Chocolate peanut clusters are super easy to make at home in your crock pot. Lightly salted peanuts covered with sweet chocolate coating make the perfect gift, or keep them all for yourself—you can always make more with this smaller recipe.
Introduction
It is the holiday season, and everybody is rushed for time. But nothing will tell your friends and family you care more than homemade candy. But don't let them know how easy (and cheap) they are to make.
This chocolate peanut cluster recipe will take you only a few minutes of preparation time, mostly spent adding ingredients to the crock pot. 2 hours on low in your crock pot, and a few minutes scooping bit size pieces of your love.
I used the Food.com version as my stated inspiration recipe. This recipe is very forgiving—change the nuts to pecans, walnuts, or almonds, add some coconut, and switch out the almond bark for candy melts. Vary the chocolate types or even the amount. It just always works.
👨🍳How to make this candy
- Place all the ingredients in a 3 quart or larger crock pot. Break up any large pieces of almond bark—mix well.
- Cover and cook on low, never high.
- Check at 90 minutes; it will probably not be done.
- Stir and cook another 30+ minutes until all ingredients mix easily.
- Spoon out small amounts on sheets of parchment paper and allow to cool completely—2-3 hours.
Ingredients to use
The chocolate
Use good-quality chocolate chips or chunks. I like to use semisweet chocolate chips, but you can use milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or even some peanut butter chips if mixing. Do not use the cheaper baking chips that are not real chocolate and have almost no cocoa butter—quality matters.
Add a Bakers German chocolate bar higher in cocoa butter for more flavor to make up for using the candy melts or almond bark.
The amount of chocolate to melts/bark can vary. By weight, the total amount of chocolate should be approximately equal to the weight of candy melts or almond bark. But it can vary a lot and still work.
White chocolate is not real chocolate and has a low level of cocoa butter. Making nut clusters with white chocolate needs some special attention. Please see Crock Pot White Chocolate Almond Clusters for details.
About candy melts and almond bark
Candy melts and almond bark will make your homemade candy harder and cover the nuts better when cooled. They are made with hydrogenated vegetable fats instead of cocoa butter and contain artificial coloring and flavoring.
Candy melts are the newer version of old-fashioned almond bark and are generally sold everywhere. Almond bark is harder to find. Use them interchangeably.
Use the white vanilla version of either one. The chocolate version will have artificial flavoring you do not want. If you use white almond bark, break it up to help it melt easier.
What nuts to use?
Use lightly salted skinless peanuts—dry roasted to eliminate all water, which will affect the chocolate.
Feel free to use other nuts like walnuts, pecans, or almonds, but they should be dry-roasted to avoid moisture. If they are unsalted, a touch of salt should be considered but be careful.
♨️Stovetop method
You can do this in a large, heavy pot on the stovetop over low heat. You will need to add everything but the nuts. Stand there and frequently stir until the chocolate and the melts come together completely. This will take about 15 minutes to complete. Stir in the nuts at the end. You can also use a double boiler if you have one.
The crock pot method is easier, but the stovetop is faster.
Serving and recipe size
My original recipe was double this size and had no variability. I have republished this at half its original size, making it much friendlier for most homes. And I added some options for flexibility.
The serving size is about one tablespoon, about one heaping kitchen teaspoon. Make your candies a little small, says the guy who has eaten hundreds of these.
❓FAQs and tips
Moisture and chocolate do not do well together, especially when heated. It will affect the texture but can also totally ruin the candy.
As written, this fits in a crock pot of 3-quarts or bigger. A double recipe will fit in a 6-quart cooker.
If you use a large crock pot for the smaller recipe, it can heat faster, so in addition to my recommended check at 90 minutes into cooking, please also check at 60 minutes. But it will probably still take the whole 2 hours.
The crock pot needs to be on low. This is not a recipe to be cooked on high. On low, most crock pots will slowly get to 210° over hours. So a great slow heat to melt chocolate.
