Chocolate Covered Strawberry Granola
By Sammi Brondo — May 13, 2026
If you’ve never made your own granola, it’s surprisingly so easy to do. And this Chocolate Covered Strawberry Granola is the perfect place to start.
This granola has it all. It’s a little sweet, a little tangy and a little salty.
It combines oats, almonds, cashews, freeze dried strawberries and chocolate. The chocolate is subtle, but you can also make this as sweet as you like.
I don’t know about you, but I’m a big granola fan. Have it with your milk of choice. Put it on top of yogurt. Eat it plain. There’s so much you can do with it!
Plus, making your own makes it so versatile. Don’t like certain nuts? Swap them. Want to add coconut flakes? Go for it. Want it sweeter? Add more chocolate.
And you can make as many of those big, delicious chunks as you want when you break it up. Because we all know that’s the best part.
This version uses honey, olive oil, and a little bit of chocolate as the binder for the granola. I love olive oil in granola. The flavor is subtle and super mild, but I love the way it gives the granola just a hint of that earthy taste.
If you’re not into that though, coconut oil is a great option too. It’ll add a bit more of that coconut flavor.
I’m often asked about granola because it “has sugar.” Look, here’s the thing: most cereal and granola has added sugar.
Without added sugar, they’d taste pretty bland.
I’m a dietitian, so do I want you eating spoonfuls of added sugar all day? Of course not. But is a little added sugar in your granola okay? Absolutely.
Not only do I never want you to stress over some added sugar, but also, this granola packs in plenty of nutrients, with fiber from the oats, fats from the oil and nuts, and protein from the nuts, too.
Nutrition is all about addition. Pair this granola on top of Greek yogurt, and you’ve got the most convenient and delicious snack.
Prepare ingredients
Gather your ingredients and preheat the oven to 300 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Chop nuts & strawberries
Roughly chop cashews, almonds and 1 cup of freeze dried strawberries. Next, add those nuts and strawberries to a large bowl.
Add the oats
Then, add oats to the bowl. Set aside.
Melt the wet ingredients
In a small pot, add honey and olive oil over medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture is combined and thin. Add in 1/4 cup of chocolate chips, continuing to stir constantly. Stir until chocolate chips and melted and smooth.
Pour over dry ingredients
Pour honey and olive oil mixture over oats and nuts. Mix to combine, until everything is evenly covered.
Add the chocolate chips
Add in the additional 1/3 cup chocolate chips and fold them into the mixture.
Bake
Spread the mixture on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, until oats and nuts are golden and the top has hardened.
Add the strawberries
Remove from the baking sheet and add the remaining freeze dried strawberries, using your hands to press it into the mixture. Optional to sprinkle with salt on top.
Cool overnight
Let cool for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Break granola into pieces
Then, using your hands, break into small pieces resembling granola, leaving some larger chunks as desired.
Recipe tips and notes
- Nuts: One of the best things about granola is how customizable it is. You can swap the almonds and cashews for other nuts, like walnuts or peanuts. You can also add more nuts and seeds, like sunflower seeds.
- Freeze dried strawberries: Make sure the strawberries are freeze dried and not dried. It’s an important textural difference! Wait to add them until right after the granola comes out of the oven.
- Honey: For a less sweet granola, you can opt to use less honey. I find that even though the mixture tastes sweet before baking, once it’s gone in the oven and cooled, it doesn’t end up tasting as super sweet.
- Olive oil: This can be swapped for coconut oil, although it will change the taste profile. I personally love the subtle earthy flavor that the olive oil adds!
- Cooling: Make sure to let the granola cool for at least an hour. This lets it harden so that you can break it up into small pieces and chunks.
- Storage: Store granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted cashews
- 1/2 cup unsalted almonds
- 1 cup freeze dried strawberries
- 2 cups rolled old fashioned oats
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup + 1/3 cup chocolate chips
- Salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roughly chop cashews, almonds, and 1 cup of freeze dried strawberries. Add the nuts to a large bowl and set the strawberries aside.
- Add oats the bowl. Set aside.
- In a small pot, add honey, olive oil, and a pinch of salt over medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture is combined and thin. Add in 1/4 cup of chocolate chips, continuing to stir constantly. Stir until chocolate chips and melted and smooth.
- Pour honey and olive oil mixture over oats and nuts. Mix to combine, until everything is evenly covered. Add in the additional 1/3 cup chocolate chips and fold them into the mixture.
- Spread the mixture on the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, until oats and nuts are golden and the top has hardened.
- Remove from the baking sheet and add the freeze dried strawberries, using your hands to gently press them into the mixture. Optional to sprinkle with salt on top.
- Let cool in the freezer for at least 1 hour (you can also leave it overnight). Then, using your hands, break into small pieces resembling granola, leaving some larger chunks as desired.
