Easy Sourdough Granola – Quick Or Long Fermented
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This sourdough granola recipe is tangy, crunchy, and lightly sweetened for a delicious breakfast or snack. Add your favorite nuts, seeds, and dried fruit to make it just how you like it!
Are you tired of the same old breakfast routine? Looking to add a twist to your morning meal that will leave your taste buds tingling with delight? Look no further than incorporating the unique flavors and benefits of sourdough into your granola.
I took my regular homemade granola recipe and added sourdough starter. It turned out to be an absolutely delicious granola. Not too sweet, not too sour — just right.
It can be started the night before and baked the next day for a long fermented version, or just mix together and bake without the wait.
This has been a great way to get my kids to drink milk. They are not naturally milk drinkers, which isn’t a big deal. But we spend oodles of money on milk right from the farm. I would like them to at least have a little.
Every day they are begging for milk with granola now. This recipe is a winner.
Why Add Sourdough Starter To Granola?
One, it is a great way to use up extra sourdough discard rather than throwing it away, which reduces food waste.
Two, if you long-ferment the recipe, the wild yeast breaks down the phytic acid in the oats, nuts, and seeds making the nutrients in these ingredients more easily absorbed by the body.
Sourdough starter is also an excellent binder to help coat the oats.
Recipe Highlights:
Delicious snack: Crunchy and lightly sweetened with a slightly tangy flavor, this homemade sourdough granola is the perfect breakfast and snack.
Healthy: Wholesome ingredients with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats, this recipe is much healthier than a store-bought version. With the addition of sourdough starter, the nutrients in the oats (like B vitamins and folate) are more bioavailable since the anti nutrient phytic acid is broken down.
Reduce food waste: It’s a great way to use extra starter rather than throwing it away.
Ingredients:
Sourdough starter: Active or discard will work. Discard refers to the portion of starter that is typically removed and tossed before feeding. I never toss my starter at this point. I either use it in discard recipes like muffins, pancakes, bread, etc, or just feed it and use it. As long as the amount of starter you have isn’t getting totally out of hand, this works totally fine.
Rolled oats: Honestly, any oats will work. I use quick oats all the time since that is what I usually have on hand.
Chia seeds or flax seeds (optional)
Honey: Or pure maple syrup.
Oil: Coconut oil or avocado oil. Any neutral oil will work. Olive oil will also work, but you may want to use a more refined version for a more neutral flavor. I try to stay away from vegetable oil, as it is not the healthiest option.
Vanilla extract: Homemade or store-bought.
Salt: Sea salt.
Optional add-ins:
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Hemp seeds
- Nuts such as pecans, pistachios, walnuts, cashews, almonds, etc.
- Dried fruit like raisins, cranberries, apples, or dried apricots. Other dried fruit will also work.
- Chocolate chips: Wait to add these until after the granola has cooled completely.
Tools you may need:
Measuring cups and spoons
Parchment paper
FAQ:
For granola to be crunchy, it needs to be cooked low and slow until all the moisture is gone. It also needs to be given sufficient time to cool.
Yes. The yeast and bacteria present in the starter break down anti-nutrients naturally present in the grain, which in turn makes the nutrients in the flour more readily available for your body to absorb. Plus, it contains less gluten due to the fermentation, making it easier to digest.
Good bacteria and wild yeast present in the starter are what give sourdough its signature sour flavor. Discard has a more sour taste compared to active starter.
How To Make Sourdough Granola
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients.
Step 2: In a small bowl, whisk together sourdough starter, honey (or maple syrup), oil, vanilla extract, and salt.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until coated.
Step 4: Spread the granola mixture thinly and evenly onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Let cool, add any optional add-ins if desired, and store in an airtight container.
Long Fermented Sourdough Granola:
Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, add wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir well.
Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and allow to ferment at room temperature for 12-24 hours.
The next day, preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spread unbaked granola on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Allow to cool completely.
Storage:
To keep your sourdough granola fresh and flavorful for as long as possible, store it in an airtight container at room temperature.
For longer-term storage, you can also freeze your sourdough granola in a resealable bag or airtight container. When ready to enjoy, simply thaw it at room temperature or in the refrigerator before serving.
Variations:
- Cinnamon apple: Add a teaspoon or two of cinnamon to the oats. Once baked, add dried apples.
- Trail mix: Add lots of nuts, dried fruits, and even chocolate chips.
- Tropical: Once the granola is baked, add dried pineapple and chopped dried mango.
- Coconut: Add unsweetened coconut flakes to the oats before adding the wet ingredients. Bake per instructions.
- Vanilla almond: Stir almonds into the oat mixture before baking. Bake according to instructions.
Expert Tips:
- When preparing your sourdough granola, consider experimenting with different types of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit to create unique flavor combinations. Don’t be afraid to get creative and mix in ingredients like coconut flakes, cacao nibs, or even spices like cinnamon or nutmeg for a delicious twist.
- Active sourdough starter or discard will work. Using sourdough starter discard will make this recipe tangier compared to a more recently fed, active starter.
- You want to bake this nice and slow, as this will dry out the ingredients, giving it a really nice crunch. Plus, it will help it last longer.
- Add more honey or brown sugar for a sweeter granola. I prefer a less sweet recipe.
How To Serve:
- Top your yogurt.
- Eat it like cereal with milk.
- Eat it plain. Snack on it by the handful.
- Top your favorite ice cream with it like this blueberry cheesecake ice cream.
- Sprinkle over fresh fruit.
- Slice some apples with peanut butter and sprinkle granola over them.
Find More Sourdough Recipes:
- Flat bread
- Blueberry Scones
- The Easiest Discard Bread Ever
- Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
- Quick Discard Pancakes
- Sourdough Chocolate Chip Bread
If you’ve tried and loved this recipe, make sure to come back and give it 5 stars and tag me on Instagram @ablossominglife.
Sourdough Granola
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups oats rolled or quick will work
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1/4 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter active or discard
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/3 cup coconut oil or avocado oil, olive oil, etc.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Ingredients:
- 1 cup Variety of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, or chocolate chips.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325.
- In a large bowl, mix together oats, nuts or seeds (optional), and salt.
- In a small bowl, whisk together sourdough starter, honey, oil, and vanilla extract.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients.
- Spread evenly onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake about 30 to 35 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Let cool, add dried fruit if desired, and store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Active sourdough starter or discard will work. Using sourdough starter discard will make this recipe tangier compared to a more recently fed, active starter.
- You want to bake this nice and slow, as this will dry out the ingredients, giving it a really nice crunch. Plus, it will help it last longer.
- Add more honey or brown sugar for a sweeter granola. I prefer a less sweet recipe.
- I added about 1/2 cup dried cranberries, 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, and 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds.
- You can bake the seeds and nuts with the oats if desired, or add after.
- The nutritional information attached is just the plain granola without added nuts, seeds, or dried fruit.
Skip preheating the oven. Follow the same instructions to prepare the granola. Cover and allow to ferment at room temperature for 12-24 hours. Bake as directed.
Soooo good!