Sourdough Discard Chewy Granola Bars
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
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 preference) — the thinner rectangular bars can bend if picked up from one end, though refrigerating them firms them right up.
Equipment
- 8" square baking pan or a 9x13" baking pan
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 (9x13-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
*Corn syrup substitutes: Maple syrup, brown rice syrup, or golden syrup work best as a 1:1 swap. Several testers also had great results with 70g maple syrup + 30g peanut butter in place of the full 100g. Honey, and agave can work too, but had the highest "not chewy enough" reports of any substitute — so go in with that expectation.
Nutrition Facts
Sourdough Discard Chewy Granola Bars
Serving Size
1 bar
Amount per Serving
Calories
117
% Daily Value*
Fat
4
g
6
%
Saturated Fat
2
g
13
%
Trans Fat
0.1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.3
g
Monounsaturated Fat
1
g
Cholesterol
4
mg
1
%
Sodium
56
mg
2
%
Potassium
69
mg
2
%
Carbohydrates
19
g
6
%
Fiber
1
g
4
%
Sugar
9
g
10
%
Protein
2
g
4
%
Vitamin A
44
IU
1
%
Vitamin C
0.02
mg
0
%
Calcium
11
mg
1
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
