Peanut Clusters

Easy Peanut Clusters are quick, no-bake treats that come together in minutes. Sweet, crunchy, and perfect for sharing or in holiday baskets!

I love to make easy no-bake treats like Mixed Nut Clusters and Chocolate Covered Almonds for easy Christmas treats. Check out my Candy Recipe catalog for more easy recipes you can make for any occasion, or no occasion at all!

Sabrina’s Peanut Clusters

Can you think of an easier candy recipe than mixing melted chocolate chips and your favorite salty snack? From nuts to Potato Chips, I love pairing sweet milk chocolate with savory, crunchy ingredients and adding a dash of salt to hit every taste bud.

Recipe Card

About this Recipe

This is one of the simplest, back-to-the-basics candy recipes ever. Peanuts, chocolate chips, and a sprinkle of sea salt. On the other hand, you can get more creative and add sprinkles or flavors like peanut butter. You can even put your youngest kitchen helpers on candy duty. You may want to help make sure the chocolate candy melts properly, but once it’s melted, kids can handle dropping spoonfuls of chocolate-covered peanuts on the baking tray. To keep their little hands safe, wrap a microwave-safe bowl in a thick kitchen towel.

Ingredients

• Chocolate Chips: You’ll need 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips to make the chocolate coating for the clusters. Semi-sweet chocolate chips are great for candy like Peanut Clusters because they set nicely, and you don’t have to worry about tempering. Plus, it has a better chocolate flavor than candy melts.
• Peanuts: The only other ingredient you need to make this delicious candy is 2 ½ cups of peanuts. This recipe uses unsalted peanuts, and then you add sea salt to give it just a hint of salty taste. However, if you wanted to skip the salt and make it a 2-ingredient candy, you could use salted roasted peanuts.
• Sea Salt: To finish off the chocolaty peanut candy, you need ¼ teaspoon of coarse sea salt. The large flaked sea salt adds a delicious saltiness to the sweet treat and adds a delightful crunch. You could also use Pink Himalayan sea salt or smoked salt to subtly change the flavor.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• Microwave the Chocolate: You might think that to melt chocolate you need a stove top, but really, for chocolate candies like these clusters, the microwave works just fine. You need a double boiler set up if you are tempering chocolate to make it glossy or if you are making a sauce like Chocolate Ganache, but for these simple candies, the extra work isn’t necessary.
• Use Chocolate Chips: Another way this recipe simplifies your candy-making is by using a bag of plain ol’ chocolate chips. No special candy bark or melting chocolate wafers. Not only does this mean no special trips to craft and hobby supply stores, but chocolate chips are much less expensive. 
• Use Parchment Paper: You want to line your baking sheets with parchment or wax paper so that you can easily remove the candy. Even if the candy sticks to the baking paper, you can just gently peel it off, as trying to scrape it directly off the baking sheet could break the chocolate up.
• Use a Glass Bowl: To melt the chocolate, you want a large glass microwave-safe bowl. It needs to be microwave safe so that it doesn’t get hot spots and burn the chocolate, or worse, your hands. Even with a heat-safe bowl, it’s best to use oven mitts or a heavy kitchen towel to handle it to prevent burns.

What to Pair With Peanut Clusters

• Drinks: These sweet, chocolaty Clusters make the perfect holiday treat with a mug of Peppermint Hot Chocolate. They would be great crumbled over the whipped cream on top of your hot chocolate or Eggnog, too!
• Desserts: You could use leftover clusters as an ice cream sundae topping, too! Make an extra special Vanilla Ice Cream sundae with Whipped Cream, Hot Fudge, and a handful of Peanut Clusters that have been chopped up.

How to Store

• Store: Cool for at least 30 minutes to fully set. Store these snacks in a cool, dry place in an airtight container. Keep your Clusters in the refrigerator or at room temperature for up to 2-3 weeks. Place a row of parchment paper between layers of these chocolate treats so they don’t stick together.
• Freeze: Line the bottom of your freezer-safe container with wax paper to prevent sticking, and add another layer before adding the lid to prevent moisture.  Chocolate Peanut Clusters will freeze well for up to 4 months in an airtight freezer bag.

Slow Cooker Method

To make Crockpot Peanut Clusters, you’ll want to replace half of your chocolate chips with almond bark. Vanilla almond bark works nicely and adds a rich vanilla flavor. Melt chocolate by cooking on a low setting, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 hours. Fully mix in peanuts and scoop onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cool for at least 30 minutes.

Frequent Questions

Variations

• Chocolate: Mix up the chocolate that you are using by substituting white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or milk chocolate chips. You can also use melting chocolate wafers.
• Peanut Butter: Make these even more peanut buttery by adding ½ cup creamy peanut butter to your melted chocolate. Stir in peanut butter chips with the peanuts for extra bursts of peanut butter flavor.
• Fruit: Go for an easy, trail mix-inspired treat by mixing in dried cranberries and granola bites. Use hard granola so it doesn’t get soggy.
• Caramel: Stir in finely diced bits of Salted Caramels with the peanuts, then drizzle melted caramels over the Clusters after they have hardened.
• Nuts: Substitute half of the peanuts with other favorites like walnuts, almonds, or cashews. Try smoked peanuts or spicy peanuts for a different kind of flavor.
• Mix-ins: Just like cookies, you can mix in so many baking ingredients into Peanut Clusters, like butterscotch chips, roughly chopped pretzels, M&Ms, or chopped Marshmallows.

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