Discover the magic of Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Crock Pot Candy - a delicious combination of rich chocolate, creamy peanut butter, and peanuts that creates an irresistible holiday treat.
You'll love how this recipe transforms simple ingredients into decadent bites of pure joy. The best part? Your slow cooker does most of the work. There are no candy thermometers or complex techniques, just effortless preparation that fits perfectly into your busy holiday schedule.
The secret to this candy's signature melt-in-your-mouth texture lies in your crock pot's gentle, consistent heat. As the ingredients slowly meld together, they create a silky-smooth mixture that sets into perfectly textured candies.
Whether preparing homemade gifts or stocking your holiday dessert table, these yummy treats deliver professional-looking results with minimal effort.
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Ingredients
Creating the perfect crock pot candy starts with gathering high-quality ingredients. Here's your complete shopping list:
Base Ingredients:
- 32 ounces of salted roasted peanuts
- 10 ounces of peanut butter chips
- 12 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup of creamy peanut butter
- 24 ounces of chocolate almond bark
Optional Toppings:
- Jimmies or sprinkles
- Sea salt
- Crushed peanuts
Quality Matters:
High-quality chocolate chips like Ghirardelli deliver superior melting properties and rich flavors. The same applies to peanut butter chips - Reese's brand offers consistent quality and authentic taste.
Making the Crock Pot Candy - Simple
- Layer Your Ingredients: Add peanuts, peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, almond bark broken into pieces, and creamy peanut butter to your crock pot. Do not stir the layers at this stage.
- Cooking Process: Set your crock pot to low heat. This gentle warming method prevents chocolate from scorching while creating the perfect environment for a smooth, creamy blend. Place a paper towel under the lid to catch any condensation that might affect your candy's texture.
- Visual Clues: After an hour, the chocolate chips have begun to soften and glisten, and the peanut butter becomes glossy.
- Time to Stir: Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the crock pot, incorporating all ingredients into a homogeneous blend. Your mixture should be completely smooth, with no visible streaks or chunks of unmelted chocolate.
- Dropping the Candy: The key to perfect candy portions is using a 1-tablespoon scoop. This simple tool creates uniform pieces that look professional and produces treats with the right balance of flavors. Line your workspace with parchment paper. Drop the melted mixture in rounded spoonfuls, leaving about 2 inches of space between each candy to prevent them from sticking together.
- Finalizing the Candy: Add the holiday-themed jimmies before the candy hardens. The heat from the freshly dropped candy helps these decorative elements stick properly. Let the candies rest undisturbed at room temperature. They'll develop a beautiful sheen as they set, typically taking 1-2 hours to reach the perfect consistency.
That's it - simple steps for an amazing candy!
This Easy Peanut Butter Crock Pot Candy recipe proves that creating memorable holiday treats doesn't require complex techniques or hours in the kitchen. You'll discover a foolproof method that delivers rich, creamy candies perfect for gifting or enjoying with loved ones. Yum!
Frequently Asked Questions
I learned this trick years ago. The paper towel traps any condensation that may form during the melting of the ingredients. This prevents moisture from dropping back into the crock pot, which could cause the chocolate to seize up.
Feel free to use different nuts, such as toasted pecans or almonds. You could also substitute pretzel pieces for those with a nut allergy.
I sometimes use Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips for a less sweet candy. Milk chocolate chips are also delicious in this recipe.
Traditional commercial peanut butter works best for this recipe. Natural peanut butter's oil separation can affect the candy's texture and setting properties.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Creating flawless Chocolate Peanut Butter Crock Pot candy requires attention to specific ingredients and techniques. Here are essential tips to elevate your candy-making experience:
- Advantages of Using a Crock Pot: The slow cooker's gentle heat makes it almost impossible to overheat the chocolate mixture and creates perfectly tempered chocolate with a shiny finish. Also, the "keep warm" setting keeps melted chocolate at the right temperature, allowing plenty of time for portioning the candy without the mixture hardening too soon.
- Choose Salted Peanuts: The salt content of the peanuts balances the sweetness of the chocolate, adds a satisfying crunch to each bite, and prevents the candy from tasting overly sweet.
- Select the Right Decorative Toppings: Jimmies, rod-shaped sprinkles, outperform nonpareils. They maintain their shape during extended storage, resist bleeding colors into the chocolate, and add a festive appeal without compromising the texture.
- Temperature Control is Important: Keep the lid closed for the full hour to maintain consistent low heating.
- Yield and Storage: This delicious peanut butter crock pot candy recipe yields approximately 11 dozen pieces - perfect for holiday gift-giving or sharing at large gatherings. Each batch creates enough treats to fill multiple gift boxes or candy tins.
Other Easy-to-Make Candy Recipes
These easy-to-make candies are featured in the free eBook below:
Free eBook (Click on picture to open)
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Crock Pot Candy
Equipment
- Crock Pot
- One Tablespoon Scoop
Ingredients
- 32 ounces salted roasted peanuts
- 10 ounce package of peanut butter chips
- 12 ounce package of semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 24 ounce package of chocolate almond bark, broken into pieces
- ½ cup (4.75 ounces) creamy peanut butter
- Red, white and green jimmies (optional)
Instructions
- Add the peanuts, peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, almond bark, and peanut butter to a crock pot.
- Cover the crock pot with a paper towel and then the lid. Cook, undisturbed, on low for one hour.
- After an hour, remove the cover and paper towel. Stir to combine the ingredients thoroughly.
- Using a one-tablespoon scoop, drop the candy onto parchment paper. Before the candy hardens, sprinkle the tops with jimmies.
- Allow the candy to harden completely. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
- Yield: 132 pieces of candy.
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