After posting my pantry clean-out granola recipe, I received SO MANY requests for specific flavor combinations of sourdough discard granola. Oats & honey was the most popular by far, and I can see why!

It’s the most prominent granola option at the grocery store, and it’s downright delish. 😋

The sourdough discard (or active starter) does a few things here: it acts as a natural binder, so you need less oil and sugar, it uses up extra starter, and it adds a little of that sourdough goodness.

“Crunchy flavorful homemade granola, clusters guaranteed. Double the recipe so you don’t run out too soon :)” –Recipe tester from Belgium, Europe 

Whether you’re topping yogurt, eating it like cereal, or just grabbing handfuls straight from the jar, this sourdough discard granola recipe checks all the boxes.

“Imagine the Nature’s Valley granola bar, but make it less of a dessert and more addictingly snackable.” –Recipe tester from Central Florida

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Why You’ll Love This

• Recipe tested by real sourdough bakers: Before this recipe made it to you, it was tested by 475 home bakers across the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia – and the final version earned an average rating of 4.77 out of 5. 
• So easy: Granola is one of those recipes that looks impressive but is honestly just mix, press, and bake.

“It was soft yet crunchy, perfect sweetness, perfect saltiness and easy peasy lemon squeezy to make – it’s really a 5-minute prep before baking type thing.” –Recipe tester from Frederick, MD

• Big crunchy clusters: The sourdough starter helps everything bake into those golden, snackable chunks we all dig for first.
• Better (and cheaper!) than store-bought: Simple ingredients, customizable sweetness, and way more flavor – at a fraction of the cost. One tester shared that she usually spends $8 on a single bag of granola, but was able to make a double batch of this recipe for much less.

“Considering I spend eight dollars on a bag of granola for my granddaughters, I made this entire double batch for dollars. I will be making it from now on.” –Recipe tester from Pennsylvania

Why Add Sourdough Discard to Granola?

Sourdough discard helps bind the granola, reduces the amount of oil and honey needed, and adds subtle sourdough flavor. It also uses up excess sourdough discard and adds the health benefits of sourdough to our snack.

Traditional granola relies on oil and honey to hold everything together – and that works. But by adding some sourdough discard to the mix, we can reduce how much oil and honey we need. 

In this recipe, we use 130 g of sourdough discard. Without it, that’d be an additional 130 g of oil and honey to maintain the same texture.

Plus… let’s be real. We’re sourdough obsessed. OF COURSE we’re adding some starter! 🤣

“If you’re looking for granola with big, bakery-style clusters, the perfect touch of sweetness and crunch, plus the health benefits of sourdough… this is your recipe.” –Recipe tester from Ruther Glen, VA 

The Recipe Testing Journey

As usual, what I thought would be a quick, straightforward recipe turned into two full rounds of testing and some small but powerful adjustments.

The first version was well-loved, but one piece of feedback stood out: some bakers wanted it just a bit sweeter. So, I tweaked the sweetness, added puffed brown rice cereal for a lighter crunch, and sent the updated version out for round two.

94% of testers said they’d absolutely make that updated version again, which told me we had landed on a winner.

“My husband is from Europe and usually can’t stand American foods from the store because of the ‘fake and overly sweetened’ taste. He loved it! Sweet enough, but not too sweet!” –Recipe tester from Upstate NY 

Sometimes the smallest tweaks make the biggest difference.

What Recipe Testers Thought

Across both rounds of testing, bakers said this granola is:

• Easy to make
• Pantry-friendly
• Beginner-proof

The puffed brown rice cereal became a standout addition in the second round of testing. Testers said it added a light, airy crunch that really elevated the texture.

Why did I add puffed brown rice cereal? It’s not an ingredient I keep on hand, and it may sound a bit random. But after purchasing five different bags of store-bought oats & honey granola, I noticed puffed brown rice cereal listed in several of them. It adds a lightness to the granola that really improves the texture. You can sub for something like Rice Krispies if you prefer.

The sweetness adjustment also made a noticeable difference in round two, and clusters formed beautifully for the vast majority of bakers. 

The biggest takeaway is that this recipe is simple, customizable, and comes together fast with ingredients most of us already have on hand.

