Homemade candy isn't hard to make, and these caramel peanut clusters come together in just minutes! Caramel, peanuts, and milk chocolate. Yum!
You might also like our butterscotch crockpot candy, our English toffee recipe (very popular!), or homemade caramel apples!
Watch our step by step video!
Caramel Peanut Clusters
Our caramel peanut clusters look fancy and expensive but are easy to make and inexpensive. Promise. They are made from milk chocolate chips, caramel baking bits (caramel candy), and roasted peanuts. These decadent candies are perfect for holiday treat platters or Valentine's treat boxes. I love the combination of nuts and chocolate. Rich, crunchy, and delicious.
The caramel stays soft and chewy, and the crunch from the peanuts is the perfect balance of sweet and salty. These can be made with semi-sweet or milk chocolate. We make ours with milk chocolate.
Have you used the KRAFT caramel bits before? They are easy to work with and delicious. Perfect for caramel apples and baking recipes. I used them in our Copycat Star Crunch Cookies too!
You can use whatever kind of shelled peanuts that you'd like. I used roasted (lightly salted).
Caramel Peanut Clusters Ingredients
- 11 oz. bag of caramel bits
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups peanuts (roasted, lightly salted and roasted, etc.)
- 11 oz. bag milk chocolate chips or melting chocolate wafers
How to make Peanut Caramel Cluster Candy
Pour caramel bits into a large microwaveable bowl. Pour heavy cream over the caramel bits.
Microwave for 45 seconds. Stir. Continue to microwave in 30-second intervals (stirring after each interval) until melted and smooth.
Note: you can also heat caramel over a double boiler.
Stir in peanuts.
Drop peanut mixture by spoonfuls onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. I made 24 clusters.
Allow caramel to cool and set up. This process can be sped up by refrigerating the clusters.
Melt chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until melted and smooth.
Dip clusters in melted chocolate with a fork, tapping the fork against the side of the bowl to allow the excess chocolate to drip off.
Place dipped clusters back onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Drizzle with remaining melted chocolate.
Let stand until the chocolate hardens (can also place in the fridge for a few minutes).
This recipe makes 24 clusters that will last at least a month if stored in an airtight container. Candy can be stored at room temperature.
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Caramel Peanut Clusters
Ingredients
- 11 oz. bag of caramel baking bits KRAFT brand
- 2 Tbsp. heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups peanuts roasted, lightly salted and roasted, etc.
- 11 oz. bag milk chocolate chips or melting chocolate wafers
Instructions
- Pour caramel bits into a large microwave-safe bowl. Pour heavy cream over the caramel bits.
- Microwave for 45 seconds. Stir. Continue to microwave in 30-second intervals (stirring after each interval) until melted and smooth.
- Note: you can also heat caramel over a double boiler.
- Stir in peanuts.
- Drop by spoonfuls onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. I made 24 clusters.
- Allow caramel to cool and set up. This process can be sped up by refrigerating the clusters.
- Melt chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until melted and smooth.
- Dip clusters in melted chocolate with a fork, tapping the fork against the side of the bowl to allow the excess chocolate to drip off.
- Place dipped clusters back onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Drizzle with remaining melted chocolate.
- Let stand until the chocolate hardens.
Joan says
These came out amazing. I will be making them many more times for sure. Easy recipe to follow.
Brandy says
Love hearing that Joan!
A. says
FYI : I wanted to give this a 5, but nowhere in the recipe does it say to avoid using wax paper instead pf parchment. Your readers without practice using caramel will not know it will stick ! This is also never mentioned-- as far as I can see - on the Kraft website. As it contains nuts, it can be an expensive product to lose and i dont know how much I can save. If freezing doesnt work, I will simply melt it all over again. SO disappointing. You should add the wax paper warning to every recipe using caramel...
Of Other recipes that I considered on the web, I can find no warning that caramel will stick to wax paper..
Brandy says
I said to use parchment paper. I should not have to list every surface that it might stick to. When someone veers off of the written recipe and the recipe doesn’t turn out it is not the recipe creator’s fault, nor is it fair to take stars off.
Sandy Brewer says
I agree with you regarding veering off the recipe. These were amazing and I had no trouble making them as I followed your recipe. Great recipe Brandy and don't worry about someone like that as we will make up for her with gobs of stars!! 🙂
Brandy says
Thank you Sandy! I’m glad they worked well for you!