Easy Crockpot Peanut Clusters
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5 ingredients and one hour is all it takes to make crockpot peanut clusters that are delicious year-round! Decadent chocolate and peanut butter chips melt together with crunchy peanuts for crockpot candy that the whole family will love.
If homemade candy is your thing, try my Champagne Truffles or these mouth-watering Brown Butter Buckeye Bars.
I absolutely love making nutty cluster candies around the holiday season. They make a great wrapped edible gift! It’s so fun to package these treats in cello bags and tie a little gift tag to give to friends and neighbors.
The thing that sets these crockpot chocolate peanut clusters apart is there is no white almond bark. Almond bark, also called “candy coating” has some additives that I’m not a fan of, and this recipe is a great alternative that is just as delicious — if not more!
And if you’re searching for other food gifts for a sweet treat, check out all of my food gift ideas!
Simple Ingredients
The full recipe and measurements are in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Dry Roasted Peanuts | Salty, crunchy, and satisfying! You may also use red-skinned peanuts or cocktail peanuts if you’d like.
- Milk Chocolate Chips | Nice and sweet, these chips melt easily and will help balance all of the flavors in this treat.
- Semisweet Chocolate Chips | Balance the bitter and sweet flavors in these crockpot peanut clusters by using either semi-sweet or dark morsels, based on your own preferences.
- Peanut Butter Chips | You can easily replace these chips with another flavor of your choosing. See variations for options.
- White Chocolate Chips | These morsels are sweet and rich, adding a delicate vanilla flavor that is perfect for our crockpot peanut clusters!
Top Tips
- Use high-quality chips | Whether it is the peanut butter, milk chocolate or white chocolate, the higher the quality of the chip, the less additives there are. My favorite brands are Ghirardelli and Guittard, but the bottom line, buy the best chocolate you can afford.
- Every crockpot or slow cooker heats differently, watch and be sure to set a timer at least every 15 minutes to stir, once the mixture starts getting dry and thick at the bottom remove the crockpot from heat.
- Place a clean tea towel between the lid and the crockpot to absorb any moisture.
- Stir Well | In recipes where you are melting chocolate (like my chocolate ganache), stirring is key to helping things melt! So remove from heat when there are still some whole pieces of chocolate, keep stirring they will disappear.
Recommended Equipment
- Crockpot or Slow Cooker | What’s the difference? Crockpot is a brand name, slow cooker is what the appliance does! You will want at least a 6 quart crockpot for this recipe. I like this that this classic crockpot locks for travel!
- Medium Cookie Scoop or small cookie scoop, if you want to make a whole lot of candy!
- Wooden Spoon & Sturdy Spatula
- Half Sheet Baking pans & Parchment Paper
How to make Peanut Cluster Recipe
Evenly spread the dry roasted peanuts on the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle the semi-sweet chocolate chips over top, followed by your milk chocolate, peanut butter, and finally the white.
Place a tea towel beneath the lid to collect condensation. Cover your slow cooker and cook on low heat for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
Layer peanuts evenly in crockpot Next add dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate and peanut butter Finish with white chocolate chips Set on low, place tea towel between lid and crockpot
When all ingredients are mostly melted, remove the insert. The heat from the crock will continue to melt the mixture as you stir everything until smooth, be sure to give the melted chocolate a good stir.
After about 15 minutes Stir at about 30 minutes Stir again at 45 and then one final stir Drop by two tablespoon scoop
Now we’re going to make our slow cooker chocolate peanut clusters! Working quickly, use a medium cookie scoop (2 tablespoons) to portion out treats onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or wax paper. Use a small cookie scoop for smaller candies!
Tap the tops of the candies with the back of the scoop or wooden spoon to flatten them. This is a fun step for the kids to help with!
Allow your crockpot peanut clusters to set up on the counter on the baking sheet. You can also refrigerate them for 15-30 minutes to set them fast. This easy recipe makes a lot of candy, about 60 generous pieces. Perfect for holiday gifts, Valentine’s day or anytime a peanut butter chocolate craving hits.
Variations
- Try other flavors | I also recommend cinnamon chips, butterscotch, Andes Mints, caramel nibs, or Heath toffee bits for varied and delicious flavors! Just make sure the quantities are the same as written for this crockpot peanut clusters recipe. Roughly, a few ounces here and there won’t impact it.
- Garnishes | While your crockpot chocolate peanut clusters are still gooey and melty, add some sprinkles or (my favorite) flaky sea salt. This is especially delicious if you’re using Heath bits.
- Dark Chocolate Peanut Clusters | Use your favorite dark chocolate to make this easy chocolate peanut candy.
