The first time I made these Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy Peanuts, my entire kitchen smelled like a cozy mix of roasted nuts, warm sugar, and that unmistakable kick of chili and sriracha. I remember lifting the slow cooker lid after the first hour and being hit with this unbelievable aroma that made me immediately grab a spoon just to “test” them—long before they were done. They turned out sticky, glossy, sweet, spicy, and incredibly addictive. This is one of those simple recipes I now make constantly because everyone who tastes them asks for the recipe immediately.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
You’ll love this recipe because it transforms a few simple pantry ingredients into something wildly flavorful, crunchy, and snack-worthy. You get that perfect sweet heat, the kind that warms your mouth without burning it, and the slow cooker does almost all the work. The flavors soak into every peanut, creating a glossy, caramel-like coating that stays crisp once cooled. If you enjoy snacks that strike a balance between crunchy, sweet, savory, spicy, and satisfying, this recipe is going to become one you make over and over.
Ingredients
- 4 cups roasted peanuts (salted or unsalted both work)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons sriracha
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt (optional depending on peanut type)
I’ve experimented with this recipe using different kinds of peanuts, and both salted and unsalted work perfectly—you just adjust your added salt accordingly. If you want even more flavor depth, you can swap brown sugar for dark brown sugar to get extra molasses richness. The sriracha is truly the star here, giving sweet heat that clings to every bite; however, if you want a slightly smokier note, adding a pinch of smoked paprika helps a lot. Chili powder adds warmth without overpowering heat, which makes this snack more crowd-friendly. I’ve tried honey instead of brown sugar before, but trust me, the caramelization from brown sugar is unbeatable.
Equipment Needed
- Slow cooker (any standard size works)
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Parchment paper or baking sheet for cooling
- Heat-safe bowl (for melting butter first if preferred)
I prefer using a 4- or 6-quart slow cooker because the peanuts stir more easily inside. A wooden spoon works much better than a plastic one since the mixture gets sticky and hot during cooking. Parchment paper is a must; once the peanuts finish cooking, you’ll want to spread them onto parchment so they cool without sticking. If your slow cooker tends to run hot, you may want to melt the butter and mix it with the sugar and sriracha before adding it to the peanuts—this helps them cook evenly. You really don’t need fancy equipment, which is part of why I love this recipe.
Step-by-Step Instructions
When I make these peanuts, I always start by melting the butter first because it helps the sugar coat everything evenly. After melting it, I pour the butter directly into the slow cooker, then sprinkle in the brown sugar, sriracha, chili powder, and salt. As I stir the mixture together, it forms a shiny, spicy-sweet syrup that already smells amazing. Then I pour in the peanuts and toss everything until each nut is completely coated. It looks messy at first, but trust the process—it all evens out as it cooks.
Once everything is mixed, I set my slow cooker to low. The key here is patience. For the first hour, I leave the lid slightly cracked so steam can escape and the coating thickens instead of becoming soggy. During that first hour, I only give the peanuts one good stir. After about 60 minutes, the mixture starts to bubble slightly, and when I stir, the peanuts look glossy and more uniform.
During the second hour of cooking, I stir the peanuts every 20 minutes. This part really matters because the sugar mixture can settle or clump if left alone. I’ve learned the hard way that if you forget to stir toward the end, the peanuts can form huge sticky clusters. When I stir them at these intervals, they cook evenly and develop that perfect crunchy, candy-like coating. You’ll notice the sauce thickening and sticking more tightly with every stir.(See the next page below to continue…)