Easy Crockpot peanut clusters recipe that’s perfect during the holidays. Cheap, sweet and salty chocolate dessert everyone loves. Cook low and slow or as Instant Pot peanut clusters this year.
Crockpot peanut clusters are so easy and yummy! Even better my kids help me make them each year during the holidays. These are just one of many super easy Crockpot recipe we have on our website and make year round when friends come over too. (affiliate links present)
Table of Contents
4 Ingredient Crockpot Peanut Clusters
This quick easy dessert recipe requires only a few ingredients, which I love. You could add some raisins or broken up pretzels into the mix too if you like!
Make sure your nuts are salted so you get that great combo of sweet and salty YUM in your Crockpot chocolate candy treats. Use your favorites. Love walnuts or pecans are better…use what you love really. Make them all in different batches so everyone can choose their own favorite bites.
If you too love slow cooker recipes of all kinds, you’re going to go crazy over this one. First let’s go over a few resources:
- This 8 quart is my all time favorite model.
- For easier cleanup you can use these liners if you like.
- I love trying new things and this Crockpot cookbook has a TON of great ones in it.
For the best Crockpot recipes we have a bunch here on The Typical Mom blog.
Easy Slow Cooker Peanut Clusters
Here are a few questions you have if you have never made dessert in a Crockpot before:
Yes, but it will be quite a bit sweeter than Baker’s baking bar. Chocolate chips are used with this to add sugar to the mix.
Typically I buy what is on sale. I don’t find store brand that much different than more expensive varieties…typically. Ghirardelli is probably top of the list if it is a reasonable price, I’ll choose that.
Very few are actually grown in the U.S. Asia, Africa, Australia, and North and South America, India and China account for the majority of what is on the market today. Planters is the most popular brand.
Can you bake in a slow cooker?
Yes! We have made things like this Crockpot lava cake before, a slow cooker dump cake, and these chocolate covered peanut clusters are great. This will cost you $15-$20 total depending on what brands you’re choosing. Pretty good for feed a bunch.
Crockpot Chocolate Peanut Clusters
If you’re having a big cookie exchange this is a great filler in those Christmas tins too. Doesn’t take a lot of time or effort but looks like it does.
You literally throw everything in, stir when it’s melted, and then glob it on some parchment paper until it cools. At that time it will stiffen up. If you want that done faster just pop a sheet full in the fridge.
Peanut Cluster Ingredients
Of course you can choose salted or not but having that bit of contrast makes them that much better. I’d suggest Planters salted and shelled nuts in a jar.
- Salted dry roasted peanuts
- Milk chocolate chips with German chocolate baking bar
- A Crock pot of course
- White almond bark
- Parchment or wax paper
You could add a handful of raisins and/or dried cranberries too. I have done this before for holiday gifts and they were a real hit! Use some pretty ribbon and clear baggies to make it pretty for any occasion or bake sale.
Chocolate Peanut Clusters
Unlike our slow cooker boiled peanuts you will use shelled nuts for this obviously. You can really vary these in a multitude of ways. If you want pure white chocolate combined with cranberries for a pretty combo, that is great. Either way just use the measurements listed, and hours stirring at the end.
Paper towels are handy to have nearby because fingers can get quite sticky with the melting chocolate as you transfer them to the sheet to harden at room temperature.
I imagine you could even stir in some colorful chocolate candy coating pieces (like M&Ms) to create a colorful swirl.
You could even make a version of our haystacks candy recipe this way too. Prep is literally less than 15 minutes and it only takes an hour to heat through to perfection.
Crock Pot Chocolate Peanuts
I do have a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for you but here is a quick step by step. It is so easy once you do it you’ll be able to do your second and third batch in your sleep. 😉 Make a few batches using white almond bark and white chocolate chips if you like. You could color those too for extra fun.
- Put almond bark, chocolate chips and German chocolate chunks in your slow cooker. Cover with peanuts, do not stir.
- Close lid and heat on high setting for 1 hour. Stir contents so all nuts are nicely coated.
- Use a tablespoon and scoop a heaping scoop full on to wax or parchment paper. Leave out in cool room to harden, or put in fridge to solidify faster. Enjoy.
How to store peanut clusters
Remember that these will be sensitive to heat. Put them into an airtight container and I like them in the fridge. Put a piece of wax or parchment paper in between the layers so they don’t stick either. Cold salty sweet morsels are the best, but not frozen. (I have too many crowns for hard bites)
Chocolate Christmas Recipes
Having a get together where you want a variety of YUM on several tables around your house? Make our party punch recipe too, that always brings smiles to faces all around.
We have a lot of fun Christmas cookie recipes we love making this time of year too. A few favorites are:
- Cake mix crinkle cookies are the bomb. Make them any colors you like for the holidays and share with friends.
- Our Lebkuchen is a German spice cookie that’s like gingerbread cookies kinda’.
- Crockpot apple crisp is always a winner with everyone. Make sure to use green for a killer sweet and tart taste.
My girls and I always have a good time mixing things up with this basic recipe each year. If you have a cookie exchange, pop a few into each persons bag or tin and I bet they’ll ask you how you made them.
- (they may even think you bought them because they’re just so good and look “fancy” all wrapped up)
- Use your leftover chocolate to make these hot cocoa balls with marshmallows inside.
If you want to make this even faster, try it in your pressure cooker. Link at top of this post for this method.
Below is a printable recipe you can keep on hand in your folder. OR just come back year after year to remember how easy they are to make. We love to “see” you on an ongoing basis you know. 😉
Crockpot Peanut Clusters
Equipment
- 1 slow cooker
Ingredients
- 24 oz almond bark, vanilla
- 12 oz chocolate chips, semi sweet
- 4 oz German sweet chocolate, baking bar
- 24 oz peanuts, salted
Instructions
- Put almond bark, chocolate chips and German chocolate chunks in your slow cooker.
- Cover with peanuts, do not stir.
- Close lid and heat on high setting for 1 hour.
- Stir contents so all nuts are nicely coated.
- Use a tablespoon and scoop a heaping scoop full on to wax or parchment paper.
- Leave out in cool room to harden, or put in fridge to solidify faster. Enjoy.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is a staple I make ever Christmas and take to work. I use a little less almond bark and a bit more peanuts but otherwise it’s exactly the same recipe and everyone loves them!
Oh yay!
We were using up some baking supplies for this one. Most were subbed in as in weights and “closely described ingredients”. Also, we didn’t have hardly any of the peanuts that were called for. We used cashews, coconut chips and a good handful of Macadamia nuts, even a spoon of Almond Butter went in. We thought “This can’t possibly turn out”. Oh My Gosh! This couldn’t be further from the truth! It was amazing! We WILL make this again with ingredients that are called for. Can’t wait! <3
Can’t wait ti try them. very quick and easy