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Crockpot Candy is the definition of an easy treat! No baking, no candy thermometer, and no tempering required! Made with peanuts and a variety of chocolate and peanut butter chips, these nut clusters are sweet, salty, and take just minutes to prep. Perfect for holiday parties or a no-bake treat in the heat of summer.
Kristen's Keys for Crockpot Candy
Paying attention to these few things will help to ensure your nut clusters are glossy, easy to portion, and always delicious.
- Skip the almond bark. Instead of candy melts or almond bark, opt for a combination dark chocolate, white chocolate, and peanut butter chips, which ensures a rich and decadent treat that is perfectly balanced.
- Pick quality white chocolate. Look for white chocolate that contains actual cocoa butter (like Guittard white baking chips), not just palm oil or coconut oil. This will ensure a creamy melt and the best flavor.
- Place a towel under the lid. A small clean kitchen towel will absorb condensation, preventing moisture from dripping into the chocolate, which would cause the chocolate to potentially seize up.
- Cook on low heat. Low, steady heat melts chocolate gently, keeping it glossy rather than grainy.
How to Make Crockpot Candy
Think of this section as me guiding you through exactly how I make these chocolate covered nut clusters in my own kitchen.
Step One: Layer Ingredients in Slow Cooker
Start by greasing the liner for your slow cooker with coconut oil or nonstick spray. Then add in peanuts (or nuts of your choice) and top with dark chocolate, white chocolate, and peanut butter chips. Do not stir!
👉🏻Don't skip greasing the liner! It saves cleanup and keeps clusters from sticking.
Step Two: Slow Cook
Place a clean kitchen towel over the liner of the slow cooker and then place the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on low heat for 1 hour. After an hour, give the mixture a stir. If the chocolate is not fully melted, place the towel and lid back on the slow cooker and cook for an additional 15-30 minutes.
Step Three: Scoop Clusters
Once the chocolate is fully melted, use a small cookie scoop or two small spoons to portion out the crockpot candy into small mounds onto parchment paper or into mini muffin cups.
👉🏻Want to add sprinkles? Immediately sprinkle nut clusters with sprinkles or flaky sea salt before the chocolate has time to harden.
Step Four: Let Harden
Let the candy sit out at room temperature for 1-2 hours until the chocolate is hard to the touch.
👉🏻Speed it Up! Pop the candies into the refrigerator to speed up the setting time.
Recipe Variations
- Make it Festive: After scooping the chocolate peanut clusters out onto the parchment paper, sprinkle them with festive sprinkles suitable for Christmas, Halloween, Valentine's Day--any holiday you like!
- Swap out the Nuts: Walnuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews, or a combination or different nuts works in place of the peanuts.
- Nut-Free Crockpot Candy: If you are nut-free, use 3 cups of small pretzels, raisins, an/or or mini marshmallows. You will also want to replace the peanut butter chips with either additional white or dark chocolate chips.
- Butterscotch Crockpot Candy: For a sweeter, buttery-tasting Crockpot Candy, replace the peanut butter chips with butterscotch chips.
Tips on Storage
Crockpot candy needs to be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry spot and will last for up to 2 weeks. If your house is on the warmer side, it is best to store the candies in the refrigerator, rather than at room temperature, to prevent the chocolate from melting.
More Easy No-Bake Chocolate Treats
Crockpot Candy
Video
Ingredients
- coconut oil or nonstick spray for greasing
- 16 ounces dry roasted, salted peanuts
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips, (6 ounces)
- 1 cup peanut butter chips, (6 ounces)
- 1 cup white chocolate chips, (6 ounces)
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, (6 ounces)
Instructions
- Lightly grease the liner of the slow cooker with coconut oil or nonstick spray for greasing. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and set aside.
- Spread 16 ounces dry roasted, salted peanuts out on the bottom of the slow cooker. If your nuts are not salted, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt. Sprinkle 1 cup dark chocolate chips, 1 cup peanut butter chips, 1 cup white chocolate chips, and 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips evenly over the nuts. Do not stir.
- Place a clean kitchen towel over the liner of the slow cooker and then place the lid on the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker to LOW heat. Cook on low heat for 1 hour.
