These chocolate covered peanuts are addicting! There, I said it. It’s true, my favorite snacks in the whole world are Chocolate Peanut Clusters. I can’t think of one occasion where I wouldn’t want to eat them. They’re just that good, and they make the perfect addition to a party filled with treats like Boozy Cake Balls, or Chocolate Chip Cookies.
There is a lot of information out there about the health benefits of chocolate. This article highlights and summarizes some of the most important ones.
Chocolate Covered Peanuts
“This is incredibly simple and impressive. The flavor is excellent. It has a creamy, silky texture. The flavor varies depending on the type of chips you choose, although youngsters prefer store brands (cheap ones). If they are tastefully packaged, they make excellent teacher gifts.” SAVEPRINTSHARE
INGREDIENTS
- 1(12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2(12 ounce) packages butterscotch chips
- 12 -16ounces salted peanuts, no skin
DIRECTIONS
- This is a two to one for the chocolate covering.
- Melt the chocolate in double boiler with the butterscotch chips Or you can use a large micro safe bowl (50% power for 30 secs) at a time till melted.
- Pour in the peanuts.
- Stir till coated.
- Drop by tablespoon full on to parchment paper.
- Cool till hard.
- Store in airtight container at room temperature.
- Mine never lasted longer than a week but I don’t recommend that you serve them much after a week of shelving.
Chocolate Peanut Clusters
Chocolate Peanut Clusters are candies made with melted chocolate chips and loaded with roasted peanuts for a sweet treat any time!
Chocolate Peanut Clusters
These chocolate peanut clusters are so easy to make and are the perfect, bite-sized treat to satisfy your sweet tooth. It is the perfect combination of melted chocolate with lots of peanuts mixed in. You get that smooth chocolate and crunch of peanuts in every bite.
Clusters Ingredients
You can make these chocolate peanut clusters quickly, or whenever you want, with just two ingredients!
- Chocolate: I used semi-sweet chocolate chips for this recipe. But, you could also use a semi-sweet chocolate baking bar, broken up into pieces.
- Peanuts: Roasted, salted peanuts were my choice when it came to making these candies. They are easy to find at your local grocery store.
How to Make Chocolate Peanut Clusters
- There really is no excuse to not make these candies. With just two ingredients and very little prep, you can satisfy your chocolate-covered peanut craving. To make the chocolate peanut clusters line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a microwave-safe bowl, add the chocolate chips (or chocolate baking bar pieces). Heat the chocolate in 20-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until the chocolate is smooth and creamy.
- After the chocolate has melted, let it cool for a few minutes before adding the peanuts. When ready, fold in the peanuts and mix them in until they are fully coated. Use a spoon to drop the mixture onto the lined baking sheet. Repeat the spoonfuls with the remaining mixture. This batch made 12-15 clusters, but it depends on the size of your spoonfuls.
- Refrigerate the candies for at least 20 minutes, or until they are set. Store them in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to a month.’
ARE PEANUTS NUTS?
Peanuts are not actually tree nuts like almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc are. They are a legume!
WHY NOT BUY CHOCOLATE COVERED PEANUTS?
You have no control over the ingredients, as with everything prefabricated. Numerous store-bought chocolate products include soy lecithin (which we try to avoid whenever possible), a lot of added, refined sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, and low-quality milk products.
I therefore enjoy making chocolate peanuts using fine chocolate and my preferred peanuts!
ARE CHOCOLATE COVERED PEANUTS HEALTHY?
Protein and good fats are abundant in peanuts. In addition, they are a fantastic source of a variety of vitamins and minerals, including biotin, copper, vitamin E, folate, and niacin, to name a few.
You can really obtain more nutrients from peanuts if you utilize soaked and dried ones. The process of soaking in saltwater neutralizes the anti-nutrient phytic acid, which naturally exists in nuts and seeds and prevents your body from absorbing nutrients.