On high, some crock pots may run 250°+. They shouldn't, but they do. Also, the run-up to full temperature is much faster on the high setting. This adds a good chance of overheating the chocolate.
Chocolate peanut clusters may be kept at room temperature for 4-5 days or up to a month refrigerated in an airtight container.
You can freeze them in a freezer bag in a single layer. They will be good in a freezer for 3 months,
📖Crock Pot Candy Recipes
Crock Pot White Chocolate Almond Clusters
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Note: All images are for a double batch, which we usually make. All discussion is for a smaller amount, half the previously published recipe.
Only a few ingredients.
Use a 3-quart crock pot or bigger. Add one pound of lightly salted dry roasted peanuts. Add 16 oz. of chocolate chips or chunks and Bakers chocolate (See the discussion above or the recipe card about the chocolate amount and types.) Top with 1 pound of vanilla almond bark (broken up) or candy melts.
Cook on low with the lid on. DO NOT cook on high. Crock pots can vary, so check the chocolate at 90 minutes into cooking. It is done when you can mix everything thoroughly. It will usually take about 2 hours.
Allow to cool for a few minutes to firm up slightly. Then scoop heaping spoonfuls of the mixture onto parchment paper lined baking sheets or just parchment on a clean countertop. Try not to make them too big. It is candy, not cookies.
Allow to cool for about 2 hours.
📝Full Recipe
Crock Pot Chocolate Peanut Clusters
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry roasted peanuts - salted or light salted
- 1 pound candy melts or almond bark - vanilla
- 16 oz chocolate - Usually 12 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips with 4 oz of Bakers chocolate
Instructions
- Use a 3-quart crock pot or bigger. Add one pound of lightly salted dry roasted peanuts. Add 16 oz. of chocolate chips or chunks and Bakers chocolate (See the discussion above or the recipe card about the chocolate amount and types.) Top with 1 pound of vanilla almond bark (broken up) or candy melts.
- Cook on low with the cover on. DO NOT cook on high. Crock pots can vary, so check the chocolate at 90 minutes into cooking. It is done when you can mix everything thoroughly. It will usually take about 2 hours.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes to firm up slightly. Then scoop heaping spoonfuls of the mixture onto parchment paper lined baking sheets or just parchment on a clean countertop. Try not to make them too big. It is candy, not cookies.
- Allow to cool for about 2 hours.
Stovetop Version
- Place the chocolate and the candy melts (or almond bark) into a pan over low heat.
- Cook while stirring occasionally until melted and smooth (about 10-15 minutes). Stir in nuts at the end then let it cool for 5 minutes before spooning the candy out.
My Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- For the chocolate, use brand-name semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks. I like to add a bar of Baker’s chocolate which will add more cocoa butter to help the almond bark. That is 12 oz. of chips and 4 oz. of Baker's chocolate usually.
- The amount of chocolate can vary. The amount of chocolate should about equal to the candy melts (or almond bark),
- Use the dry-roasted nuts you want.
- Cook on low with the cover on. Do not cook on high.
- For the recipe as written, this fits nicely in a 3-quart crock pot. A double recipe, which I usually make, needs 6-quart or larger.
- Crock pots can vary, so check the chocolate at 90 minutes into cooking. It is done when you can mix everything completely, which is usually about 2 hours.
- If you use a large crock pot for a smaller recipe, it may cook a bit faster. So check the crock pot at 60 and 90 minutes into cooking.
- You may use candy "melts" or almond bark. Get the vanilla flavor since the chocolate flavor can taste odd.
- The serving size is about one tablespoon which is about one heaping kitchen teaspoon. Make them a little small.
- While still hot, give them a topping of a few candy sprinkles if you want for the kids.
- Chocolate peanut clusters are good stored at room temperature for 4-5 days. You can freeze them in a freezer bag in a single layer. They will be good in a freezer for 3 months,
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's Note: Originally Published November 25, 2016. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Cynthia W
Hi Dr Dan,
Thanks for this easy, yummy candy recipe. My son is allergic to nuts, so I want to substitute pretzels and/or granola for crunch and salty taste. Would it be better to melt chocolates and almond bark and then mix in pretzels/ granola at the end to keep them crunchy?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Cynthia,
Welcome to the blog. Your plan sounds good.
