Chocolate-Covered Peanut Clusters

Ahhh if only food was calorie free. I do wish I could eat everything I make but unfortunately I cannot because if I did, I would be as big as the side of a house or maybe a whole house or maybe even a whole neighborhood! With this in mind, chocolate-covered nuts are one of my guilty pleasures but they are also my go-to dessert. When I’m craving something sweet and I don’t feel like baking up an entire cake or cookies and just want something easy and not heavy to satisfy my sweet tooth, I immediately turn to these badboys: Chocolate Peanut Clusters! They are truly the easiest treats to whip up and, if eaten in moderation, are not bad for you, in fact they have protein from the peanuts! So, wait, does that make them healthy?!

All you need to make these is chocolate chips, peanuts, and a bit of sea salt (optional). (Because who doesn’t like sweet and salty?) There are also two ways to make these: You can either scoop the mixture into little “piles” on wax paper and let them set or I recently discovered these wonderful candy molds at a craft store and you can just scoop the mixture into the candy cavities and come out with perfectly proportional servings! (link at bottom of page) 

Chocolate-Covered Peanut Clusters

 

   prep time: 10 min     total time (including set up time): 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted
  • 2 cups peanuts, lightly salted or unsalted
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions 

  1. Melt chocolate chips in 15 second intervals in microwave until melted or use double boiler to melt
  2. Pour peanuts in medium sized bowl and pour melted chocolate over peanuts
  3. Stir to combine and coat the peanuts with chocolate
  4. Scoop little piles of chocolate-peanut mixture onto wax paper with small ice cream scoop (I find that an ice cream scoop is easiest to use to prevent a sticky mess)

                                                                           OR

Spoon chocolate-peanut mixture into candy mold

5. Sprinkle each cluster with a bit of sea salt (optional)

6. Let clusters set up in fridge or freezer for at least 30 minutes in freezer or 1 hour in fridge (If you are very impatient like me, I like to stick the clusters in the freezer so I don’t have to wait as long, but if you are patient then the refrigerator works just as fine.) 

6. Enjoy!

http://www.hobbylobby.com/Party-Baking/Baking-Supplies/Candy-Making/Candy-Cups-Flexible-Chocolate-Mold/p/47372