- Use different nuts! Pecans, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias and almonds would all be absolutely delicious here.
Valentine’s Day Slow Cooker Peanut Clusters
Scooped peanut clusters on baking sheet Or scoop into molds Add sprinkles while clusters are soft Tap pan gently to settle ingredients in mold
I dressed some of mine up by scooping them into silicone heart shaped molds, for a fun and easy Valentine’s day chocolate. Use other silicone shaped molds for various holidays and change your sprinkles to match.
Dairy Free Peanut Clusters
Lily’s and Enjoy Life are dairy-free and gluten-free and they claim to melt just like regular chips. I have not tried it, let me know if you do!
Recipe for Sugar Free Peanut Clusters
Lily’s are also sugar free, so these are great to make for a low-carb, Keto or sugar-free diet. Use your favorite sugar free chip combination, I suggest adding 3-4 tablespoons of no-sugar peanut butter in place of peanut butter chips, unless you can find sugar-free!
TFC Pro Tips
- Patience!! — keep your crockpot on low! Using the high setting could overheat and burn the mixture.
- Several times when I’ve made this recipe, the chocolate to peanuts ratio was a little off towards the end of scooping. Stir in a ¼ cup of additional peanuts at the end. It helps to stir the mixture occasionally while scooping.
- Every slow cooker heats differently. This recipe takes 45 minutes for me, but I’ve heard others say it can take as long as 1 ½ hours. Stirring frequently will keep your mixture from burning. If it starts to look “dry,” it’s time to remove from the heat or switch to your “warm” setting if more melting is needed. And whatever you do, keep stirring!
Frequently Asked Questions
No, these candies do not need to be kept in the fridge! I recommend storing them right on the counter in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Though you can quickly firm them up in the fridge.
We call that “chocolate bloom.” It’s totally harmless! It messes with the presentation a smidge, but the crockpot peanut clusters will be just as delicious.
Chocolate chips are basically engineered to keep their shape, so some brands have trouble melting. If this happens, add a tiny bit of coconut or vegetable oil and stir. Add small amounts at a time until you get a nice, smooth texture.
Yes! Cut the ingredients in half and watch the time too, I recommend you stir every 10 minutes, until you have melted chocolate and a creamy texture.
Storage
Store your chocolate peanut clusters in an airtight container, in a cool place for 2-3 weeks (yes, weeks!). Or keep in fridge, up to 1 month.
Can I freeze Slow Cooker Peanut Clusters?
If stored for longer, they may be frozen in an airtight container or baggie for up to 3-4 months. To thaw, set in the fridge for a few hours, then bring to room temperature. This will discourage condensation. But it’s kind of hard to hurt these candies, so don’t stress and enjoy your chocolate.
I hope you enjoyed this easy candy recipe! Be sure to pop down to the comments below!
It’s Chocolate Week and this is my last recipe contribution this week! Starbucks White Hot Chocolate and Ferrero Rocher Ice Cream were my other new recipes! Check them out and all of the great recipes from other bloggers below!
More Chocolate Recipes
- Baked Donut Recipe from Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog
- Buttermilk Chocolate Cupcakes from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- Chocolate Ice cream Soda from Art of Natural Living
- Cookie Dough Fudge from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Crockpot Peanut Clusters from The Fresh Cooky
- Gamberi al Cioccolato from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Mole Wings from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Orange Chocolate Cheesecake Pots from Shockingly Delicious
- Slow Cooker Chocolate Cobbler from Cheese Curd In Paradise
- Soft and Chewy Chocolate Sugar Cookies from Blogghetti
- Strawberry Cheesecake Bites from Devour Dinner
- Tar Heel Brownie Pie from Palatable Pastime
- Triple Chocolate M&M Giant Heart Cookie from Magical Ingredients
More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes
- Easy Soft Baked Crockpot Granola
- Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice
- Crockpot London Broil
- Crockpot Ranch Chicken
- Olive Garden Crock Pot Chicken
- Easy Crockpot Butter Chicken (or Stovetop)
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Easy Crockpot Peanut Clusters
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs dry roasted peanuts, salted
- 11.5 ounce milk chocolate chips
- 11.5 ounce semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
- 10 ounce package peanut butter chips
- 11.5 ounce white chocolate chips
- See notes for other options
Instructions
IN THE CROCKPOT Layer ingredients in the following order:
- Evenly spread the peanuts on the bottom of the slow cooker, then sprinkle evenly the semi-sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, peanut butter chocolate chips, finishing with the white chocolate chips.
