Ali Cooks: Toasted Oat & Coconut Granola

I don't typically eat granola for breakfast.  Usually, granola is really sweet, and I'm surprisingly not someone who likes a super-sweet breakfast (unless you're offering me a donut!).

Brian on the other hand, likes a sweet treat for breakfast and typically enjoys cereal (without milk) or granola with yogurt.  In my efforts to weed out processed food purchases, I offered to make him granola (which I've done before), and that means an opportunity to try out a new recipe!  Today's experiment:  Toasted Oat & Coconut Granola.  Brian likes honey and coconut, so I figured this should be perfect.

I don't yet know the verdict on whether he likes it (or would possibly like to make this a regular breakfast for him...), but it will be ready and waiting for him to eat tomorrow morning at breakfast time.  Judging by the lovely smells that emanated from the kitchen while it baked, I'm going to guess that it will be pretty tasty!  (It looked pretty tasty, too!)

Toasted Oat & Coconut Granola

*adapted from aidamollenkamp.com

Ingredients:

4 Tbs unsalted butter
1/4 cup honey
3 Tbs packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup packed unsweetened coconut

Instructions:

Heat the oven to 350°F.  Combine the butter, honey, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a small pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl and add the oats.  Toss until evenly coated. 

Spread the oat mixture in a thin, even layer on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes, then stir in the coconut.  Spread the granola back onto the baking sheet in a thin layer.  Continue baking until the granola is very golden brown and smells toasted, about 10 to 15 minutes.  The granola should be golden and slightly crisp--it will crisp even more as it cools.

Place the baking sheet on a wire rack and cool the granola to room temperature, at least 15 minutes.
 Now eat your granola for breakfast, possibly with some milk or with yogurt (as Brian prefers!).