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Crockpot Candy is the easiest candy you will ever make, three kinds of chocolate melted together in the slow cooker, stirred with salty dry roasted peanuts, and dolloped into over 60 peanut clusters. I make a batch every *holiday season* for gift boxes, and the girls fight over the leftover clusters. If easy no bake treats like my almond joy cookies are your thing, this one is even more hands off.
Three chocolates, salty roasted peanuts, and a slow cooker that does all the melting for you.
Crockpot Candy Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 2 hours
- ⏳ Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 62 clusters
- ⚡ Calories: 220kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet and salty with three mellow chocolates around crunchy roasted peanuts
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, even more hands off than my Oreo balls
Quick Answer
Place white melting chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and milk chocolate chips in a 6 or 8 quart slow cooker on low for 1 to 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes so nothing burns. Once the chocolate is fully melted and smooth, stir in the dry roasted peanuts and sea salt until every peanut is coated. Drop 2 tablespoon dollops onto parchment lined sheet trays, press them down slightly, and let them set for about 3 hours before serving or packaging.
Jump to:
- Crockpot Candy Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Crockpot Candy
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Crockpot Candy FAQs
- Other Recommended Easy Candy Recipes
- Crockpot Candy (Slow Cooker Peanut Clusters)
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- The slow cooker melts chocolate gently. Low, steady heat melts all three chocolates without scorching or seizing, which is the biggest risk when you melt chocolate on the stove or in the microwave.
- Three chocolates balance the flavor. White candy coating keeps the mixture smooth and helps it set firm, semi-sweet brings depth, and milk chocolate adds creamy sweetness, so the clusters taste rich but never bitter.
- The candy coating helps them set. White melting chocolate is made for candy making, so the clusters firm up glossy and snappy at room temperature, no tempering or candy thermometer needed.
- Salt makes the chocolate pop. A teaspoon and a half of fine sea salt sharpens all that mellow chocolate and plays off the salty roasted peanuts in the best sweet and salty way.
- Dry roasted peanuts stay crunchy. They are roasted without oil, so they keep their crunch inside the chocolate instead of softening, and the unsalted kind lets you control the seasoning.
- One batch makes over 60 clusters. That is enough for gift boxes, cookie trays, and a stash for the freezer, all from about 15 minutes of actual hands on work.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The slow cooker does all the melting, so there is no double boiler, no tempering, and no standing over the stove.
- One batch makes over 60 clusters, which makes it the perfect homemade gift for neighbors, teachers, and cookie trays.
- It makes a huge holiday worthy batch, just like my Butterfinger cookies, with almost zero effort.
Key Ingredients
Five simple ingredients, and the slow cooker does the rest.
- White melting chocolate: The base. Candy coating melts smooth and helps the clusters set firm and glossy without any tempering.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: The depth. They balance the sweeter chocolates with a richer cocoa flavor.
- Milk chocolate chips: The creamy sweetness. They round out the trio so every bite tastes like classic candy shop chocolate.
- Dry roasted peanuts: The crunch. Unsalted dry roasted peanuts stay crisp inside the chocolate and let you control the salt level.
- Fine sea salt: The balance. It sharpens the chocolate and turns these into a true sweet and salty treat.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This slow cooker candy is endlessly adaptable.
- Swap the peanuts for cashews, almonds, or mixed nuts for a different crunch.
- Use peanut butter chips in place of the milk chocolate chips for a chocolate peanut butter version.
- Stir in mini marshmallows and swap in pecans for a rocky road style cluster.
- For another candy bar inspired treat, my Reese’s cookies bring the chocolate peanut butter combo.
- Top each cluster with holiday sprinkles or flaky sea salt before they set for a festive finish.
How to Make Crockpot Candy
- Place the white melting chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and milk chocolate chips into a 6 or 8 quart slow cooker set to low for 1 to 2 hours.
- Stir the chocolate every 15 minutes or so until it is fully melted and smooth, making sure it does not burn. Line your sheet trays with parchment paper while it melts.
- Once the chocolate is melted, add the dry roasted peanuts and the fine sea salt.
- Stir to combine until every peanut is coated in the chocolate.
- Place 2 tablespoon sized dollops of the mixture onto the parchment lined trays, pressing them down slightly so they are easier to bite into once set. Keep the clusters from touching.
- Let the clusters sit until fully set, about 3 hours. Serve, or package them into containers with wax or parchment paper between the layers.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Keep the slow cooker on low. High heat can scorch the chocolate on the edges. Low and slow with regular stirring gives you a silky, smooth melt every time.
