4 Ingredient Peanut Clusters

Peanut clusters need only 4 ingredients and make the perfect holiday homemade treat! These clusters are loaded with crunchy peanuts coated in chocolate, butterscotch, and creamy peanut butter. You might also know it as crockpot candy. They’re so easy to make!

Like my peanut butter buckeyes and rum balls, peanut clusters are a staple at Christmastime. This is one of my mom’s favorite holiday recipes and I sent her home with a whole batch every year!

Easy Peanut Clusters Recipe

These peanut clusters are made from peanuts mixed with melted chocolate and peanut butter, then dropped on a baking sheet to harden. They’re like pralines or drop cookies, only you don’t need to bake them!

This recipe couldn’t be easier. All you need to do is melt the baking chips with peanut butter, then stir in the peanuts. If you don’t love peanuts, you can also make them with Almond. My mom always made them on the stovetop, but you could easily make them in the crockpot as well.

Why You’ll Love Them

• It’s so quick to make. This recipe calls for less than 30 minutes of hands-on time.
• It makes a huge batch. This recipe makes a large batch, so they go a long way. It can also easily be scaled for a smaller batch.
• You only need 4 ingredients. This one speaks for itself.
• They’re a crowd favorite. Serve these at your next holiday party and just watch how fast they disappear! Peanut clusters are also great for gifting and cookie exchanges.

Ingredient Notes

You need only 4 ingredients to make the best peanut clusters! Nothing fancy, and you may have what you need in the pantry already. Check out my notes here, and scroll down to the printable ingredients list in the recipe card after the post.

• Chocolate Chips – I like to use a combination of semi-sweet or dark chocolate baking chips. You can use any high-quality chocolate chips that you prefer. Chopped chocolate bars, like the kind from Ghirardelli or Lindt, also work well here.
• Butterscotch – Butterscotch chips add extra richness and flavor. You can replace these with more chocolate chips if you’d like.
• Peanut Butter – Make sure to use creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. Avoid using an all-natural peanut butter as it’s too oily.
• Peanuts – Growing up, we always made these with Spanish peanuts. Now that Spanish peanuts are a bit harder to come by, unsalted, roasted peanuts are my favorite. You can make this recipe with another nut, like almonds or pecans, even though they technically won’t be peanut clusters. They’ll still taste great! Keep in mind that larger nuts will yield fewer clusters.

How to Make Peanut Clusters

I always considered peanut clusters a kind of Christmas cookie, mostly because they were rarely missing from our holiday cookie plates! Even though peanut clusters are technically candy, you don’t need any double boilers or candy thermometers to make them.

These chocolate peanut clusters are easy to prepare, very similar to making drop cookies. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card for the printable recipe instructions.

1. Melt the chocolate. First, melt the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and peanut butter in a saucepan. Stir frequently until it’s nice and smooth.
2. Add the peanuts. Next, fold in the peanuts and stir to coat.
3. Form the clusters. Now, use a spoon to drop the chocolatey peanuts into clusters on a lined baking sheet. Allow the clusters to harden at room temperature, and enjoy!

Can I Make Crockpot Peanut Clusters Instead?

You certainly can! The advantage of making crock pot peanut clusters is that you don’t have to watch over and stir the mixture as it melts on the stovetop. To make these peanut clusters in the crockpot:

1. Add everything to the crockpot.
2. Cover and let it cook on low for 1.5-2 hours. Stir it every once in a while just to make sure the chocolate doesn’t burn.
3. Once everything is melted, portion the mixture out and let it set!

How to Store

• At room temperature (or in the fridge). Once the peanut clusters are completely set, they can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 week. They’ll also last for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. I prefer to keep them in the fridge so the chocolate doesn’t melt. To store them, add the clusters to an airtight container with pieces of parchment or wax paper between each layer.
• Freeze. Let the peanut clusters harden completely, then transfer them to an airtight container with pieces of parchment or wax paper between each layer if you’re stacking them. They will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.

More Holiday Desserts

• Chocolate Truffles
• Peanut Butter Balls
• Oreo Truffles
• Reindeer Chow
• Christmas Oreos

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