This is a sourdough version of my No Bake Granola Bars! Instead of using melted coconut oil to help bind these bars, sourdough discard does the trick. No bake sourdough granola bars require only grinding up nuts, stirring in oats, ground flax seeds and dried fruit. A mixture of honey, peanut butter and sourdough discard flavors the bars and keeps them together. Then simply chill, cut into bars and enjoy!

No Bake Granola Bars are a staple in our household and now this sourdough version is no different! They are an essential snack for not only the farmers but also our children. What I love about these bars is that they are full nutrition and use up any sourdough discard I have in the fridge. In the heat of the summer and the chaos of spring, I appreciate that I do not need to turn on my oven in order to crank out a batch of these bars. Making them is a breeze, even for little ones, and can quickly become a family afternoon project. I love snacking on them alone or serving them with yogurt. Be sure to try my recipe for Honey Almond Granola as well, though it does require an oven!

HOW THIS RECIPE COMES TOGETHER

1. Process the nuts. Whole almonds and cashews are pulverized in a food processor.
2. Make the dry mixture. Old fashioned oats, ground flax seeds and dried fruit are mixed with the ground nuts.
3. Make the wet mixture. Honey and peanut butter are briefly warmed together on the stove. Off the heat, the sourdough discard is stirred in.
4. Add the wet to the dry. Pour the warm honey, peanut butter and discard mixture over the dry mixture and stir together. If adding chocolate chips, make sure the mixture cools first.
5. Press into a pan. Press the granola bar mixture into an 8 x 8″ baking pan lined with parchment paper.
6. Chill. Chill the bars in a refrigerator for at least an hour before cutting.

NOTES & INGREDIENTS

– Honey & peanut butter: In place of honey, brown rice syrup can be used. I have not tried maple syrup. Another creamy nut butter can be used in place of peanut butter. I have used both natural nut butter that needs to be stirred and conventional nut butter with good results.
– Sourdough discard: In this recipe I used a sourdough discard that is a 1:1 flour to water ratio. Sourdough starter at any stage can be used for this recipe – fed or unfed.
– Whole almonds and cashews: Walnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts or brazil nuts can be used in place of almonds and cashews. Feel free to experiment!
– Old fashioned oats. I prefer the texture of old fashioned oat, but quick oats can also be used instead.
– Ground flax seeds: I enjoy using ground flax seeds for the nutritional benefits. Flax meal, almond meal, almond flour or oat flour can be used instead.
– Dried cranberries and raisins: Other dried fruits can be used. I recommend chopping larger dried fruits up into small pieces.
– Other additions: As mentioned above, chocolate chips can be stirred in once the mixture has cooled a bit. Other options include peanut butter or butterscotch chips, sunflower, sesame, flax or chia seeds.