Slow cooker peanut clusters are an easy and delicious treat to make for the holidays. They are perfect for parties and gift giving as the recipe makes a lot to share.
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Something I make every Christmas season is a batch of these slow cooker peanut clusters. I give them for gifts and put them on our cookie platters anytime we have guests.
These peanut clusters are so easy to make. You gather the ingredients and add them to your slow cooker, then set it to low and wait.
This recipe uses salted roasted peanuts, white (vanilla) almond bark, peanut butter chips, semisweet chocolate chips, and dark chocolate chips.
Once everything is melted, you stir the mixture together until it is all combined and smooth. Make sure you get the peanuts all stirred in from the bottom.
The mixture will slowly change color and then look all brown as you stir. Save your stirring spatula as you will need to scrape down the sides of the slow cooker as the mixture gets lower when you are scooping.
Then you drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto parchment paper to cool down and set. You'll need quite a bit of tabletop or counter space for this as the recipe makes a large batch. I lay out long strips of parchment.
If you are doing this on a surface that is wood or other surface you don't want to get damp, put a baking sheet under your parchment paper to keep the surface safe.
I usually get about 175 clusters using a tablespoon scoop. You can make them slightly smaller, or slightly larger, but this is the size I like to make. It makes a nice 2-3 bite sized cluster.
Let the clusters cool completely. I let them sit for about an hour and then feel a couple to make sure they are set and hardened.
Then transfer them into an airtight container where they will keep for up to two weeks at room temperature.
I always put our cookies and goodies in our cold garage this time of the year to keep them fresh longer (just bring them in a bit before serving to warm back up and so they aren't so hard).
When I store them I put the peanut clusters in a single layer and then place a piece of parchment paper on top and then repeat until the container is full. This just helps them to keep from sticking to one another.
You can freeze them this way as well and then thaw them before serving. Or, keep them in the refrigerator. Either way, just let them come to room temperature before serving.
These peanut clusters always get rave reviews from those who receive them as gifts or who try them at a gathering. I wrap up several in little goodie bags for our neighbors or add to cookie trays we are gifting.
I have made these with both white (vanilla) almond bark and chocolate almond bark in the past. I like both, but the vanilla adds a touch of vanilla flavor that compliments the chocolate nicely. You can also use one pack of vanilla and one pack of chocolate.
I always use salted peanut in my clusters. I like the touch of saltiness. Another option is to sprinkle the tops of the clusters with a touch of flaky salt before they set and harden. You could use unsalted or lightly salted peanuts if doing this.
You can add sprinkles to the top (like the red, green, and white nonpareils) for an extra festive look during the holidays. Do this right after scooping before they begin to set and harden.
If you are looking for a relatively easy holiday treat to make, these slow cooker peanut clusters are a great choice! They are pretty hands-off and simple to put together.
Slow Cooker Peanut Clusters
Slow cooker peanut clusters are an easy and delicious treat to make for the holidays. They are perfect for parties and gift giving as the recipe makes a lot to share.
Ingredients
- 1 large container (34.5 oz.) salted peanuts
- 1 bag (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 2 (24 oz.) packages of vanilla almond bark (48 oz. total)
Instructions
- Pour the peanuts into the bottom of your slow cooker.
- Top with the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, dark chocolate chips, and vanilla almond bark.
- Cook on low for 2 hours without stirring. Check at 2 hours to see if everything is melted. If not, give it another 15 minutes.
- Once everything is melted, stir the mixture well.
- Use a tablespoon scoop and scoop the mixture onto parchment paper (use a baking sheet underneath if you are using a surface you don't want wet/greasy).
- Continue until all of the mixture is used. Let the clusters cool, dry, and fully harden before storing in an airtight container.
I hope you give these slow cooker peanut clusters a try! Let me know in the comments below.
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Check out these other festive holiday candies:
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