Homemade Chocolate Peanut Clusters

Time to make a tasty little treat, Chocolate Peanut Clusters are the perfect combination.  A little salty mixed with the sweet. Don’t spill the beans but with a little shortcut ready in minutes.  Totally not kidding you, you can have them ready in minutes.

Living in Canada helps with the cooling period. Take the pan outside and they are instantly ready, at least this time of year.

Chocolate Peanut Clusters

By know you know I love my chocolate but did you know also a peanut junky? There is something about the combination that just satisfies the craving. Fair warning, totally addicting so you will want to have one and store the rest.  They freeze beautifully.

Bonus is keep them frozen and take them out one at a time when the craving hits.  They thaw in no time at all.

Prep time is actually less than 15 minutes  and then a recommended 40 minutes to chill, unless you live in Canada or anywhere cold.  If you do use the raw peanuts you will need about 20- 25 minutes to roast them ahead of time. 

This makes approximately 20 large peanut clusters

Ingredients for Chocolate Peanut Clusters

Just a few simple ingredients  to make these tasty little treats

• 3 c. raw, blanched peanuts, unsalted ( use shelled roasted peanuts)
• Fine sea salt, to taste
• 1 c. bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 t. coconut oil or melted butter
• ½ c. milk chocolate chips

How to create the perfect Cluster

This recipe is prepared with raw, unsalted peanuts,  more economical, and it allows more control over the amount of salt used. However, if using raw peanuts, you’ll want to make sure they are blanched, so the red papery outer skin is already removed. If preferred, you can save time and skip the first couple steps by starting with shelled, roasted peanuts that have already been salted.

How to make a cluster

1. Place the top oven rack in the center position. Pre-heat oven to 350°F and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat™ baking mat.
2. Pour peanuts onto the prepared baking sheet and spread into a single layer without overcrowding. Season generously with salt and stir to combine.
3. Place baking sheet in pre-heated oven for 10 minutes, then carefully shake the baking sheet to make sure the peanuts are evenly toasted. Return to oven for another 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Do not overcook. Remove from oven and set aside.
4. Pour semi-sweet chocolate chips into a dry, microwave-safe bowl and heat for 20 seconds on “high.” Stir and return to the microwave for another 20 seconds before stirring again. Repeat until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Stir in a teaspoon of coconut oil or melted butter and set aside.
5. Add the roasted peanuts one scoop at a time to the melted chocolate and stir to combine. Repeat until all peanuts are coated in the chocolate. Spoon the chocolate-coated peanuts onto the baking sheet, leaving a little room between each cluster. Place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to firm up.
6. Pour the milk chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 20 seconds on “high.” Stir briefly and return to the microwave for another 20 seconds before stirring again. Repeat until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
7. Drizzle the melted milk chocolate over the peanut clusters and return to the refrigerator for another 20 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and serve immediately or store in an airtight container until ready to serve. Enjoy!

A  layer of melted milk chocolate provides a nice contrast to the underlying darker bittersweet chocolate underneath. However, you can use any type of melted chocolate you prefer.

Tips and Tricks

Tip #1: Make sure the bowl used to melt the chocolate chips is completely dry prior to adding the chips. Otherwise, the chocolate may “seize” and turn into a clumpy unusable mass if it comes in contact with even a small amount of water once heated. Milk chocolate, in particular, is prone to this issue.    

Tip #2: Adding a little fat, such as melted coconut oil or butter, to the melted chocolate will help prevent it from “splintering” and falling apart when you bite into the clusters after the chocolate hardens. Here, this is done with the base layer of dark chocolate, but not the decorative drizzle added later.

Chocolate Peanut Clusters

For this recipe, a layer of melted milk chocolate provides a nice contrast to the underlying darker bittersweet chocolate underneath. However, you can use any type of melted chocolate you prefer.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Canada

Keyword: Chocolate peanut clusters

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

chill time: 40 minutes

Servings: 20

Author: Linda

Ingredients

• 3 c. raw blanched peanuts, unsalted
• Fine sea salt to taste
• 1 c. bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 t. coconut oil or melted butter
• ½ c. milk chocolate chips

Instructions

• Place the top oven rack in the center position. Pre-heat oven to 350°F and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat™ baking mat.
• Pour peanuts onto the prepared baking sheet and spread into a single layer without overcrowding. Season generously with salt and stir to combine.
• Place baking sheet in pre-heated oven for 10 minutes, then carefully shake the baking sheet to make sure the peanuts are evenly toasted. Return to oven for another 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Do not overcook. Remove from oven and set aside.
• Pour semi-sweet chocolate chips into a dry, microwave-safe bowl and heat for 20 seconds on “high.” Stir and return to the microwave for another 20 seconds before stirring again. Repeat until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Stir in a teaspoon of coconut oil or melted butter and set aside.
• Add the roasted peanuts one scoop at a time to the melted chocolate and stir to combine. Repeat until all peanuts are coated in the chocolate. Spoon the chocolate-coated peanuts onto the baking sheet, leaving a little room between each cluster. Place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to firm up.
• Pour the milk chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 20 seconds on “high.” Stir briefly and return to the microwave for another 20 seconds before stirring again. Repeat until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
• Drizzle the melted milk chocolate over the peanut clusters and return to the refrigerator for another 20 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and serve immediately or store in an airtight container until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Notes

Adding a little fat, such as melted coconut oil or butter, to the melted chocolate will help prevent it from “splintering” and falling apart when you bite into the clusters after the chocolate hardens. Here, this is done with the base layer of dark chocolate, but not the decorative drizzle added later.

Have you tried this recipe? I would love to see the resultsMention @alabouroflife or tag #alabouroffood!