Sourdough Discard Chewy Granola Bars (Quaker Copycat)
My kids are obsessed with chewy granola bars, but I’ve always had three problems with buying them:
- They’re expensive.
- The box disappears in approximately five seconds.
- The ingredient label reads like a chemistry exam.
So I did what I always do — I made my own.
“Taste so much like a Quaker granola bar but better!! This is a great recipe!” –Recipe tester from Muskegon, MI
These sourdough discard granola bars have that same chewy store-bought texture, but without that strange artificial aftertaste.
I’ll be honest — I’m not thrilled that this recipe ended up needing corn syrup. But after testing, it really is the key to nailing that chewy texture.
“My very picky kiddo said it’s exactly like the Chewy bars!” –Recipe tester from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Why You’ll Love These Sourdough Discard Granola Bars
- Use up that sourdough discard: No waiting for a peaked starter. No timing required. Just grab that discard from the fridge and go. As always, you can use an active starter instead if that’s what you have!
- Super soft, chewy texture: The combination of corn syrup, honey, and brown sugar creates that classic chewy granola bar pull — not dry, not crumbly, not rock-hard. These truly taste like a copycat of the store-bought version. (Don’t worry, we tested all the corn syrup substitutes and have tips!)
- Crazy fast prep: Five minutes of mixing, a stint in the fridge while the oven preheats, and you’re done! No stand mixer, no special equipment.
“It was QUICK!! So easy to knock out before bed.” –Recipe tester from SoCal
- Kid-approved: All of my kids love these, even my pickiest eater. This may not be the healthiest recipe on my site, but if you want a homemade version that really mimics the store-bought bars, this is it.
“My husband and kids ate them all! I didn’t even get a picture.” –Recipe tester from Upstate New York
If you’re a fan of granola, here are two other sourdough discard recipes on my site:
Meet the Recipe Testers
This recipe was tested by 280 home bakers across the U.S., Canada, Australia, the UK, and beyond.
They tested it with and without corn syrup, with and without coconut, and in both 8-inch square pans and 9×13-inch pans.
The result — a 4.61/5 average rating, with 95% of testers rating it as beginner-level and 97.9% calling the instructions very clear.
Here’s a look at some of their bakes!
4 Things We Learned From Recipe Testing
The recipe testers helped shape this recipe by testing all kinds of alternative ingredients and reporting back on their results.
Here are the 4 main things we learned:
- Maple syrup was the standout corn syrup substitute.
Among the 37% of testers who skipped the corn syrup, maple syrup had the highest “perfectly chewy” rating of any substitute at 89% — slightly higher than the 84% reported by testers who used corn syrup. That said, only 28 testers used maple syrup compared to 182 who used corn syrup, so the corn syrup results are based on a much larger sample. It’s also worth noting that several maple syrup testers described their bars as chewy but crumbly — a structural issue the chewiness question alone didn’t fully capture.
Honey was the most popular substitute overall, but also had the most “not chewy enough” reports, with 19% of honey users saying the bars didn’t have quite enough chew.
“Using all honey gave it a honey-forward flavor. The kids loved it, but a little too sweet for me.” –Recipe tester from Los Angeles, CA
Brown rice syrup and golden syrup also performed well. Agave worked, but it trended similarly to honey on texture.
- Maple syrup plus peanut butter was a well-loved substitute.
Multiple testers tried 70g of maple syrup and 30g of peanut butter in place of 100g corn syrup.
Testers from Oregon, New Jersey, and South Dakota all rated it highly. If you want to add a little peanut butter flavor to the bars, this swap is definitely worth trying!
- Corn syrup is still the closest match to the store-bought Quaker bars.
Among testers who used corn syrup, 78% said the bars felt like a “yes” or “kind of” copycat of the store-bought version. That number dropped to 66% among testers who used substitutes. If the copycat texture is your goal, corn syrup gets you there most reliably.
- The 8-inch square pan is the clear fan favorite.
81% of testers used the 8-inch square pan, and 84% of those said they’d use it again. Among the testers who used a 9×13-inch pan, 40% said they’d switch to the 8-inch square next time, most often because the thinner bars were harder to keep intact. I found the same thing in my own testing.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Scale: As always, grams are the most accurate, which is why I write all of my recipes in grams.
- Large mixing bowl: You need enough room to fold in the oats and cereal without things spilling over the sides.
- Spatula: Use it to fold in the dry ingredients and press the mixture into the pan.
- Parchment paper: Serves triple-duty — it lines the pan so nothing sticks, helps you press the granola mixture so it’s really packed down, and gives you handles to lift the bars out cleanly after chilling.
- 8-inch square baking pan (my preference) or 9 x 13-inch rectangular baking pan: See the Before You Begin section for help choosing between them.
- Sharp chef’s knife: A sharp, straight-edged knife gives you clean cuts without dragging or crumbling the bars.
Ingredients for Sourdough Discard Chewy Granola Bars
- Unsalted butter: Adds richness and helps hold everything together.
