Making your granola bars allows you to control the ingredients and customize the flavor to suit your preferences. You can adjust sweetness levels, include your favorite nuts and fruits, or even add chocolate chips for a touch of indulgence.
16ozgranola any flavor(one box of granola ceral works well here)
½cupwheat flouror any gluten or gluten-free flour of your choice
1tspbaking powder
1cupchopped dried fruit
1½tspcinnamon, ginger, or nutmet of choice (optional)or use pumplkin spice mix
2overripe bananas mashed
½cupsourdough starter discard
1cupplant based milk
2tbspagave or maple syrup
Instructions
Preheat an oven to 375°F degrees and lightly spray a 9x11-inch cake pan. Or line with parchment paper if needing to 100% avoid any oil.
In a large bowl, add the flour, granola, baking powder, dried fruit, and spices such as cinnamon, if using. Combine very well.
In a smaller bowl, combine plant-based milk, agave, mashed banana, sour dough starter discard.
Pour wet over the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until just incorporated and smooth. Let sit for 5 minutes for granola to absorbed the liquid and stir for another few minutes to ensure all ingredients are combined thoroughly.
Pour batter in the pan lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 20-25 minutes at 375℉. Each batch I did was perfect at 25 minutes but that is my oven. Let cool 20-30 minutes. If you sprayed the pan, then you should be able to gently rotate the muffins to release them.
Notes
Remember to use fine-grain flour (I tend to use oats and grind my own in a high-powered blender) for the best lighter results. If you grind your own sift it well. Almond, garbanzo, and coconut flour work well here too. Since you only need 1/2 cup to act as a binding agent use what you have on hand.At first, the batter will be runny but the sitting time allows the granola to absorb the liquid before baking. Check the bars at 20 minutes for a clean toothpick, but they may take a couple of minutes longer, due to oven variance.