CROCK POT CHOCOLATE PEANUT CLUSTERS

One of my absolute favorite treats. And a perennial hit with friends and family during the holiday season.

Every November I spend one Saturday afternoon making a giant pot of crockpot candy and these clusters are always the first things I make. Four ingredients, toss them in a slow cooker and go do something else for an hour!

If you haven’t made candy in a slow cooker, this is your first recipe. It’s going to make you ask yourself “why did I ever stand over a double boiler?”

HOW TO MAKE IT

Step 1: Start with your slow cooker. Add white almond bark pieces on the bottom.

Top with broken up pieces of German chocolate bars, chocolate chips, and dry roasted peanuts. Do not stir.

Step 2: Prepare the paper towel lid trick. Lay two layers of paper towel over the slow cooker.

Close the lid. The paper towels prevent any condensation from falling into the slow cooker which will keep your candy perfect.

When you go to lift the lid, be mindful of the condensation and lift the lid away from your body and pot.

Step 3: Cook for about 1 to 1.5 hours on low. Leave the slow cooker alone for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, open lid, again remembering the paper towel condensation trick, and stir. Some of the chocolate will be melted and some will still be solid.

That’s ok. The chocolate around the edges and on the bottom will melt before the rest.

Replace paper towels and continue to cook. After another 10 minutes, stir.

Keep doing this until it’s all melted and glossy. When everything is combined, it will smell amazing, toasty and rich.

If you have any pieces that have not melted, replace paper towels and cook an additional 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 4: Gently stir until everything is smooth. Use a rubber spatula and gently stir/fold the peanuts and chocolate.

You want the chocolate/almond bark to coat the peanuts. You want a nice, smooth, glossy finish.

Step 5: Scoop onto parchment paper. Line a section of your counter with parchment paper.

You can use two spoons or a cookie scoop to portion the candy. Make sure the balls of candy are about the size of a golf ball, or about a tablespoon and a half each.

Be quick because the mixture will start to thicken up in the pot quickly. This recipe will fill twelve gift bags with room for a few extras on my holiday cookie tray.

Step 6: Allow them to set completely.

After about 30 minutes at room temp they’ll be ready to handle. Instead of shiny, they’ll be matte, not sticky and will hold their shape.

If it’s a little on the warm side where you live, pop them in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes to help them set.

HELPFUL TIPS

I used white almond bark, but any brand will do. It’s by far the most forgiving of the white chocolates and melts up beautifully every time.

If you’re using semisweet chocolate (my preference), invest in Ghirardelli chips or Baker’s German Chocolate bars, and the difference is astounding. Don’t skimp here.

I used salted peanuts, because salted nuts go perfectly with sweet chocolate and keep the clusters from being too sweet. If you’re using unsalted, try adding a little flake sea salt immediately after scooping the clusters.

Place a paper towel under the lid as even a little bit of water will make the melted chocolate greasy and/or lumpy. This is called “seizing up.” It happens more easily to white chocs, so paper towels are your friend.

Keep the crock on the warm setting; otherwise, if you’ve been sitting on your duff long enough the choco mixture will start to set up and won’t be as runny/easy to scoop.

If it’s hot (think above 70°F!) where you live, the clusters will take much, much longer to set and may look a little on the oily side. Try to leave them in a cool, dry place.

STORAGE AND MAKE-AHEAD

Once the clusters have set, store them up to two weeks in an airtight container at room temp. Separate each layer with parchment to prevent scratching or sticking.

No need to keep these little guys in the fridge, trust. I’ve kept them in a big ol’ cookie tin with parchment and they’ve held up just fine for a good two weeks.

CAN I PREP THESE CANDY CLUSTERS IN ADVANCE?

These candy clusters freeze beautifully. Arrange them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for an hour, then transfer to a zip-top freezer bag, using parchment paper to separate clusters and keep them from sticking together.

Candy clusters will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Remove them in the morning of your holiday party and allow them to warm at room temp for about 30 minutes, and they’ll be indistinguishable from candy clusters made that day.

Here’s my suggestion for candy clusters as a make-ahead holiday treat: make a batch in the first week of November and freeze clusters, and by December you’ll have dozens of gorgeous candies waiting to be pulled out of the freezer, put into bags, and given as gifts. Make another batch in early December and you’ll be all set for holiday cookie trays as well as edible gifts without any last-minute stress.

Candy clusters packed into little gift bags and topped with a pretty ribbon are some of the most popular and most appreciated homemade edible gifts I know of.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

CAN I USE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF CHOCOLATE INSTEAD OF THE GERMAN CHOCOLATE BAR?

If you don’t happen to have a German chocolate bar on hand, I’ve used a semisweet or bittersweet chocolate bar with success. Look for a good-quality baking chocolate, like Baker’s, which is readily available in most grocery stores.

German chocolate has a darker chocolate flavor which offsets the white almond bark and keeps these candy clusters from being too sweet.

CAN I USE MILK CHOCOLATE CHIPS INSTEAD OF SEMISWEET?

The recipe as written uses semisweet chocolate chips and German chocolate. Both provide a bittersweet quality to the candy clusters, necessary to offset the sweetness of the white almond bark.

If you use a milk chocolate bar or milk chocolate chips, the candy clusters will be much sweeter. I think they’re delicious that way, more like a candy bar, but it’s important to know what to expect.

MY CHOCOLATE SEIZED.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Condensation on the lid of the bowl you’re melting the chocolate in likely dripped into the bowl with the chocolate. Keep the lid on the bowl to speed up melting time, but put a paper towel under it to catch condensation and prevent it from dripping.

Moisture is chocolate’s nemesis and it can’t be rescued once it seizes. Start over.

Also, be sure to use peanuts that have been dry roasted – don’t try to use peanuts that have been soaked in brine or that are salted, since those have some moisture.

MY CLUSTERS DIDN’T SET UP FIRM — THEY’RE STILL SOFT AFTER 30 MINUTES.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Most likely your kitchen is warm (over 72°F). Try popping them in the refrigerator to speed up setting – about 15-20 minutes will do it.

It’s also possible that your scoops are catching too much chocolate and not enough nuts. Grab a slightly smaller scoop and make sure you’re catching some peanuts in each scoop.

They shouldn’t remain soft after chilling.

CAN I ADD OTHER MIX-INS OR SWAP THE PEANUTS FOR SOMETHING ELSE?

The sky’s the limit. Use dry roasted almonds, pecans or cashews instead of peanuts (cashews are incredibly rich and buttery – I love them!), or use a combination of nuts.

Be sure to use nuts that have been dry roasted – moisture will result in overly-sticky chocolate. For extra crunch and saltiness, stir in some coarsely crushed pretzels.

For pretty color, stir in dried cranberries (especially good with dark chocolate). Again, be sure any additions are very, very dry.

HOW MANY CLUSTERS DOES ONE BATCH MAKE?

Depending on the size of the scoop you’re using, you’ll get somewhere between 60-80 clusters from one batch. For me, I use a 1.5 Tbs. sized scoop and get about 70 clusters.

If you’re giving these to co-workers, neighbors, teachers, etc., you can bag them up – I’d say you can fit about 6-8 candies in a small bag. So, that’s about 8-10 bags from one batch.

For me, that’s plenty – one batch is enough to give to neighbors and teachers and have plenty for everyone. No need for more.

RELATED RECIPES

• Chocolate Turtles Crockpot Candy
• Crock Pot Chocolate Almond Clusters
• White Chocolate Crockpot Candy