There is no water in the ingredients but there are oils that would absorb into the pretzels or granola and could make them soft.
So get it all melted and mixed evenly. Then when you turn off the crock pot, mix in your things quickly since they are room temperature and will make the chocolate set up a bit faster. Make out the candies quickly also.
I hope that helps and thanks for the rating.
Dan
Kellie
I just took your earlier comment suggestion on how one might tweak for a half batch (12 oz. choc. chips, all 4 oz. baking chocolate, 10 oz. almond bark) and am happy to report that it looks and tastes like a successful first-ever batch of these. With a big glass of milk (and a few antacid tablets), I could eat a pile of 'em for breakfast.
Patty
my mixture was way too thick & I added water. i guess that was a mistake. Will they still harden up?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Patty,
Welcome to the blog and sorry you are having issues with this recipe. I have done this one at least 20 times (lots of holiday giving) and it works fine with my crock pot and ingredients which I vary at times.
So, let's look at your problem. If it was too thick, cook it a bit longer. Some crock pots are hotter or cooler than others.
As a general rule, water is the mortal enemy of chocolate. Adding water will make the chocolate seize up into a gooey mess and it usually can not recover from there. This is a texture issue and not a taste or safety issue so people will use the seized chocolate in baking.
If this happens again, definitely cook longer 30-60 minutes. The thickness is like half-melted ice cream usually. If you become convinced it needs something, a teaspoon or two of corn or canola oil. If you have Cisco shortening it would be preferred but most people don't have that. Be careful with either, they will make the final result softer at room temperature.
Sorry, you had issues and I can't be much help this time. Google seized chocolate for more information.
Dan
Connie
How do you cook half the recipe. Thanks for all the helpful info.
DrDan
Hi Connie,
Welcome to the blog.
To cut in half, you can just use half of the amount of each ingredient. But you can also change it up some.
We have 2 pounds of nuts to 52 oz of "chocolate" (chocolate chips, almond bark and baking chocolate) So for 1 pound of nuts, you need about 26 oz of "chocolate" give or take a little. So you could do 12 oz bag of chocolate chips, 4 oz bar of baker chocolate and about 10 oz of almond bark or candy melts. That uses the whole baking bar and bag of chips.
Happy Holidays
Dan
sara
This is my go to 'Christmas Candy Recipe'-- well not this particular one but one like it-I have been making this for about 10 years now and it just gets easier and easier-when I first started making it the recipe called for 2 1/2 hours on low- using one of the old REVEL (?)crock pots-- you could not remove the lid- you had to follow recipe exactly-- that accounted for a lot of burnt crock pot candy-through trial and error I came up with low temp- not more than one hour and you a change the recipe drastically and get some pretty darn good candy-I always use the almond bark- not the German Chocolate any more-I throw in a broken Hershey's with almonds bar if I have one - Peanuts are always salted, dry roasted and while the cluster are cooling I add some sea salt to each one-- so yummy--(:
DrDan
Hi Sara,
Welcome to the blog.
Those old crock were an adventure in cooking. Most did not have any sort of internal thermostat and just got hotter the longer they were plugged in. They could reach over 300 degrees. Chocolate will burn over 120 degrees or so.
Current crock pots should not get over 212 degrees on either high or low. High and low has more to do with timing to get to the top temp. At least that is how they should work but many don't. But still better than the old timers.
With the mass we put in the pot and on low, we are just gently melting things.
This is super easy now with the current crock pots. Almost impossible to not go well. I just published a white chocolate almond version that is even better. https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/crock-pot-white-chocolate-almond-clusters/
Thanks for the note and the trip down memory lane.
Dan
Jenny
I added a bag of small marshmallows to this recipe, it worked out perfectly!