Due to its lower sugar content and higher cocoa content, dark chocolate is the healthiest kind of chocolate. Polyphenols, which are antioxidants also present in some fruits and vegetables, are abundant in cocoa. The blood pressure, body inflammation, heart health, and blood flow to the brain may all be reduced by these polyphenols. Sugar is present, but what treat doesn’t? Even a little bit makes me happy.
WHAT KIND OF CHOCOLATE TO USE
I always advise choosing dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa content. because, in my view, it’s the healthiest and best chocolate! A chocolate bar costs a lot less than dark chocolate chips, so I slice one up! However, milk, semi-sweet, or even white chocolate will suffice if that’s not your strong suit or you don’t have any on hand.
WHAT KIND OF PEANUTS TO USE
I use unsalted peanuts that have been soaked and dried (for information on the digestive and health benefits of soaking and drying nuts and seeds, see my post here!). Before the clusters harden, I add a light dusting of sea salt to give them a hint of salty flavor.
CAN CHOCOLATE COVERED PEANUTS BE FROZEN?
Chocolate covered peanuts and peanut clusters can be frozen for up to 6 months in a freezer-safe container. Just thaw in the fridge before eating!
VARIATIONS OF CHOCOLATE COVERED PEANUTS
- Use any sort of chocolate you like, or mix various types to create a special blend.
- Use sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds if you want a nut-free alternative, or use hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, or any mix of nuts.
- To add some variety, combine some dried fruit, coconut flakes, or pretzel pieces!
TOOLS YOU MAY NEED
Double boiler (or a pot and glass bowl)
Baking sheets
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE COVERED PEANUTS
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup (8 oz bag) dark chocolate (70% is best, in my opinion!)
- 1½ cups unsalted peanuts
- sea salt (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper.
- Heat dark chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat until it’s almost fully melted. Remove from heat and stir until chocolate is melted.
- When the peanuts are completely covered in chocolate, add them in and mix.
- To form clusters, drop spoonfuls of the chocolate-covered peanuts. I scooped the peanuts using a 1/8 measuring cup, and it was the ideal size! If you have a lot of patience, you can make individual chocolate-covered peanuts by using a fork to remove one peanut at a time and place it on the baking sheet.
- If you want, season with sea salt. Put the item in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes to allow the chocolate covering to fully set.
HOW TO STORE CHOCOLATE COVERED PEANUTS
In an airtight container, keep chocolate-covered peanuts in the refrigerator for up to one month or the freezer for up to six months. It is essential to keep this chocolate cool because it is not tempered and will melt slightly at room temperature.
How to Make Chocolate-Covered Peanuts
- Start to Finish: 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes
- Servings: 4 to 6
- VIDEO OF THE DAY
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
Although chocolate-covered peanuts from the store are alluring, they may be chalky, waxy, or tasteless altogether. Making your own at home is a little messy but ultimately rather straightforward, especially if you cluster the nuts. This dish may be made in any quantity—scale it up to feed a large crowd or scale it down to create a snack for one person.
Ingredients
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
Tip
The ratio can be adjusted depending on how chocolatey you want your sweets to be, but using 2 parts chocolate to 1 part peanuts will give you enough chocolate to cover each nut thickly. If you want the flavor of the peanuts to stand out the most in your clusters, use a ratio of 1 part chocolate to 2 parts nuts while producing peanut clusters.
Directions
Step 1: Melt the Chocolate
- Put the chocolate chips in a bowl that can go in the microwave. Stir the chips with a rubber spatula after 30 seconds of 50 percent power in the microwave.
- Continue doing this, microwaving the chips for an additional 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each, until the chocolate is smooth.
- Near the end, when the chocolate has almost completely melted, you may use 15-second intervals. This should take between two and three minutes overall.
Tip
The chocolate can alternatively be melted in a skillet over low heat or in a double boiler over simmering water. It takes a little bit longer to use these techniques than to microwave the chips. Once the chocolate begins to soften, stir it continually.
Step 2: Mix the Two
Place the peanuts in the bowl and whisk to coat them completely. Waxed or parchment paper should be used to line a baking pan.