- Place a clean tea towel under the lid to collect any condensation, then place lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for about 1 hour. Stirring every 15 minutes. When the chocolate is MOSTLY melted, remove the insert, the heat from the insert and the melted chocolate will continue melting. Stir until all of the morsels are completely melted and mixed in.
- While the chocolate is melting, line 3 baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper.
- Mine only took 45 minutes, I have heard some people say it takes as long as 1 ½ hours, stirring frequently will melt the chocolate quicker and prevent it from burning.
- Making Peanut Clusters
- Working quickly, use a medium (2 tablespoon) cookie scoop or smaller if desired, scoop the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets, tap the tops of candies with the back of the cookie scoop to flatten slightly. This is a great job to invite kids to help with!
- Add sprinkles if desired (change sprinkles for desired holiday) and/or flaky sea salt, my favorite!
- Allow chocolates to set up on the counter, or if desired, refrigerate for 15-30 minutes before serving.
✱ Kathleen’s Tips
- Try other flavors | I also recommend cinnamon chips, butterscotch, Andes Mints, caramel nibs, or Heath toffee bits for varied and delicious flavors! Just make sure your quantities are the same as written for this crockpot peanut clusters recipe.
- Use different nuts! Pecans, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias and almonds would all be absolutely delicious here.
- Patience! — keep your crockpot on low! Using the high setting could overheat and burn the mixture, which will completely alter the flavor profile.
- When I made this recipe, the chocolate to peanuts ratio was a little off towards the end of scooping. I stirred in a ¼ cup of additional peanuts at the end.
- Every slow cooker heats differently. This recipe takes 45 minutes for me, but I’ve heard others say it can take as long as 1 ½ hours. Stirring frequently will keep your mixture from burning. If it starts to look “dry,” it’s time to remove from the heat or switch to your “warm” setting if more melting is needed.
Storage
Store your chocolate peanut clusters in an airtight container, in a cool place for 2-3 weeks (yes, weeks!). Or keep in fridge, up to 1 month. If stored for longer, they may be frozen in an airtight container or baggie for up to 3-4 months. To thaw, set in the fridge for a few hours, then bring to room temperature. This will discourage condensation. But if they form condensation, no worries it won’t hurt them at all!Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Fresh Cooky is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
About Kathleen Pope
Recipe Innovator | Food Photographer | Food Writer
Hi, I’m Kathleen Pope. Here at The Fresh Cooky you will find easy, mostly from-scratch, trusted recipes for all occasions. From speedy dinners to tasty desserts, with easy step-by-step instructions. I am here to help teach you how to make mouthwatering recipes without spending hours in the kitchen. Read more about Kathleen here.
Super easy to make and so GOOD!!
Thank you Karen! So glad you liked them!
Can I use regular peanut butter
And about how much should I use ?
I’ve never tried it with just regular peanut butter vs chips, so I’m not sure. I don’t think they set up well if you did use it??
Can I omit the white chocolate? I’m not a big fan of white chocolate.
Absolutely, but replace with your favorite chips! By the way, you’ll never taste the white chocolate — I don’t care for it either and you cannot taste it!
These are some of my favorite holiday treats! I have never thought to make them in the slow cooker but it is GENIUS!
So easy too!!
Can you use liners in the crockpot?
Hi Johnny,
Gosh, I have never tried using a liner as this cleans up really easily. Since it is a thick mixture and you need to stir it to keep it from burning, I’m not sure I would recommend them. But if you do, let me know how it works!
Fantastic!!!! Everyone loved it!
YAY!
Yes to all of this! I am so making these. I’m a sucker for peanuts and chocolate. Especially when they include peanut butter chips!!
Haha, yes, so am I!
Love how easy this is! I just resolved to do more in the crockpot!
Love to hear that, this will be a winner guaranteed!
Oh! Do I have to share this with anyone? I love this so much! YUM!
Not if you don’t want too, I won’t tell! 🙂
I love how easy this recipe is even with the wait time for it to be done and the stirring lol
Exactly, it’s super easy, if you can stir you can make this!
I love that crockpot does most of the work! They will make perfect gifts!
Exactly!!!
I need to make these. They look so tasty and easy!
You will love them!
Love good easy recipes, and adding holiday sprinkles is a great idea too
Thanks Rebecca, I agree, love recipes that can adapt to a holiday by changing up the sprinkles!
I have leftover mixed nuts and leftover chocolate from my fountain that were out for the Teen’s party. This will be a great way to use them. Thanks.
Now that is creative! I love it!
Just keep stirring, stirring, stirring. What do we do? We stir! I’ve never made these and I just know my guys would love them!
Lol, kind of like Nemo and swimming! You will LOVE them!