Honey Cardamom Caramel

Do you have a sugary sweet cereal that you
really like?  Todd and Noah's favorite is Cinnamon Toast Crunch. 
Preston and Stella would pick Lucky Charms (truthfully, Preston would pick to
have a bowl of Wheat Chex over sweet cereal most of the time and Stella just
picks out all the marshmallow pieces).  For me, I go through phases. 
Growing up, I remember going to Bear Lake in the summer with my family and
eating bowls of Fruit Loops or Cap'n Crunch while the morning sun streamed in
through the windows.  I remember being in High School and coming home
after cheer practice and eating lots of small bowls of Cocoa Pebbles (you had
to pour a small amount because they would get soggy too fast) with really cold
milk.  In college I loved Golden Grahams.  I remember sitting in my
apartment on the kitchen counter with one of my best friends eating an entire
box (that just so happened to belong to another friend, sorry Mandy). 
When I made this double chocolate granola the other day, I wasn't trying to
replicate or make a slightly healthier version of a sweet cereal from my past,
but it kind of worked out that way.  This double chocolate granola totally
reminds me of a grown up version (a better version) of Cocoa Pebbles.  

 

Double Chocolate Coconut Almond Granola

3 cups old-fashioned
rolled oats

1 cup flaked unsweetened
coconut

1 cup chopped coarsely
chopped almonds

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup honey

2 tablespoons cocoa
powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup (heaping) mini
semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325
degrees.

In a large bowl stir
together oats, coconut, almonds, cinnamon, and salt.  In a small saucepan
melt butter with honey over low heat, stirring.  Add cocoa powder to
butter/honey and stir until smooth.  Remove from heat and add
vanilla.  Pour butter mixture over oat mixture and stir until combined and
everything is moistened.

On a large baking sheet,
spread the granola evenly in a thin layer.  Bake, stirring every 5 minutes
to keep from sticking or burning, until golden brown and crisp, about 20-25
minutes.  Once granola has finished cooking, remove from oven and while it's
still hot, pour granola into a large bowl.  Add chocolate chips to the
granola and stir to combine (the chocolate chips should be completely melted
all over the granola).  Once the chocolate chips are melted, pour granola
back onto the pan and let cool completely.  Granola may be kept in an
airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week (I keep mine in a
Ziploc in the freezer).

*I'm sure using regular
sized chips would work just fine.