Step 3: Make Peanut Clusters
Use a melon baller or spoon to scoop up the chocolate and peanut mixture, about 1 tablespoon at a time, to form peanut clusters. Onto the baking sheet, drop the scoops.
To make the chocolate firm, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes.
Step 4: Make Individual Pieces
Allow the mixture to remain at room temperature for about 10 minutes to allow it to slightly set before using it to produce individual chocolate-covered peanuts. One at a time, remove the nuts from the bag with a spoon and arrange them on the baking sheet. In order to prevent a chocolate puddle from forming around the nut, try to obtain as little extra chocolate on the spoon as you can.
There ought to be some chocolate in the bowl still. To make it liquid again, microwave it for 15-second intervals at 50% power. Spoon a small bit of chocolate over each nut or drizzle it over the peanuts.
For 30 to 45 minutes, chill the goodies on the baking sheet.
Tip
Individually coated nuts will have a somewhat uneven chocolate coating since each nut will receive more chocolate on one side than the other. Allow the nuts to cool for 30 minutes if that bothers you, then turn them over and drizzle more chocolate on top.
Mix Them Up
- You can use any assortment of chocolates. Use a combination of white and milk chocolates, or only milk or dark chocolate. You might also use a variety of nuts. Before including nuts or almonds in the chocolate, lightly toast them.
- Accentuate how tasty it is to combine sweet and salty flavors. Use salted peanuts or, once the nuts have chilled for about 15 minutes, sprinkle sea salt on them.
- Although the chocolate will be little soft even after they are cold, you can add a few spoonfuls of peanut butter to the melted chocolate to enhance the peanut flavor of these nuts.
- Melt colored chocolate in the microwave until smooth to add color to your confections. Before cooling the nuts, drizzle them with this liquid.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF CHOCOLATE
There are very few people who do not enjoy chocolate. While its primary appeal is its flavor (and the resulting cravings), it’s also a fantastic source of nutrients when consumed in moderation and in its natural state.
This popular dish also has a long history. The Maya people originally referred to it as the “drink of the gods.” The cacao pod, which grows on the cacao tree, produces the seeds that are used to make chocolate. Theobroma cacao is a plant that has existed for thousands of years in the tropical rainforests of Central America.
It was most likely grown by the Olmecs and Mayas 2,500 years ago. The Maya were skilled cacao bean growers by roughly 2,000 years ago, and they enjoyed crushing the beans for a cooling hot beverage. The Spanish later found the beverage in the 1500s and spread it all across the world, continuing the Aztecs’ earlier devotion to chocolate.
Cacao beans come in three primary varieties: Trinitario from the Caribbean, Forastero from Africa, and Criollo from Latin America. About 90% of all cocoa beans are forastero, with the remaining 10% being Criollo and Trinitario.
Nutrition Information
Eating dark chocolate offers you a good mix of minerals, including:
- Magnesium
- Zinc
- Iron
- Phosphorus
- Copper
One-quarter cup of dark chocolate, about 1.5 oz or 2 large squares, contains:
- 142 calories
- 2 grams of protein
- 10 grams of fat
- 15 grams of carbohydrates
- 3 grams of fiber
- 11 grams of sugar
- 0 milligrams of cholesterol
- 0 milligrams of sodium
Potential Health Benefits of Chocolate
There is one undeniable truth about chocolate: the healthier it is for you, the purer and darker the chocolate. Compared to milk chocolate and white chocolate, raw chocolate or minimally processed dark chocolate with a high cocoa solids content is healthier. Milk chocolate typically has 10 to 30% cocoa solids compared to dark chocolate’s 50 to 90%. Since white chocolate is made entirely of cocoa butter, it has no medicinal properties.
The chocolate industry is very complex. When dry cacao beans are ground into cocoa paste, also known as cocoa liquor, they become raw cacao nibs, which are the crushed fragments of the beans. After removing the cocoa fat, also known as cocoa butter, from cocoa paste, you are left with cocoa solids. You can make cocoa powder by drying cocoa solids.