Crockpot Candy, sometimes called crockpot peanut clusters or “Christmas crack” candy, takes advantage of the low, steady heat of a slow cooker to gently melt layers of chocolate over peanuts without scorching. The basic idea is to layer dry roasted peanuts in the bottom of a crockpot, top them with a mix of white almond bark or white chocolate, semisweet or dark chocolate chips, and sometimes peanut butter or butterscotch chips and toffee bits, then let everything slowly melt together.
After an hour or two on low heat, the mixture is stirred into a glossy, chocolate‑coated peanut mixture and dropped by spoonfuls onto parchment or wax paper to cool and set into crunchy, rich candy clusters.
Because you don’t need to temper chocolate or work with hot sugar, Crockpot Candy is very forgiving and beginner‑friendly. You simply layer, melt, stir once or twice, then scoop. The combination of different chocolates and the optional add‑ins like toffee bits or peanut butter creates depth of flavor, while the peanuts bring crunch and a bit of salt to balance the sweetness. It’s flexible too: you can swap peanuts for other nuts, garnish with sprinkles or sea salt for a festive look, and vary the chocolate mix depending on your taste.
Equipment
- Slow cooker (4–6 quart), preferably with a “low” setting
- Slow cooker liner or nonstick cooking spray (optional but helps cleanup)
- Large mixing spoon or heat‑safe spatula for stirring melted chocolate and peanuts
- Measuring cups for peanuts, chocolate chips, and toffee bits
- Kitchen knife and cutting board for chopping almond bark or chocolate bars into chunks
- Parchment paper or wax paper to line baking sheets or countertops for cooling the clusters
- Cookie scoop or tablespoon for portioning uniform mounds of candy
- Airtight containers or tins for storing and gifting the cooled clusters
Ingredients
Different crockpot candy recipes use slightly different mixes of chocolates and add‑ins, but the structure is always: peanuts + multiple chocolates + optional extras.
A classic “triple chocolate” peanut cluster recipe uses white almond bark, German baking chocolate, semisweet chips, and peanuts.
- 2 pounds white almond bark (or white candy coating), broken into chunks
- 4 oz German sweet baking chocolate (or dark baking chocolate), chopped
- 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips (about 2 cups)
- 24 oz dry roasted peanuts (often 16 oz salted + 16 oz unsalted, or two jars lightly salted)
A “5‑ingredient” Crockpot Candy recipe adds peanut butter and toffee bits and uses white and dark chocolate chips instead of almond bark.
- 16 oz jar lightly salted, dry roasted peanuts
- 22 oz white chocolate chips (two 11‑oz bags)
- 5 oz dark chocolate chips (half a 10‑oz bag)
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ⅓ cup toffee bits
Another popular mix includes:
- 2 jars (16 oz each) dry roasted peanuts
- 32 oz vanilla almond bark or candy coating
- 10–12 oz dark or semisweet chocolate chips
- 6 oz butterscotch chips
- ⅓ cup toffee bits
Optional garnishes for any version:
These quantities typically yield several dozen clusters, depending on how large you scoop them—most recipes mention 60–80 small candies from a full batch.
Instructions and steps
Crockpot Candy is truly a layer‑and‑wait recipe. The first step is to prepare the slow cooker. Some cooks use a disposable slow cooker liner for faster cleanup, while others spray the interior lightly with nonstick cooking spray; this helps prevent any chocolate from sticking to the crock as it melts.
Next, the peanuts go in. Dry roasted peanuts—often a mix of salted and unsalted for balanced seasoning—are poured into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread into an even layer. Layering the peanuts at the bottom ensures they’ll be fully submerged in chocolate once it melts and makes stirring easier later. If you’re using extras like toffee bits or butterscotch chips, some recipes have you layer them with the chocolate on top of the peanuts.
Then come the chocolates. Chunks of white almond bark or white candy coating, chopped German chocolate bar, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter, and toffee bits are piled on top of the peanuts, often in this order: almond bark on the very top, chocolate chips and baking chocolate in the middle, and peanuts at the bottom. Recipes emphasize not stirring at this point—everything is simply layered, the lid goes on, and the heat does the work.
