to read. It’s also a great way to cut down on food waste, so don’t toss that excess starter.
Kid-friendly and freezer-friendly:
If your kids love sourdough graham crackers or sourdough goldfish crackers, they’ll probably love these too. They’re delicious and make for a flavor-packed, grab-and-go snack most kids won’t turn down. Even better, you can bake a big batch and freeze the extras for up to 3 months. These are the kind of kid-approved treats you’ll feel good about tossing into school lunches next to a sourdough loaf sandwich.
* 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!
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.
FAQs
I haven’t tested this recipe with brown sugar, but I did try it with maple syrup. The bars turned out fine, but they didn’t hold together as well. Honey does the best job of binding everything, which is why I stick with it. My family also prefers it since it’s a natural sweetener. Other home cooks have used brown sugar with good results. Try it if you’d like, though results may vary.
I usually mix in mini chocolate chips because they add the perfect crunch and a little sweetness to these homemade sourdough granola bars. Chopped nuts like walnuts or almonds work great too. You can also try dried fruits like cranberries, golden raisins, or chopped apricots. For extra texture, you could experiment with seeds like pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, or sesame seeds. And if you like warm spices, consider adding cinnamon, or you can swap in nutmeg if cinnamon isn’t your thing. I’ve tested several of these add-ins, but not all. I haven’t tested the seeds, for example, so results may vary.
If your granola bars crumble when you slice them, they might not have enough binder. Honey or peanut butter are a natural binder that helps 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: use rolled oats instead of quick oats for better texture.
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.
Sourdough Granola Bars Recipe
Enter your email below, and we’ll send it straight to your inbox! Plus, you’ll get my newest sourdough recipes and best tips every week!
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.
Such an easy sourdough snack that my kiddos love! Quick to make and never last long!
Wholesome homemade granola bar recipe utilizing my sourdough discard–big win! Thank you for sharing <3
So thrilled to hear that, Mindy!
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.
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.
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.
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.