Chocolate peanut clusters, made in the crockpot, are THE perfect holiday recipe. This tasty edible gift is one of the easiest to make with just a handful of simple ingredients.
Chocolate lovers rejoice because this traditional slow cooker recipe is personal AND party friendly.
There’s nothing better during the holiday season than an easy, delicious homemade dessert that can be scaled up and gifted away without breaking a sweat, and I have just the recipe: Chocolate Peanut Clusters!
Rich, sweet chocolate melted over salty peanuts with the perfect accent of holiday sprinkles is (for me at least) as perfect as it gets for homemade candies.
While some recipes call for different types of melting chocolate, we like to keep it simple (especially around the holidays) so this recipe only uses chocolate chips.
Why you will love making Crockpot Candy.
Chocolate Peanut Clusters are SOOO much better than individual chocolate-covered peanuts! For one thing, there’s more chocolate with each bite, which is ALWAYS a plus, am I right?
Also, peanut clusters behave more like cookies than individual chocolate-covered peanuts.
This makes them much better holiday edible gifts for family, friends, coworkers, or neighbors. This recipe is so scalable that you will wonder why you gave out other homemade presents! Seriously, they are so easy to make you wonder why you haven’t tried them before.
In fact, this recipe is perfect for the kids to help out with because it’s so easy and fun (especially when it comes to adding the sprinkles) and is practically foolproof!
3 Ingredients
All you need is 3 simple ingredients to make the perfect homemade chocolate candies.
This chocolate mix is SO easy to make in a crockpot, providing you with classic chocolate peanut clusters with melted chocolate chips.
Like hot chocolate bombs, these homemade chocolate peanut clusters are perfect for holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving and keep good for a long time.
- dry roasted peanuts
- chocolate chips (16 oz.)
- holiday jimmies
How to make Crockpot Peanut Clusters
- Add peanuts and chocolate to a slow cooker and place cover on top. Heat on low for 30 minutes.
- Stir and cover and heat for an additional 30 minutes. (Check at 20 minutes to be sure) Stir well to evenly coat warm chocolate and crunchy peanuts.
- Place wax paper or a row of parchment paper onto two baking sheets (cookie sheet) and use a 2-tablespoon portion scoop to scoop candy onto baking sheets.
- Sprinkle with jimmies while the chocolate is hot. Let stand to harden or refrigerate until hard. If in a hurry for these milk chocolate treats, you can also place the baking sheet in the freezer until the chocolate sets.
FAQ’s
For this recipe, I suggest using dry roasted salted peanuts. Dry-roasted is a must because any extra moisture in the nut can affect the chocolate coating. Having that saltiness is one of the best things about these clusters, as it is a nice contrast to the sweetness of the chocolate. I’ve also made these with unsalted peanuts; sprinkle coarse sea salt over the clusters at the same time you add the sprinkles.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for a month or at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze your clusters and thaw them in the fridge.
Expert Tips
- You can use an ice cream scoop or cookie scoop to measure out the clusters onto the wax paper.
- Watch your heat! The only thing that can go wrong with this recipe is the heat. Make sure your crockpot is on low and that you are stirring the chocolate every so often to ensure it doesn’t burn.
- Whatever style of chip you decide to use, whether white, dark, semi-sweet or something else, better quality chocolate will taste much better in this recipe. I like using a good brand of chocolate like Ghirardelli, Trader Joe’s, or Bakers.
- If you don’t have a crockpot or it’s in use already, you can make Chocolate Peanut Clusters using the stovetop. Melt chocolate by placing a small bowl over the top of a pan of boiling water. Stir continuously until the chocolate is melted, then pour over nuts and mix well.
- Make sure to add sprinkles while the chocolate is still hot so they will stick.
- Skip the colored sprinkles and add an optional sea salt sprinkle for sweet and salty holiday gifts.
Can Chocolate Clusters be eaten on a Keto diet?
Peanuts are a no-no for anyone on a Keto diet, so instead use almonds, cashews, pecans, pistachios, or hazelnuts, and choose a sugar-free variety of chocolate chip such as Hershey’s Sugar-Free or Choc Zero.
What kind of chocolate chip should I use?
The chocolate chip you choose for these clusters is really up to you.
I’ve made them with semi-sweet chocolate, milk chocolate chips, and dark chocolate, and I’ve had rave reviews every time. You can also mix up your chocolate and use a combination of sweet chocolate chips for the best smooth chocolate.
I love darker chocolate in my chocolate mixture, but my husband prefers sweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Here are a few ideas:
- White chocolate chips
- Peanut butter chips
- Butterscotch chips
- Mint chocolate chips
- Baileys Original Irish Cream Chocolate Chips
- Hershey’s Cinnamon Baking Chips
- Espresso Baking Chips
- Ghirardelli Caramel-Flavored Chips
- Almond Bark
Variations to Chocolate Peanut Clusters
One of the best things about this sweet treat is how easy it is, which also means it’s easy to change things up. Besides the myriad of chocolate choices, you can make this without roasted peanuts!
Try instead:
- Chopped almonds
- Pecans
- Cashews
- Macadamia nut pieces
- Hazelnuts
- Pistachios
- Sweetened Dried Coconut
- Espresso Beans
Related Holiday Recipes
Looking for more holiday treats?
- Buckeye Balls
- Learn how to make Rock Candy
- Cream Cheese Mints
- Easy Peanut Butter Fudge
- Popcorn Ball with Marshmallows
- Candied Pecans
- Peanut Brittle
- Candied Walnuts
- Peanut Butter Haystack Cookies
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Crockpot Chocolate Peanut Clusters
Ingredients
- 16 oz. dry roasted peanuts
- 3 cups chocolate chips
- holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Add dry roasted peanuts and chocolate chips to a slow cooker and place cover on top. Heat on low for 30 minutes.
- Stir the chocolate mixture and cover and heat for an additional 30 minutes. (Check at 20 minutes just to be sure).
- Stir well to evenly coat chocolate and peanuts.
- Place wax paper or parchment paper onto baking sheets and use a 2 tablespoon portion scoop to scoop candy onto baking sheets.
- Sprinkle clusters with jimmies while chocolate is hot.
- Let stand to harden, or place in fridge or freezer to cool and harden chocolate quickly.
Notes
Expert Recipe Tips
- You can use an ice cream scoop or cookie scoop to measure out the clusters onto the wax paper.
- Watch your heat! The only thing that can go wrong with this recipe is the heat. Make sure your crockpot is on low and that you are stirring the chocolate every so often to ensure it doesn’t burn.
- Whatever style of chip you decide to use, whether it be white, dark, semi-sweet, or something else, better quality chocolate will taste much better in this recipe. I really like using a good brand of chocolate like Ghirardelli, Trader Joe’s, or Bakers.
- If you don’t have a crockpot or it’s in use already, you can make Chocolate Peanut Clusters using the stovetop. Melt chocolate by placing a small bowl over the top of a pan of boiling water. Stir continuously for several minutes until chocolate is melted, then pour over nuts and mix well.
- Make sure to add sprinkles while the chocolate is still hot so that they will stick.
- Skip the colored sprinkles and instead add an optional sea salt sprinkle for sweet and salty holiday gifts.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: The nutritional data provided here is auto-calculated and intended for your convenience only. As it’s generated via automation, its accuracy may be compromised. For precise nutritional insight, please compute the values utilizing the actual ingredients in your recipe through your chosen nutrition calculator or application.
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