- Corn syrup: Creates that chewy, bendy granola bar texture. Don’t skip it if you want that signature granola bar chew.
- Honey: Adds sweetness and a floral note that plays nicely with the oats and coconut.
- Light brown sugar: Deepens the flavor. Dark brown sugar or coconut sugar also work.
- Sourdough discard: Adds a subtle tang and complexity without being obvious — it’s the star of the show! Cold from the fridge is fine.
- Vanilla extract: Just a touch — rounds everything out.
- Sea salt: Balances all that sweetness. I use Redmond’s Real Salt (15% off with code TSG15), but any salt will work.
- Old-fashioned rolled oats: The backbone of these bars. Avoid using quick oats — they’ll alter the final texture.
- Puffed brown rice cereal: Adds a light crunch that contrasts with the chewiness. Rice Krispies or puffed quinoa also work well.
- Shredded coconut: Adds a subtle chew, but the bars don’t end up tasting like coconut. Both sweetened and unsweetened work.
- Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips: Mini chips distribute more evenly than regular-sized chips, so you get chocolate in every bite. They go in last, after the mixture has chilled slightly, so they don’t melt before baking.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Butter: Coconut oil works as a 1:1 substitute.
- Corn syrup: Maple syrup or brown rice syrup work best as a 1:1 swap. Golden syrup is also a strong option and a great choice if you’re outside the U.S., where corn syrup is harder to find. Several testers also had great results with 70g maple syrup and 30g peanut butter in place of the full 100g — a fun option if you want a little peanut butter flavor in the mix. Honey and agave can work too, but they had the highest “not chewy enough” reports of any substitute, so go in with that expectation. Note that corn syrup is still the most reliable option for achieving that Quaker-style copycat texture.
- Brown sugar: Dark brown sugar or coconut sugar both work as a 1:1 substitute.
- Sourdough discard: Active starter works just as well — cold from the fridge is fine either way.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla paste works as a 1:1 swap.
- Puffed brown rice cereal: Rice Krispies, any off-brand puffed rice, or puffed quinoa both work well.
- Shredded coconut: Can be omitted entirely — 40% of testers left it out with no issues. Both sweetened and unsweetened work if you’re including it.
- Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips: Regular-sized chips work, though mini chips distribute more evenly, so you get chocolate in every bite. Feel free to swap in peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, or butterscotch chips — or mix and match.
How to Make Sourdough Discard Granola Bars Step-by-Step
Before You Begin
Baking pan size: This recipe works in either an 8-inch square pan or a 9×13-inch rectangular pan. The square pan produces thicker, sturdier bars — my personal preference. Because these bars are so soft and chewy, the thinner rectangular bars can bend and fall apart if picked up from one end. Storing them in the fridge firms them right up! Bake time is 23–25 minutes in the rectangular pan and about 30 minutes in the square pan.
Step 1: Preheat and prep your pan
Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C).
Choose your pan size and line it with parchment paper, letting the edges hang over the sides — you’ll use these as handles to lift the bars out after they cool.
Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients
Melt 40g unsalted butter, then whisk in 100g corn syrup, 60g honey, 40g light brown sugar, 100g sourdough discard, 5g vanilla extract, and ½ tsp sea salt until fully combined.
Step 3: Fold in the dry ingredients
Fold in 230g old-fashioned rolled oats, 40g puffed brown rice cereal, and 20g shredded coconut. Don’t add the chocolate chips yet!
Pop the whole bowl in the fridge while your oven finishes preheating — this quick chill helps the chocolate chips hold their shape in the next step.
Step 4: Add the chocolate chips
Pull the slightly chilled mixture out of the fridge and fold in 100g mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Step 5: Press into the pan
Transfer the mixture to your prepared pan and press it down firmly. Place a sheet of parchment on top and really pack it in — the tighter you press, the better your bars will hold together.
Step 6: Bake
Bake for 23–25 minutes (9×13-inch pan) or about 30 minutes (8-inch square pan), or until the edges are lightly golden and the internal temperature is 190–200°F (88–93°C).
The surface will still feel a little soft — that’s normal. It won’t firm up until it cools completely.
Step 7: Cool and cut
Do not cut the bars while warm or attempt to lift them out of the pan yet — they’ll fall apart.
Let the bars cool completely in the pan at room temperature for 1 hour, then place the pan in your refrigerator for around 30 minutes.
Once fully chilled, lift the bars out using the parchment handles and cut with a sharp knife.
Here’s a visual guide so you know where to make your cuts (if you want to be that precise about it):
Storage
I store these in an airtight container on my counter, and they keep well for about a week. You can also store them in the fridge if you prefer a firmer texture or want them to last longer.
Troubleshooting
“Another great way to use up discard and better than store bought.” –Recipe tester from Sevierville, TN
FAQs
Light corn syrup helps keep these bars soft and chewy because it resists crystallization. Instead of setting firm or brittle as the bars cool, it stays flexible and bendy, which is exactly what gives these bars that chewy texture.