“EASIEST GRANOLA TO MAKE AND SO GOOD.” –Recipe tester from Garland, TX

“Give it a try! The rice cereal is totally worth adding and makes a difference!” –Recipe tester from Carlisle, PA

“Do it, you won’t regret it – signed, a picky eater.” –Recipe tester from Jersey City, NJ 

Here’s a collection of photos from recipe testers:

“So much better than store bought granola that even my picky husband and 7-year-old loved it!” –Recipe tester from South Jersey

Substitutions

• Oil: Coconut oil was the clear favorite among testers (about 70% used it). Testers also had success with avocado oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, and even vegetable oil. Butter was mentioned multiple times as a great backup – especially when someone ran out of coconut oil – and still gave crisp, flavorful clusters.
• Sweeteners: Honey is the main sweetener here (it’s oats and honey for a reason), but maple syrup works beautifully in its place if that’s what you prefer. For the brown sugar, about three-quarters of testers used light brown sugar, though dark brown sugar and coconut sugar both worked well, too. Some skipped the brown sugar entirely and used all honey or maple syrup – it still turned out great, just a bit softer.
• Adjust the sweetness: If you want it less sweet, you can reduce the amount of brown sugar or skip it altogether. If you prefer it sweeter, you can add an extra 10–20g of honey or brown sugar.
• Puffed brown rice cereal: Most people who omitted the puffed brown rice cereal and made it as straight granola agreed it was still delicious – just a bit denser in texture. If you don’t have (or can’t find) puffed brown rice cereal, the most popular swap was Rice Krispies. Puffed quinoa, puffed wheat, and puffed millet also worked really well. A few testers got creative with other substitutions, too – and that’s the beauty of granola. You can truly make it your own.

Note: Popular puffed brown rice cereal brands included Nature’s Path (my favorite), 365 by Whole Foods Market, One Degree Organic Foods, Arrowhead Mills, and Farmers We Know. You can find it at more health-focused stores like Whole Foods, Amazon, Sprouts, Earthfare, and Azure Standard. International testers recommended Rude Health and President’s Choice Organic.

• Starter: Both active starter and discard work well here, so use what you have on hand.
• Make it your own: Think of this as your base recipe. You can customize it with whatever you have on hand. Sliced almonds, shredded coconut, pumpkin seeds, and raisins/craisins were all popular add-ins. Pecans, chocolate chips, walnuts, dried cranberries, flax, and hemp seeds were also favorites among testers. If you’re adding anything that might melt, stir it in after the granola has cooled.

Check out my Pantry Clean-Out Sourdough Discard Granola Recipe

Equipment You’ll Need

• Half sheet pan: A half sheet is large enough to spread out in a thin, even layer of granola. I love my USA Pan – it’s nonstick without Teflon.
• Scale: Granola is forgiving, so you don’t have to be exact – but I’m a sucker for a kitchen scale. I like weighing for consistency and to get the ratios right. 
• 4-quart mixing bowl: Something big enough to stir everything together without oats flying everywhere. 

• Whisk: I love the OXO Good Grips whisks because they’re sturdy and don’t flop around when you’re mixing thicker ingredients like honey and starter.
• Spatula: A sturdy silicone spatula helps you press the mixture firmly into the pan, which means bigger, better clusters later. You can also place parchment paper on top and press down to pack it tightly.

How to Make Oats & Honey Sourdough Discard Granola (Step-by-Step Instructions)

Step 1: Preheat the Oven

Preheat to 325°F  (160°C) conventional.

Step 2: Mix the Wet Ingredients

If you’re using coconut oil and it’s solid, melt it first.

In a large bowl, whisk together:

• 60 g coconut oil or avocado, grapeseed, vegetable, or canola oil
• 90 g honey or maple syrup
• 40 g light brown sugar or dark brown sugar or coconut sugar
• 10 g vanilla extract (about 2 teaspoons) or vanilla paste
• 6 g cinnamon (about 2 teaspoons)

Whisk for a good 15–20 seconds so the honey and sugar start to dissolve a bit. 

Step 3: Add the Sourdough Starter

Whisk in 130 g sourdough starter (active or discard). If you’re using discard, make sure it’s less than 10 days old, or it may impart bitter or unpleasant flavors into the granola. If it has hooch on top or smells funky, don’t use it!

