Chocolate Candy Clusters

One of the last things I do before Christmas is making chocolate candy clusters and they are so easy whether done in a slow cooker, microwave or double boiler, if I don't wait until the last minute they would be gone in a New York minute.

We love all the favorite kinds, barks, toffee,caramel, peanut brittle and so many holiday candy treat this is the easiest made in a slow cooker with melted chocolate and anything you can dip into it to make a cluster of delicious candies.

I was in the market today, and the memories of mixed nuts still in the shell were looking at me which were a pain when making candy but less money and that's what mom would use.

My mom would buy all the nuts roast them in their shells in the oven then crack each one to get the meat out of them after cooling to make candy.

We just didn't have nut clusters, she used, coconut, dried figs dates, and even pretzel sticks.

I am sure you all have those Christmas traditions in your home this slow cooker easy chocolate treat was always my favorite as a child and still is

Now instead of using a double boiler, I make this in a slow cooker and it's so much easier and you can also melt this in the microwave.

Mom would put them on a cookie sheet to dry but I like to add the candy to paper liners for gift-giving, they make great gifts for candy lovers.

Scroll through all our tips, substitutions, and filling ideas, these are fun to make and everyone will rave about them!

Step by Step for Making Chocolate-Covered Candy Clusters in a Slow Cooker

1. Line a mini muffin pan with paper liners for around 48 chocolate candy cups or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
2. Place the nuts you prefer in the slow cooker (or melt just the chocolate for other uses like coconut clusters, pretzels, and dried fruits
3. slow cook on low until melted ( or this can be done in a double boiler, microwaved or slow cookers)
4. mix the chocolate with whatever you like to coat and  then place in prepared pans
5. let dry at room temperature or refrigerate

Other Mix-In Substitutions

1. any kinds of nuts
2. crushed candy bars
3. chopped caramel or caramel bits
4. funfetti or other colorful sprinkles
5. crushed peppermint or another hard candy
6. crushed toffee chips
7. any kind of chocolate chips
8. marshmallow cream
9. plain coconut  or toasted using shredded
10. dried fruits like raisins or another you prefer
11. layer spoonfuls of chocolate then a filling like Nutella or peanut butter in mini muffin lined tims
12. use carob instead of chocolate
13. any kind of chocolate can be used milk, white, dark, semi-sweet

How to Melt Chocolate in the Microwave or Double Boiler

• Place chocolate in a small microwavable bowl
• Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable shortening per 2 cups of chips.
• Microwave for 45 seconds, remove and stir.
• Continue microwaving until completely melted and smooth every 30 seconds stirring until smooth
• For double boiler, refer to the booklet from the pan, water in the bottom and chocolate in the top pan stir until melted 

Must-Have Tools to Make Homemade Clusters

1. mini muffin pan
2. mini muffin paper liners
3. teaspoon
4. candy molds optional
5. Cooking Methods tools:
6. microwavable bowl for melting chocolate
7. slow cooker  for melting chocolate method
8. double boiler if used to melt chocolate
9. zip lock bag for the fillings you're using like peanut butter, and marshmallow cream for easy filling the cups

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Holiday Ideas for Chocolate Candy Cups

• Easter: tint white chocolate into pastel colors with food coloring
• Christmas: add crushed peppermint or tint white chocolate red or green
• St. Patrick's Day: tint white chocolate green and add gold glitter on top
• Patriotic: make solid chocolate cups sprinkled with red, white, and blue funfetti candy
• Birthday: add a favorite chopped candy bar to the chocolate sprinkle with the theme funfetti on top
• Baby Showers: for a baby reveal tint white chocolate the color of the new arrival sprinkled on top coordinating colorful sprinkles 
• Weddings: make solid white chocolate cups sprinkled with bridal party-themed colors or white pearl candies
• Gift Giving: Make an assortment of chocolate for the holiday season by adding nuts, candy bars chopped and other ingredients to the chocolate
• Fund Raisers: these can be made into a mold for fundraising events in the shape of whatever the theme is

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candy recipes, chocolate recipes, slow cooker candy recipes

American

Yield: 48

Author: Claudia Lamascolo

Slow Cooker Chocolate Candy Clusters

Slow-cooker melted chocolate is just the start of many fabulous homemade chocolate-covered treats you can make in your own kitchen

Prep time: 11 MinCook time: 1 H & 30 MTotal time: 1 H & 41 M

Ingredients

• 1- 24-ounce bag of dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2- pounds of cashews, peanuts, almonds, or another nut you prefer ( you can also dip pretzels, make coconut clusters, dried fruits etc. with just using melted chocolate)
• 1 - 24-ounce package of chocolate bark candy chopped or candy melts
• Oil spray the liner of your slow cooker with butter cooking spray. see other cooking methods under notes
• Prepare mini muffin tins with paper liners if not using a baking sheet or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Instructions

1. First of all, prepare the pans you are using either line a cookie sheet with parchment or use a mini muffin pan with paper liners.
2. If you're going to make chocolate-covered pretzels, coconut, and dried fruits then you only need to melt chocolate. Put the chocolate in individual bowls once melted and dip or combine in separate bowls to make an assortment.
3. For filling mini muffin candy cups: add around 1 teaspoon of chocolate and fill with Nutella, peanut butter, marshmallow cream, or whatever filling you choose, cover the top with more chocolate ( around another teaspoon) and place in the refrigerator until firm. For coconut add around 1 cup to 1 cup of melted chocolate to make clusters.
4. Directions for Chocolate covered nuts in the slow cooker:
5. Place the nuts in the bottom of the oil sprayed slow cooker liner.
6. Place the chocolate on top.
7. Slow cook on low for 1 hour and 25 minutes stirring every half hour.
8. Place tablespoons on the prepared baking sheet or in mini muffin paper liners.
9. Air dry for around 3 hours or place in the refrigerator.
10. See suggestions for dipping under notes and ideas

Notes

Other Mix-In Substitutions

1. any kinds of nuts
2. crushed candy bars
3. chopped caramel or caramel bits
4. funfetti or other colorful sprinkles
5. crushed peppermint or another hard candy
6. crushed toffee chips
7. any kind of chocolate chips
8. marshmallow cream
9. plain coconut or toasted using shredded
10. dried fruits like raisins or another you prefer
11. layer spoonfuls of chocolate then a filling like Nutella or peanut butter in mini muffin lined tims
12. use carob instead of chocolate
13. any kind of chocolate can be used milk, white, dark, semi-sweet

How to Melt Chocolate in the Microwave or Double Boiler

• Place chocolate in a small microwavable bowl
• Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable shortening per 2 cups of chips.
• Microwave for 45 seconds, remove and stir.
• Continue microwaving until completely melted and smooth every 30 seconds stirring until smooth
• For double boiler, refer to the booklet from the pan, water in the bottom and chocolate in the top pan stir until melted 

Must-Have Tools to Make Homemade Clusters

1. mini muffin pan
2. mini muffin paper liners
3. teaspoon
4. candy molds optional
5. Cooking Methods tools:
6. microwavable bowl for melting chocolate
7. slow cooker for melting chocolate method
8. double boiler if used to melt chocolate
9. zip lock bag for the fillings you're using like peanut butter, and marshmallow cream for easy filling the cups

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https://www.whatscookinitalianstylecuisine.com/2009/12/variety-of-homemade-chocolate-candies.html

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