This Love Crunch-Inspired Granola features crunchy clusters, dark chocolate chunks, coconut & berries, made at home with simple pantry ingredients.
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If you've ever reached for a bag of Nature's Path Love Crunch granola, you know how addictive those crunchy clusters, chocolate chunks, and sweet-tart berries can be.
This homemade version captures everything you love, but it's fresher, customizable, and made with wholesome ingredients you likely already have in your pantry.
If you've already tried my coconut & cashew granola (Nature's Path-inspired), this is another delicious variation to add to your homemade granola rotation. It's a little more indulgent with chocolate, but just as easy to make.
Best of all? You can control the sweetness, and add more or less dark chocolate or freeze-dried berries (the stuff my kids always fight over!)
Why you'll love this recipe
It tastes like the original Love Crunch granola!
Easy to make: with simple pantry ingredients.
Customizable: adjust the freeze-dried berries or dark chocolate to your liking.
Perfect for breakfast, snacking, or yogurt bowls.
What is Love Crunch granola?
Love Crunch by Nature's Path is a popular organic granola known for its combination of: oats, dark chocolate chunks, coconut flakes, and freeze-dried berries.
This Love Crunch granola copycat version recreates that signature balance of crunchy, chocolaty, and lightly fruity, while keeping the ingredient list clean and simple.
Ingredients you'll need
- rolled oats: not steel-cut oats
- cocoa powder: adds chocolaty flavor
- coconut oil: melted; you can use refined or unrefined coconut oil; or sub with a neutral vegetable oil
- maple syrup: adds sweetness; you can use another sweetener such as granulated sugar or honey
- vanilla extract: for extra flavor
- fine sea salt
- fine coconut flakes: unsweetened; if your coconut flakes are large, you can use a spice grinder or food processor to blitz them
- dark chocolate chunks: or chocolate chips; if you don't have chunks on hand, you can use a chocolate bar and cut it into chunks
- freeze-dried strawberries or raspberries: slightly crushed if large chunks
How to make Love Crunch granola at home
Preheat oven to 300F.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine maple syrup, coconut oil, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and salt.
Add in rolled oats. Mix well until evenly coated.
Transfer mixture to the prepared baking sheet and press mixture firmly together.
Bake at 300F for 20 minutes, reduce to 200F for 30 minutes, or until the granola is dry.
Remove from oven and let completely cool.
Add in dark chocolate, freeze-dried strawberries and 1 tablespoon of coconut flakes.
Mix well and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
How to store
Store granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
How to serve
Serve the granola with milk or plant-based milk, sprinkled over yogurt, use as a crunchy topping for smoothie bowl, or enjoy straight from the jar as a snack!
Expert tips
Press the mixture firmly together before baking.
Resist the urge to stir during baking.
Let the granola cool completely before breaking apart.
Other delicious recipes you may like
Did you make this recipe?
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Love Crunch Granola (Nature's Path Copycat)
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil melted
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 C rolled oats
- ¼ C fine coconut flakes reserve half (2 Tbsp) for after baking
Additions:
- ½ C dark chocolate chunks
- 1 C freeze-dried strawberries or raspberries slightly crushed if large chunks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F/149°C.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine maple syrup, coconut oil, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and salt.
- Add in rolled oats. Mix well until evenly coated.
- Transfer mixture to the prepared baking sheet and press mixture firmly together.
- Bake at 300°F/149°C for 20 minutes, reduce to 200°F/93°C for 30 minutes, or until the granola is dry.
- Remove from oven and let completely cool.
- Add in dark chocolate, freeze-dried strawberries and 2 tablespoon of coconut flakes.
- Mix well and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
This sounds so good, Michelle! I love those crunchy clusters with chocolate and berries - such a nice balance of sweet and indulgent.
Michelle
Thanks Ben -- it's so incredibly easy to make at home with the right ingredients! 😀
Raymund | angsarap.net
Michelle, this looks dangerously addictive, all those crunchy clusters, the dark chocolate, the coconut, the berries… it’s basically the best parts of the original Love Crunch but without the mystery ingredients.
Michelle
Yes, all of those dark chocolate and berries with the oats... such a great combo! Thanks Raymund!
Heidi
The natures path granola is the best stuff, but being able to make it at home is even better. What's not to love about better ingredients and more of my favorites... like way more dark chocolate and berries! Talk about yum, yum and more yum!
Michelle
It's so easy to make at home... I'm constantly making large batches of it for my boys! Thanks Heidi!