Chris
Would there be a difference between vanilla almond bark and chocolate almond bark?
DrDan
Hi Chris,
Welcome to the blog.
The chocolate usual has some cocoa but does not have to where the vanilla has vanilla ( I had to say it). I think the vanilla adds a little something but extra cocoa wouldn't be bad either. So use what you can find.
Dan
Diane
Can you use
milk chocolate chips
DrDan
Yep, it should be fine. The milk chocolate has more sugar and less cocoa so the flavor will be slightly different but still fine. If you made a batch of each, you might not be able to tell them apart but I think I could if I knew there was a difference. But I believe I would like both equally.
Dan
Helen
Using a plastic crock pot liner makes this an even better experience!!
Gloria
What can I do if my candy is too dry
DrDan
Hi Gloria,
Welcome to the blog.
Since there are only a few ingredients one of them is not acting right. Old or poor quality chocolate would seem to be the most likely.
Also, chocolate can "seize" becoming stiff and clumpy. This can happen if exposed to water or too much heat. Here is a discussion of that. https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-fix-overheated-or-burnt-chocolate-521579 and discusses some solutions.
Dan
Lori
Going to make these today. Is there a specific nut that stands out more than another for this recipe? I saw some suggestions but wondering what the consensus is.
DrDan
Dry roasted lightly salted peanuts are my favorite. Friends use roasted almonds.
Eva
Have made different recipes for crock pot fudge before without much luck! Made this recipe and it is delicious🤗. Am making another recipe for gifts 👌🏻
monica
Well...I've made this before but I forgot the German Chocolate at the store and cant get there for a few days and I need to make it. :) So, I am going to give it a try without GC. I think all it does is add a bit more sweetness to it or more balance...I dunno. Gonna try anyways.
DrDan
Maybe some chocolate chips?
Dan
Joe
I made several batches of these, and this recipe is VERY flexible. I tried it with almonds and coconut. I added caramel chunks to the peanuts, and I also made a batch with white chocolate and cashews. Then, I tried pretzel sticks instead of nuts. We put one of each variety in gift bags to hand out during the holidays.
DrDan
Many of our friends did this over the holidays with endless variations. It just always works.
Thanks for the note and Happy Holidays.
Dan
Rita D.
I too changed out the almond bark for more chocolate. And I found something interesting. I now know why you say to use parchment paper or waxed paper - if you drop it onto aluminum foil to cool, it acts like putting them into the frig and the chocolate dries to a dull finish instead of a shine.
BEWARE all you folks who didn't go out and buy parchment paper!
Robin Baker
I I'm not a big fan of peanuts and neither is my husband, so we switched out the peanuts for cashews and made the recipe otherwise the same way... Oh my goodness! Heavenly is all I can say. Our daughter and her husband finished off what we couldn't, and I swear I put on several pounds, but it was definitely worth it!! Thanks so much
DrDan
Sounds great.
Thanks for the note and happy holidays
Dan
I'm not a cook
What about subbing in a package of caramel bits for some of the almond bark and pecans instead of peanuts. Has anyone tried it? Did it work?
DrDan
I don't know the characteristics of the caramel and how it will react to cooking like this to answer that part. But I have many friends doing pecans and almonds for the peanuts.
Bud
That is a great idea. Try adding 2 tblsp of vanilla and a 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg to this recipe along with the original recipe. Add or substitute the pecans and any kind of nuts to this and there you will have them begging for more.
DrDan
I think way too yummy. Bound to be repeated here frequently.
I took a whole recipe to my old office last week. I make the pieces a little more appropriate size and had 120 for the 20 employees. It does make a huge amount. But I would think it would freeze well.
Dan
sara
It does freeze very well-- Christmas is such a busy time-- this is one of those things you can do ahead and freeze- I have made this at Christmas and frozen to share over Valentines Day-
Leslie
5 star recipe, easy and yummy! I put half of the candy I made in my freezer, have not tried (the frozen) version, will update after serving.