There’s a lot to love about this apple cinnamon granola. Studded with sliced almonds, toasted coconut flakes, and crushed apple chips, it’s a sourdough discard recipe that’s easy to make, crunchy, and totally delicious. Enjoy these crunchy, sweet clusters for easy breakfast or snack!
Granola is a dangerous thing to have in our house. We end up grabbing it by the handful to snack on throughout the day, but you can enjoy it with milk (both hot and cold), mix it with yogurt and fruit, or even use it to top things like pancakes and, yes, oatmeal!
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Why You Will Love This Apple Cinnamon Granola
- It’s a great way to use up leftover sourdough discard.
- Bursting with golden clusters of wholesome goodness.
- Packed with nutritious superfoods like almonds and oats.
- Delightfully crunchy + satisfyingly sweet.
- Perfect for breakfast, snacking, or topping your favorite treats.
- Easy to make + even easier to enjoy.
- Not to mention it fills your kitchen with a heavenly smell!
Ingredients
- Rolled Oats; Old-fashioned rolled oats form the hearty base of this granola and create those crave-worthy crunchy clusters. Avoid quick oats, which won’t crisp up the same way.
- Sourdough Discard; Unfed sourdough starter adds subtle tang, helps bind the granola, and gives the clusters extra texture without making them dense.
- Maple Syrup: Pure maple syrup provides natural sweetness and caramelizes beautifully in the oven for golden, crisp granola.
- Brown Sugar: Adds a deeper, molasses-like sweetness and helps the granola form rich, crunchy clusters.
- Butter: Melted butter brings richness and helps everything toast evenly. You can substitute coconut oil if preferred.
- Vanilla Extract: A splash of vanilla rounds out the warm spices and enhances the overall sweetness.
- Cinnamon: Ceylon cinnamon gives this granola its signature cozy flavor and pairs perfectly with apple.
- Ginger & Nutmeg: These warm spices add depth and complexity without overpowering the cinnamon.
- Salt: Just a pinch balances the sweetness and brings all the flavors together.
- Sliced or Chopped Almonds: Almonds add crunch, protein, and a lightly toasted nutty flavor.
- Coconut Flakes: Sweetened coconut flakes toast up beautifully and add texture and subtle sweetness.
- Dried Apple Chips: Crushed apple chips deliver concentrated apple flavor and a satisfying crunch. Stir these in after baking to keep them crisp.
- Golden Raisins: Golden raisins, or any dried fruit of choice, really, add soft, juicy bursts of sweetness that contrast with the crunchy granola clusters.Try craisins or dried mango bits if you’re feeling adventurous.
How to Make My Cinnamon Apple Granola with Sourdough Discard
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C).Brush a baking sheet with a neutral oil (canola, veggie, avocado)
- In a large bowl, stir the oats, coconut, almonds cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt together until combined. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the sourdough discard, the maple syrup, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and combined. Pour over dry ingredients and mix until everything is moistened.
- Spread mixture out onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes, making sure to stir the granola every 10–15 minutes to prevent burning.
- Allow granola to cool for 20 minutes on the baking sheets. Granola gets crunchier as it cools. Pour into a large bowl and stir in the dried golden raisins and crushed apple chips.
- Cool completely. Then, cover tightly and store at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks.
Tips & Tricks
- Stir gently, and not too often. Stirring every 10–15 minutes prevents burning while still allowing clusters to form. Overstirring will break them up too much.
- Add dried fruit AFTER baking to avoid making your fruit tough or overly chewy.
- Granola continues to crisp up as it cools, so it may still feel slightly soft when you take it out of the oven. Granola is done when it turns golden brown and becomes fragrant. Keep an eye on it towards the end of the baking time to prevent it from over-browning.
- Spread the granola mixture evenly on the baking sheet in a single layer. This allows for even baking and ensures that the granola achieves a consistent texture throughout.
- Watch it closely near the end. Granola can go from perfectly golden to over-browned very quickly. If the coconut or almonds start to darken too fast, remove the pan early.
- Unfed discard works best here. If your discard is very thick, thin it slightly with a tablespoon of water or maple syrup to ensure even coating.
Storing Leftovers
Normally granola can be kept for up to a month in an airtight container, but I’ve found that the apple chips in this recipe get soft and shorten the shelf life of this particular granola recipe. Once cool, store it in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks at room temperature. Using an airtight container is important as the granola can become stale. It also has to be thoroughly cooled before storing as it’ll become soggy if sealed too early.
Other Breakfast Recipes
- My go-to sourdough discard granola recipe
- Blueberry Oatmeal with Maple Tahini Sesame Crunch
- Chocolate chunk pumpkin bread
Apple Cinnamon Granola w/Sourdough Discard
Crunchy, flavorful, and easy to make, this homemade Apple Cinnamon Granola recipe is like eating apple pie, only more nutritious.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients (Minus Dried Fruit)
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 ½ teaspoons Ceylon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup chopped almonds
- ½ cup sweetened coconut flakes
Wet Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- ⅓ cup starter
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dried Fruit (Add After Baking)
- 1 cup chopped dried apples apple chips
- ½ cup dried fruits I used golden raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Brush a baking sheet with a neutral oil (canola, veggie, avocado)
- In a large bowl, stir the oats, coconut, almonds, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt together until combined. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the sourdough discard, the maple syrup, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and combined. Pour over dry ingredients and mix until everything is moistened.
- Spread mixture out onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes, making sure to stir the granola every 10–15 minutes to prevent burning.
- Allow granola to cool for 20 minutes on the baking sheets. Granola gets crunchier as it cools. Pour into a large bowl and stir in the dried golden raisins and crushed apple chips.
- Cool completely. Then, cover tightly and store at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks. Granola loses its crunch over time, and the dried apple chips in this one will slowly lose their crunch once exposed to humidity in the air.
Notes
Looking for more breakfast inspiration?
https://wealleattogether.com/sourdough-granola/
https://wealleattogether.com/3-bananas-banana-bread-recipe/
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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