Yes, you can substitute the corn syrup — about 37% of testers did. Corn syrup is still the most reliable option for getting that signature chewy, bendy texture, but plenty of testers were happy with their substitutes.
Most testers who made a swap replaced the 100g of corn syrup 1:1 with their substitute of choice. Surprisingly, maple syrup had the highest “perfectly chewy” rating of any substitute. A few testers even used 70g of maple syrup and 30g of peanut butter in place of the corn syrup with great results.
Brown rice syrup and golden syrup also performed well, while honey and agave had more so-so results.
Based on tester results, maple syrup is the best corn syrup substitute. A few testers did report crumbling issues, so make sure you’re pressing the bars down firmly before baking. One combination multiple testers landed on independently was 70g maple syrup + 30g peanut butter in place of the 100g corn syrup. Several reported it worked great and added a nice flavor.
Brown rice syrup also performed well, with 85% of testers who used it reporting perfectly chewy bars. A couple of testers noted it’s closer to corn syrup in texture than the other substitutes.
Absolutely! In all of my discard recipes, you can use active starter instead if you prefer.
You can absolutely leave out the shredded coconut — 40% of testers omitted it, and the bars still held together fine. The coconut adds a subtle chew and a little texture, but it doesn’t drive the flavor in any noticeable way, so skipping it won’t make a big difference.
Old-fashioned rolled oats are the backbone of the texture in these bars, and since I haven’t personally tested quick oats here, I don’t recommend using them. One tester did use them and still gave the recipe 5 stars, but that’s still only one result.
Adding mix-ins to these sourdough discard granola bars is totally fair game, and testers got creative. Raisins, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, almonds, pumpkin seeds, peanut butter chips, and butterscotch chips all made appearances.
A few testers added peanut butter directly to the wet ingredients (the 70g maple syrup + 30g peanut butter swap for corn syrup was a popular one). Just keep the overall volume of add-ins reasonable so the bars still press together and hold their shape. There’s definitely wiggle room here.
These sourdough discard granola bars store well in an airtight container on the counter for about a week. For a firmer texture and longer shelf life, the fridge works great — chilling them actually improves how well they hold together.
Doubling this recipe works well — at least one tester made a double batch (48 bars) successfully. If you double it, you’ll need a larger pan or two pans.
“My husband said… ‘these are [dang] good, don’t change a thing!'” –Recipe tester from Grover Beach, CA
Sourdough Discard Chewy Granola Bars
Equipment
- 8" square baking pan or a 9×13" baking pan
Ingredients
- 40 g unsalted butter or coconut oil
- 100 g corn syrup light or dark; or maple syrup, brown rice syrup, or golden syrup*
- 60 g honey
- 40 g light brown sugar or dark brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 100 g sourdough discard or active starter
- 5 g vanilla extract or vanilla paste
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 230 g old-fashioned rolled oats
- 40 g puffed brown rice cereal or Rice Krispies or puffed quinoa
- 20 g shredded coconut optional; sweetened or unsweetened
- 100 g mini semi-sweet chocolate chips or peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips
Before You Begin
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Choose your pan and line it with parchment paper, letting the edges hang over the sides — those will be your handles when it's time to lift the bars out.
- Melt 40 g unsalted butter. Then, whisk in 100 g corn syrup, 60 g honey, 40 g light brown sugar, 100 g sourdough discard, 5 g vanilla extract, and 1/2 tsp sea salt until fully combined. Fold in 230 g old-fashioned rolled oats, 40 g puffed brown rice cereal, and 20 g shredded coconut. Pop the whole bowl in the fridge while your oven finishes preheating.
- Bring out the slightly chilled mixture and fold in 100 g mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Transfer the mixture to your prepared pan and press it down firmly. Place a sheet of parchment on top and really pack it in — the tighter you press, the better your bars will hold together.
- Bake for 23–25 minutes (9×13-inch pan) or about 30 minutes (8-inch square pan). The surface will still feel soft when you pull them out — that's completely normal. It won't firm up until fully cooled. The target internal temperature is 190–200°F (88–93°C).
- Do not cut the bars while warm, and don't attempt to lift them out of the pan yet either — they'll fall apart. Let them cool completely in the pan at room temperature (about 1 hour), then refrigerate, still in the pan, for at least 30 minutes.
- Once fully chilled, lift out using the parchment handles and cut into 24 bars.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
“My picky kids who aren’t sourdough fans tried them and asked for seconds, which is a major win.” –Recipe tester from Walkersville, MD
Conclusion
These granola bars are officially a staple in our house – my kids ask me to make more as soon as they run out. I hope they’re just as much of a hit in your house as they are in mine!
If you try this recipe, I’d love to see it — drop a photo in the comments or tag me on Instagram @thatsourdoughgal!
Other snack ideas you might like:
These are absolutely delicious and so easy to make!!