- Stir every 15 minutes. Set a timer. The chocolate on the bottom and sides melts first, and stirring keeps it from overheating while the rest catches up.
- Keep water away from the chocolate. Even a drop can make chocolate seize into a grainy mess, so use a completely dry crock and spoon.
- Line more trays than you think you need. This recipe makes over 60 clusters, so have several parchment lined sheet trays ready before you start scooping.
- Press the dollops down slightly. Slightly flattened clusters set faster and are much easier to bite into than tall mounds.
- Let them set at room temperature. About 3 hours gives you glossy, snappy candy. Rushing them in the refrigerator can cause dull streaks on the chocolate.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Stack a holiday tray with these plus my almond joy cookies for a no bake candy duo.
My nutter butter cookies double down on the peanut flavor for the peanut lovers at the table.
For a rich baked centerpiece next to them, serve my flourless chocolate cake.
And my chocolate cookie bars cut into squares to fill out the rest of the dessert board.
Crockpot Candy FAQs
Crockpot candy is a classic holiday treat where chocolate melts right in the slow cooker, then gets stirred with peanuts and scooped into clusters. This version melts white candy coating, semi-sweet chips, and milk chocolate chips together, then folds in dry roasted peanuts and sea salt. It makes a huge batch with barely any hands on work, which is why it shows up on so many Christmas cookie trays.
Grainy or seized chocolate almost always means water snuck in or the chocolate overheated. Make sure the crock, lid, and spoon are completely dry before you start, and keep the slow cooker on low. Stirring every 15 minutes keeps the edges from scorching. If the mixture ever looks thick and clumpy instead of glossy, stir in a teaspoon of neutral oil to smooth it back out.
You can, just skip the added sea salt so the clusters do not end up too salty. Dry roasted unsalted peanuts are the best choice because they stay crunchy and let you season the batch exactly how you like it. Honey roasted peanuts also work for a sweeter, candied flavor.
About 3 hours at room temperature. The white candy coating in the mix helps the clusters firm up glossy and snappy without any tempering. If your kitchen is warm, you can move the trays to the refrigerator for the last 30 minutes, though letting them set slowly at room temperature gives the prettiest finish.
Store the set clusters in an airtight container with wax or parchment paper between the layers. They keep for about 2 weeks at room temperature or up to a month in the refrigerator. For longer storage, freeze them in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature before serving.
Yes. Use half of each chocolate and half the peanuts in a smaller 4 quart slow cooker, and start checking the melt at about 45 minutes since a smaller batch melts faster. Everything else stays the same. That said, these disappear fast and give away even faster, so most people wish they had made the full batch.
Made this crockpot candy? Leave a comment and a star rating below, and tell me who you gifted a box to!
For the cookie dough lovers, these no bake cookie dough truffles belong on the same holiday tray.
My marshmallow creme fudge with nuts belongs on the same candy plate.
For a savory bowl on the same table, my warm roasted cashews take 15 minutes flat.
Crockpot Candy (Slow Cooker Peanut Clusters)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds white melting chocolate
- 12 ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 11.5 ounce bag milk chocolate chips
- 2 pounds unsalted dry roasted peanuts
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
Instructions
- Place the white melting chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and milk chocolate chips into a 6 or 8-quart slow cooker. Place the slow cooker over low heat for 1-2 hours.
- Stir the chocolate around every 15 minutes or so to make sure it doesn’t burn.
- Line sheet trays with parchment paper. You will need a lot of them, set aside.
- Once the chocolate is melted, add the peanuts and salt.
- Stir to combine so the peanuts are coating in the chocolate.
- Start placing 2 tablespoon-sized dollops of the mixture onto the paper-lined sheet trays. I like to press them down, so they are not too tall, making them easier to bite into once set.
- Continue to make the clusters, being careful they are not touching until all of the mixture is used up.
- Let them sit until fully set, about 3 hours. Serve or package into containers with wax or parchment paper between the layers for storage.
Notes
- This makes a large batch, you can halve the recipe if desired.
- These make great gift giving treats.
- White chocolate chips can be used in place of the white melting chocolate if desired.
- Other nuts can be used, see some of my suggestions above.
- These can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
Nutrition
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Yes, on low heat.
The instructions say to place slow cooker “OVER” low heat. Does it really mean to place slow cooker “ON low heat instead?