- Remove the lid and towel and give the mixture a stir. If needed, recover and continue to cook for 15-30 minutes until the chocolate is fully melted. After 15 minutes, remove the lid again, and mix the nuts evenly into the melted chocolate until everything is nice and combined and the nuts are fully coated in the chocolate mixture.
- Using a small cookie scoop or two small spoons, scoop 1-2 tablespoons of the crockpot candy into small mounds onto the prepared baking sheets. Allow the candy to set up and the chocolate to harden at room temperature for an hour or so, or speed up the process by placing the trays into the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove the candy from the silicone mats or parchment paper and store them for up to 14 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator or a cool, dry spot.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Kristen,
Sounds yummy! I donated my crock pot when I got my instant pot - could I use the slow cook function on the instant pot? For the same amount of time? I’ve found it to be a little warmer than a crock so far.
Thx!
Hi Lynda! I actually have found the slow cooker function to be LESS warm. But it still will work. Here is my guide to how to use your Instant Pot Like a Slow Cooker. For this recipe I would use the NORMAL setting on the slow cooker function and cook a you would on low using a slow cooker.
Thank you!! It worked perfectly - and thanks for the link to the video, I probably hadn’t used the setting correctly last time I used it. I found the normal setting for about 90mins (as I forgot about it!) worked great!
YAY! So happy this worked out for you!
I make this all the time, my family loves it!
The BEST crockpot candy ever! Too good, honestly! We are obsessed!
Kristen, I want to make this candy but I have 3 questions 1) can I use a crockpot liner inside the crockpot?
2) I don’t have white chocolate chips but I have 2-4 oz packages of Ghirardelli semi sweet chocolate squares can I use them instead and if so how many?
3) I just wanted to check isn’t 1 cup 8 oz? Is it because chocolate chips are different?
Thank you!
Hi Beverly. Happy to help. 1. I wouldn't use a liner for this recipe, as stirring the chocolate may become quite difficult with a liner. Hot water will melt away the chocolate after cooking, so clean-up really isn't that bad. 2. Feel free to replace the white chocolate with semi-sweet chocolate. 3. 1 cup of chocolate is closer to 6 ounces than 8 ounces. It is a weight, not volume measurement 🙂 Hope that helps and enjoy!
Kristen I have the baking semi sweet squares 2 bars 4 oz each, 8 squares, if I use these in place of the white chocolate chips should I use all 8 of them and set them on top of everything else? Will they melt ok? Thanks for answering my questions and for letting me know it’s not hard to clean so I don’t need to use a liner.
Hi Beverly! Happy to help. To replace the white chocolate, you would need 6 ounces. So that would be 1-1/2 bars. If each bar has 8 squares, you will need to use 12 squares. I would break the bars into squares and place on top and they will melt okay. Keep in mind, this recipe calls for 6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate too. So you would need to be using a total of 12 ounces of semi sweet chocolate.
This is the ultimate homemade crockpot candy that is perfect for the holidays!
This looks so good that I had to buy a new crockpot. My grocery store was out of white chocolate chips. Do you think butterscotch chips would work as a substitute?
Hi Letty! I love hearing you are so excited to make this! I have made the candy with butterscotch chips and while delicious, it has a very strong butterscotch taste and is a bit sweeter. You can certainly do that or simply double the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Enjoy!
I am confused about the towel pit it over the nuts and chocolate?
Hi Cassandra! The towel helps to absorb any moisture that may form due to the heat traped in crockpot. If that moisture dripped down into the chocolate, it could seize up. You can try without the towel and may be fine. If you use the towel, just gently lay over the top of the unit.
These look amazing - and so easy! Love the crockpot idea 🙂 Think a cup of peanut butter would work in place of the cup of peanut butter chips?
Hi Cindy! I would try 1/2 cup of peanut butter and increase the semi-sweet chocolate chips to 1 1/2 cups. Using a full cup would make this not as smooth or sweet.
I'll try that. Thank you!
Could I use the mini or regular cupcake/muffin cup liners and scoop the candy into those from the crockpot?
Absolutely! That makes for very pretty presentation and is a great idea.
Thank you!