These sourdough granola bars are soft and chewy on the inside with crisp buttery edges. These fiber-filled bars are filled with mini chocolate chips and rolled oats... The secret ingredient? Sourdough starter. That's right. Use up your leftover sourdough discard in these easy homemade granola bars. They're done in less than 40 minutes!
Line a 9x9 inch square baking pan parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Remove from heat.
Whisk in the brown sugar, sourdough starter, vanilla extract, and salt.
Add the oats and butter mixture to a medium mixing bowl. Use a rubber spatula to mix until completely combined. Stir in the mini chocolate chips.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Press the granola down firmly to flatten the granola into the pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes. When done, the edges will just start to turn golden brown but the center will be soft to the touch. For crispier bars bake an extra 2-3 minutes.
Allow to cool for 30 minutes before cutting the bars.
Carefully lift the baked granola out of the pan using the parchment paper. Transfer to a cutting board.
Cut the sheet of granola into quarters. Then cut each quarter into 3 long rectangles. This will yield a total of 12 bars.
Store the leftover bars in an airtight container on the counter. If the bars start to get dry throughout the week, place a small piece of sourdough bread in the container. This will soften the bars again.