Granola with a Sourdough Boost!

My Aunt Patty’s granola recipe is famous in our family and is requested for Christmas gifts every single year! It’s crunchy, sweet (but not too sweet), and delicious in yogurt, with cereal, or just by itself as a snack! I added my own little twist by adding sourdough discard, which gives it an amazing tang and helps little clusters stick together.

Secret Ingredients

My aunt uses two secret ingredients in her recipe that change the game! They are powdered milk and wheat germ! Don’t leave these out–they are what take this granola to the next level!

Why Add Sourdough Discard?

Granola is delicious on it’s own, so you might be asking why I added the discard. First, the benefits of sourdough are numerous! Sourdough discard:

• adds a delicious, slightly sour tang to the granola!
• is a fermented food! This means that, as it ferments, it pre-digests flour. Some gluten sensistive people have been able to add sourdough into their diet because of this fermenting process!

If you don’t have sourdough discard, dislike sourdough, or just don’t want to add it, feel free to leave it out! I recommend trying it at least once if at all possible because it really does add something to the granola.

How To Store

If you bake your granola properly, it will store for weeks on your countertop in a jar! I personally love using 1/2 gallon mason jars to store mine in! This recipe makes two 1/2-gallon jars worth of granola and lasts weeks!

Recipe Video

Granola with a Sourdough Boost!

Author: Jammin' & Cannin' Courses: Breakfast, Snacks Recipe Keys: Vegetarian Meals

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Prep Time 5 mins Cook Time 50 mins Total Time 55 mins Difficulty: Beginner Cooking Temp: 350  °F Servings: 26 Best Season: Suitable throughout the year

Ingredients

Servings

• 5 cup old fashioned oats
• 1.5 cup nuts and seeds (My favorite is a blend of sunflower seeds, pecans, and tiger nuts, but you can use whatever you have on hand!)
• ¹⁄₂ cup wheat germ (Keeps well in the freezer.)
• ³⁄₄ cup powdered milk (Keeps well in the freezer.)
• ¹⁄₂ to 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (You can use sweetened if you prefer.)
• 1 cup canola oil, plus more as needed
• 1 cup maple syrup or honey, plus more to taste
• ¹⁄₄ cup brown sugar, plus more to taste
• 1-2 tbsp cinnamon
• 6-8 oz dried fruit (Raisins are traditional, but my family loves currants and blueberries!)
• Up to 1 ¹⁄₂ cup sourdough discard (I typically use whatever I have on hand as long as it's under 1 1/2 cups.)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add oats, canola oil, honey or maple syrup, and brown sugar to a large pot. Mix well.

1. Add oats, canola oil, honey or maple syrup, and brown sugar to a large pot. Mix well.

2. Heat until the oil, honey/maple syrup, and brown sugar are mixed throughout.

3. Add in remaining ingredients, except for your dried fruit. Mix well, and heat for another 2-5 minutes. If your mixture looks too dry and crumbly, add in more canola oil.

4. Mix in dried fruit. Taste your granola and add more sweetener and cinnamon if desired.  

5. Turn heat off and pour in sourdough discard, if using. Mix well.

6. Put parchment paper on two baking sheets and put 1/2 granola mix on each baking sheet.

7. Put into preheated oven, and bake for 30 minutes, turning/stirring granola halfway through. 

8. Cook until golden brown, continuing to turn/stir granola mixture every 15 minutes. 

9. Let cool. Serve with milk, Greek yogurt, or by itself. 

Keywords: granola, sourdough