The slow cooker is set to low heat. Cooking times range from about 1½–2 hours on low, or an initial hour on high followed by turning to low and stirring, depending on the specific recipe and slow cooker model. In many classic versions, you let the layers melt undisturbed for the first hour or so, then stir thoroughly once the chocolate on top has visibly softened.
After that first big stir, the mixture may need another 30–60 minutes on low, with occasional stirring every 15–20 minutes, until all chocolate is melted and the peanuts are fully coated in a smooth, glossy mixture.
Once the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is uniform, the slow cooker is turned off or set to “warm” if you’re still scooping. At this point, baking sheets lined with parchment or wax paper are set up nearby. Using a tablespoon, a medium cookie scoop, or even a small ice cream scoop, spoonfuls of the chocolate‑peanut mixture are dropped onto the prepared sheets, leaving a bit of space between clusters so air can circulate as they set.
If you’re using sprinkles, chopped nuts, dried cranberries, crushed candy canes, or flaky sea salt, those are added immediately after scooping, while the chocolate is still wet and sticky. Holiday sprinkles and red‑and‑green nonpareils give the clusters a festive appearance, while a pinch of sea salt sharpens the chocolate flavor and cuts the sweetness.
The clusters are then left at room temperature to cool and harden, which typically takes 30–60 minutes depending on the size of the mounds and the ambient temperature. If you’re in a warm kitchen or want to speed things up, the baking sheets can be transferred to the refrigerator, where the chocolate sets in roughly 20–30 minutes.
Once firm, the clusters are peeled off the parchment and stored in airtight containers or tins, layered between sheets of parchment when stacking. Most recipes note that Crockpot Candy keeps well at cool room temperature for at least a week, and even longer if refrigerated; it also ships well, making it ideal for gifting.
Variations
Crockpot Candy is highly customizable, and many recipes suggest swaps and add‑ins while keeping the same basic slow‑melt method. One of the easiest changes is to switch up the nuts. Dry roasted peanuts are classic and inexpensive, but you can substitute or mix in almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, or mixed nuts to change the flavor and texture. Honey‑roasted peanuts or honey‑roasted mixed nuts add a sweet, caramelized edge that pairs nicely with chocolate.
The chocolate blend can also vary. The “Trisha Yearwood” style recipe uses almond bark, German chocolate, and semisweet chips for a balanced, not‑too‑sweet profile.
Other versions lean heavily into dark chocolate for a richer, slightly more bitter candy, or add butterscotch and peanut butter chips for a more butterscotch‑peanut butter flavor. Using more almond bark gives a sweeter, milder vanilla‑chocolate candy, while increasing semi‑sweet or dark chips intensifies cocoa flavor.
Add‑ins like toffee bits, mini marshmallows, pretzel pieces, or dried cranberries can be stirred in after the chocolate has melted and before scooping to create Rocky Road‑style or holiday‑trail‑mix‑style clusters. Drizzling the set clusters with caramel sauce and a sprinkle of sea salt spins them toward turtle‑style candy. For Christmas, chopped red and green candies, crushed candy canes, or red and green sprinkles on top give the clusters a seasonal pop.
There are also scaled‑down versions for smaller households, which simply halve all ingredients and use a smaller slow cooker or the same crock with less cook time. Some cooks prefer to keep their Crockpot Candy strictly two‑ingredient—just chocolate and nuts—omitting toffee, peanut butter, and sprinkles for a simpler, classic peanut cluster.
Whatever the specific blend, the core concept stays the same: layer peanuts and a mix of chocolates into a crockpot, let the heat gently melt everything together, stir to coat, then scoop into clusters and let them set. The result is a big batch of glossy, crunchy chocolate‑covered nut candies with almost no active cooking time, ideal for busy holiday seasons and casual candy‑making sessions alike.