Peanut Clusters are the simple, delicious holiday candy that requires just a few ingredients and a short stay in a slow cooker. When all of the activities are in full swing and you need easy candy, look no further. It's perfect for company and great as gifts!
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Peanut Clusters are something my mom has made for years. It's nostalgic and oh so easy, but it is delicious. This super simple recipe goes into a slow cooker/crockpot and just needs enough time for the ingredients to melt. Spooned out onto parchment paper to cool, these little nuggets of joy just need to harden in the fridge. Keep them for your family, make them for gifts, or do like me - hide them in the freezer for an awesome treat that no one knows about!
While I usually make this recipe for the Christmas holidays, they're great for anytime of year. Change up the toppings and the add-ins based on the seasons and the holidays. You can totally makes these any time for any occasion!
What You'll Need
- Dry Roasted Peanuts - My favorite kind of peanut. You use your favorite.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips and Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate - My preferred chocolate. They keep these peanut clusters from becoming too sweet.
- White Almond Bark and Chocolate Almond Bark - These make up the bulk of the chocolate candy part of this recipe. They melt easy and cool easily.
- Espresso Powder - This is not necessarily to make these peanut clusters taste like coffee, but rather for them to taste more chocolatey. Coffee enhances the flavor of chocolate and it's just incredible here.
How To Make Them
Dump it in the crockpot and let it melt. That's the gist of it. I know, I know. I have a way with words. I've been told.
I'll give you the brief rundown here, but the details will live in the recipe card below.
Simply:
- Add the chocolates and espresso powder to the cooking bowl.
- Heat and stir often.
- Add peanuts
- Spoon onto parchment and top with sprinkles/salt/topping of choice.
- Let them cool.
That's it. This peanut clusters recipe could not be simple. Just keep an eye on everything and stir often. Everyone's slow cooker will heat at a different rate. The chocolate can burn and separate.
Variations and Substitutions
- Different Nuts - Use whatever nut you love. Anything from pistachios to almonds to cashews would be wonderful!
- Dried Fruit - Dried cherries or cranberries would so good in these peanut clusters!
- Different chocolate variations - I love a less sweet chocolate and love to add more bitter options to this candy.
- Toppings - Use everything from holiday-themed sprinkles to unicorn-themed sprinkles to keep things festive.
- Flaky Sea Salt - I will never quit talking about my love of flaky sea salt on sweet treats. Add a little to the tops of the peanut clusters candies before they harden. *chef's kiss*
Tips and Tricks
- Keep an eye on your slow cooker/crockpot. They all cook differently. Some get very hot and that can ruin the peanut clusters candy quickly. Watch it and stir often.
- Good quality chocolate as it will melt better and the end product will taste better.
- Place a dish towel between the lid of the slow cooker and the slow cooker itself. Water and this chocolate recipe no mixy mixy very well.
- The peanuts are already cooked. No need to add at the beginning of the recipe. Stir them in at the end.
- Use a cookie scoop to spoon the peanut cluster onto the parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Make sure to add the sprinkles or flaky sea salt while the chocolate is still fairly melted.
- Refrigerate or put in a cool spot to harden.
- Store the candies in a air tight container in the fridge
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this peanut clusters recipe on the stovetop or in the microwave?
You can! For the stovetop, set up a large double boiler and cook it very slow. The key to making this candy is melting everything slowly to avoid the chocolate from burning or separating.
To make this candy in the microwave, you'll want to follow the same advice as above - go slow and stir often.
What kind of peanut do I use for these peanut clusters?
You can use whatever peanut you love. I usually see dry roasted or salted for these type recipes. You can even use unsalted peanuts if that's your jam.
I love, love Virginia peanuts. They're crunchy and, to me, the best peanut. However, they are harder to find and usually more expensive. That's why I usually stick with dry roasted for this recipe.
Peanut Clusters Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 4 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate, cut into small pieces
- 24 oz white almond bark, cut into small pieces
- 24 oz chocolate almond bark, cut into small pieces
- 2 tablespoon espresso powder see note below
- 24 oz dry roasted peanuts
- sprinkles or flaky sea salt, to top
Instructions
- Place all semi-sweet chocolate chips, german chocolate, white and chocolate almond barks into the slow cooker. Sprinkle the espresso powder over the top.
- Place a dry, clean dish towel on top of the slow cooker/crockpot. Place the lid onto the top of that.
- Cook the chocolates on high for 1 hour. Stir this mixture often - every 15 minutes or so. Reduce the heat to low and cook an additional 1 hour or until everything is nice and melted.
- When everything is melted, remove the lid along with the towel. Be careful and don't let any built up condensation get into the melted chocolate. Melted chocolate and water do not mix.
- Add the peanuts, stirring to combine.
- Spoon the peanut cluster mixture onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. If you're going to top them with sprinkles or salt, do so after every few that you drop - while the chocolate is still nice and warm. The sprinkles/salt will stick better.
- Let the candies harden in the fridge or a cool spot for at least 30 minutes.
- Keep them for yourself, give them as gifts, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
If you guys make this Peanut Clusters, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I absolutely love to hear from you all and always do my best to respond to each and every one of your comments!
Thank you!
I am so incredibly happy that you are here! I hope you try my Peanut Clusters recipe and fall in love with it. If you make this recipe, please share and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok! And, please leave a comment or star rating below. I absolutely love seeing each and every one of your kitchen masterpieces. It makes my heart so happy! And, as always, if you ever have any questions about any of my recipes, please don't hesitate to contact me!
Happy Cooking!
-Rufus
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Rufus for Real is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Charlotte says
These are addictive! They’re easy to make and are gonna be Christmas gifts for our family this year!
Mariann Tackett says
I made these for Christmas treats to give co-workers and friends. They were easy and delicious. I used the medium size (2 Tablespoons) cookie scoop and got 5 dozen clusters. I reused the same parchment paper covered tray each batch as after refrigeration the clusters lift off easily. Stay near the crockpot and stir as suggested to prevent burning your chocolate. I used unsalted dry roasted peanuts because that’s all my grocery store had. Next time, I’d like to try salted just to compare. Only clean-up was the crockpot, a stirring spoon and the cookie scoop. This is a recipe I’ll be using again! Yum
Rufus says
Thank you so much, Mariann! I am so very glad you liked this recipe!