Crock Pot Chocolate Peanut Clusters Recipe
Delightfully sweet and crunchy, these Crock Pot Chocolate Peanut Clusters combine creamy vanilla almond bark, rich German chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and a variety of roasted peanuts. Perfectly melted and mixed in a slow cooker, then topped with festive holiday sprinkles, these clusters make an easy and festive treat that’s ideal for parties or gift-giving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 60 clusters 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate and Bark
- 2 lbs vanilla almond bark (broken into pieces)
- 4 oz German chocolate bar (broken into pieces)
- 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
Peanuts
- 16 oz honey roasted peanuts
- 16 oz salted roasted peanuts
Topping
- Holiday sprinkles for topping
Instructions
- Prepare the baking sheets: Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or wax paper. Set them aside to be ready for forming the clusters.
- Melt the chocolate and combine: Break the vanilla almond bark and German chocolate bar into pieces and place them in your slow cooker or crock pot. Add the semi-sweet chocolate chips along with both types of roasted peanuts. There is no need to grease the crock pot before adding ingredients.
- Cook on low and stir: Cover the crock pot and cook on LOW for 1 hour. After the hour, check and stir the mixture. The chocolate should be mostly melted. If it’s not completely smooth, cover and continue cooking on LOW for an additional 15-30 minutes, checking every 15 minutes. Once melted, switch the crock pot to the WARM setting to keep the chocolate fluid for scooping.
- Form clusters: Using a small cookie scoop or two spoons, drop tablespoon-sized clusters onto the prepared baking sheets. Work relatively quickly, although the WARM setting allows flexible time.
- Add sprinkles: Immediately sprinkle holiday sprinkles over each cluster while the chocolate is still wet so the sprinkles adhere well.
- Set the clusters: Allow the clusters to set at room temperature for 1-2 hours. To speed up the process, refrigerate the clusters for 30-45 minutes.
- Store properly: Once fully set, store the clusters in an airtight container. They will keep well at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or refrigerated for up to 1 month.
Notes
- You can substitute other types of nuts if preferred, but sticking to the honey roasted and salted peanuts gives a nice balance of flavors.
- Be sure to line your baking sheets well to prevent sticking and make cleanup easy.
- The warm setting on your crock pot allows you to work at your own pace when scooping clusters without the chocolate hardening too quickly.
- For a dairy-free or vegan option, look for suitable vegan chocolate and almond bark alternatives.
- These clusters make great gifts and holiday party treats and can be decorated with different sprinkles or toppings as desired.
Keywords: Chocolate peanut clusters, crock pot dessert, holiday treats, peanut clusters, slow cooker candy, chocolate bark clusters