Step 4: Fold In the Dry Ingredients

Using a spatula or large spoon, fold in:

• 310 g old-fashioned rolled oats
• 30 g puffed brown rice cereal (optional) or Rice Krispies, puffed quinoa
• 35 g nuts/larger seeds (optional) sliced almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds
• 30 g dried fruit (optional) raisins, dried blueberries, dried cherries, dried apricots
• 15 g small seeds (optional) flaxseed, chia seeds, hemp hearts
• 35 g shredded coconut (optional) sweetened or unsweetened
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Note: If you skip all the optional add-ins, the mixture will be a little wetter than usual – just fold in an extra 60g of rolled oats to balance it out. That said, this recipe is super flexible, so don’t be afraid to adjust as you go!

Mix until everything is evenly distributed.

The optional mix-ins are totally flexible. Here are some tester-approved options by category:

• Nuts & larger seeds: pecans, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, Brazil nuts, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds
• Shredded coconut: sweetened or unsweetened both work – several testers preferred sweetened for extra flavor
• Small seeds: flaxseed, chia seeds, hemp hearts – millet or wheat germ also work well here
• Dried fruit: raisins, craisins, dried blueberries, dried cranberries, dried cherries, dried apricots, dried mango, dried figs, freeze-dried apples or bananas, goji berries
• Chocolate: stir in after the granola has fully cooled – mini chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, cacao nibs, or even a drizzle of almond bark

Step 5: Spread and Compact the Granola

Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper or lightly oil it.

Spread the granola evenly, then press it down firmly with a spatula or something hard and flat. 

Many recipe testers used parchment paper on top and pressed it down with their hands. You can also use another sheet pan to press firmly on the parchment.

The tighter you pack it, the bigger the clusters will be.

Step 6: Bake

Bake for 15 minutes, rotate the sheet pan, and bake for another 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and break up the granola into clusters. You can use a spoon, spatula, or even your fingers (once it cools down slightly).

Put it back in the oven and bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Keep an eye on it – granola can brown quickly toward the end.

Also, do not – I repeat, do not – panic if the granola feels soft at the end of baking. It crisps up as it cools. Give it about 10 minutes after you pull it out of the oven, and it’ll be nice and crunchy.

How to Store Homemade Granola

Once completely cooled, store your granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 weeks.

I prefer glass because it keeps things nice and crisp. A mason jar works great – and makes it very easy to reach in and grab a handful whenever you want to munch on it. 

How to Serve Granola

We love eating granola by the handful straight out of the jar – and this honey oat version is no exception.

Here are a few other ways to enjoy it:

• Make granola bars by scoring the pressed granola with a knife or bench scraper before baking
• Sprinkle it over yogurt with fresh berries
• Pour milk over it like cereal

• Add it to smoothie bowls for crunch
• Sprinkle it over pancakes or waffles with a drizzle of honey
• Use it as a crumble topping on banana bread or other quick breads before baking
• Stir it into cottage cheese for a sweet + salty + crunchy combo

Troubleshooting Tips

Not getting big clusters?

One of the biggest predictors of chunkier clusters was how firmly the granola was packed before baking. Really press the oats down with parchment on top, packing them tightly, and you’ll get larger pieces.

Still soft or not browned enough? 

Timing matters. Most bakers pulled theirs out after 35–40 minutes of total baking time, when it was perfectly golden brown. A few who removed it early (while still pale) found it didn’t crisp up quite the same – often just an oven variation issue.

If it feels slightly soft in spots when you take it out, that’s normal. Let it cool on the pan for at least 10 minutes. Granola continues to crisp as it cools. If it’s still soft after a 10-minute cool-down, pop it back in the oven for about 5 more minutes.

FAQs

“You won’t go back to store-bought granola.” –Recipe tester from Phoenix, AZ 

“Just make it, and you will become addicted like I am.” –Recipe tester from West Haven, CT 

Conclusion

If you’ve got oats, honey, and a little extra sourdough starter hanging around, this is your sign.

It’s simple, crunchy, and way too easy to “just have a handful” of. I hope you enjoy!

Other recipes you might like:

• How to Make the Best Homemade Nutella (Easy Recipe)
• Sourdough Discard Ginger Crisps (Fast & Easy Snack!)
• Fast & Easy Banana Nut Sourdough Discard Waffles