Brown Butter Salted Caramel Granola
Crisp, toasty, monstrous granola clusters made all the more decadent with nutty brown butter and sweet salted caramel. Healthy, yet highly addictive!
Ingredients
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup almonds, divided
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter
- 3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon corn syrup
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325ºF. In a large bowl, combine oats and coconut.
- Pour 1/2 cup almonds into a food processor or blender, and pulse until finely ground. Do not let it grind for too long or you'll end up with almond butter. Add finely ground almonds to the dry ingredients.
- Add the remaining 1/2 cup of almonds to the food processor and pulse a few times until coarsely chopped. Stir into the dry ingredients.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. As the butter melts, it'll start to foam, then turn a clear golden color. Continue to stir the butter, scraping up any browned specks from the bottom of the pan as it starts to brown. It should have a nutty aroma.
- Once butter has browned, immediately remove from heat. Stir in maple syrup, applesauce, vanilla, and salt; set aside.
- Pour the water into a medium saucepan. Pour the sugar into the center of the pan, making sure none of the sugar crystals hit the sides. Add the corn syrup.
- Place pan over medium heat, leaving it alone for the first 5 minutes or until it the color begins to turn yellowish. Once you see some color, gently swirl the pan around occasionally as it boils. Continue boiling until the caramel reaches a golden amber color, about 7 to 10 minutes.
- Remove pan from the heat and carefully whisk in the heavy cream. Caramel will sizzle and bubble up. Stir in the salt, and continue whisking until caramel is smooth. If needed, return pan over medium-low heat, stirring until caramel is smooth. Pour over dry ingredients and toss to coat.
- Spread oat mixture onto a rimmed baking sheet. Use the back of a large spoon or spatula to press mixture into a thin, evenly compact layer. Mine was about a 1/2" in thickness.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until lightly browned, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking time. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Once granola is cool, break into clusters. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.