Toffee Peanut Clusters
You can try to gift sweet buttery Toffee Peanut Clusters but these chocolaty treats are so addictive and easy to make they just disappear!
Sweet, rich chocolate Toffee Peanut Clusters are wonderfully easy treats to make for the family or to gift to everyone you know! Melt chocolate, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, fold-in roasted peanuts, and buttery toffee bits for a snack that is too easy to eat and share!
Craving Clusters
Toffee Peanut Clusters are the perfect afternoon pick-me-up treat. A little sugar, a little protein, and a ton of comforting chocolate and peanut flavors get me through the mid-day slump and are also sweet rewards for the kids after a day at school! I can’t lie though, whenever these are around I cruise through the kitchen and grab one just because I totally crave them. These are so easy to make that we love to gift these toffee clusters to family, friends, and teachers too so it’s a huge win all around!
Ultimate Cookie Candy Bars, loaded with everyone’s favorite candy and the sweet and salty mix of Salted Caramel & Pecan Thumbprint Cookies, are also perfect for snacking and gifting!
Other Recipes to Serve with Toffee Peanut Clusters
- When you can’t get enough toffee but want to change things up, grab your pantry staples, toffee, and cinnamon chips to make an amazing batch of Cinnamon & Toffee Oatmeal Chewies!
- The combination of sweet and salty is out of this world so Copycat Trader Joe’s Cowboy Bark is a must-try!
Ingredients
Chips and Bits: Head on over to the baking aisle and grab semi-sweet chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and peanut butter chips. You will also need toffee bits for these clusters.
Peanuts: To make these clusters you will need dry roasted peanuts. Choose between salted and unsalted, depending on how sweet and salty you like your clusters.
How to Make Toffee Peanut Clusters
STEP ONE: Cover a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Combine the chocolate chips, butterscotch, and peanut butter chips using a medium saucepan or a double boiler. Stir the chips together until they melt and are smooth.
STEP TWO: Fold the peanuts and the toffee into the melted chocolate mix and turn off the heat.
STEP THREE: Drop the chocolate mixture’s small scoops (1 1/2 tablespoons) onto the parchment paper. You can also make larger clusters by dropping about 3 tablespoons of the cluster mix instead. Flatten the tops of the clusters so they look less like a ball.
STEP FOUR: Sprinkle additional toffee bits over the clusters and then refrigerate the clusters for about 3 hours or until cool and firm.
Tips for Success
- When stirring the chips in a saucepan, keep an eye on it and stir often to prevent the mix from burning. If you don’t have a double boiler, you can place a metal or glass bowl on top of a saucepan of boiling water instead. The stream from the boiling water in the saucepan will warm the bowl on top and quickly melt the chocolate.
- Salted or unsalted peanuts, the choice is yours! The sweet and salty combo is delicious, but if you’re watching your sodium or just want a totally sweet treat, then unsalted dry roasted peanuts are for you.
- Peanut clusters will set in the fridge in about 3 hours, or you can pop them in the freezer, and they should set in about an hour. If you’re short on time, don’t be afraid to use the freezer!
Can I microwave the chocolate to melt it?
You could melt the chocolate in the microwave to make this recipe even easier. Choose a microwave-safe bowl large enough to hold all ingredients and combine the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and peanut butter chips. Microwave for one minute and then stir. Continue to microwave the chips for 10-30 seconds at a time and stir each time. Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, you can continue with the recipe as written.
How long do Toffee Peanut Clusters last?
The best way to store your clusters is in an airtight container, with each level of clusters separated by a sheet of parchment paper. Keep this container in a cool place or the fridge and they should last for at least four weeks. If you want to store them in the freezer, you can. Pop these clusters, once completely cooled and hardened, into a freezer-safe container or bag and, again, make layers of clusters separated by parchment paper. Store the clusters in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw the clusters in the fridge slowly, to prevent too much sweating and melting.
More Treats to Gift and Enjoy!
- Salted Caramel Peanut Pretzel Bars
- Rocky Road Clusters
- German Chocolate Cookie Bars
- Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies
- Gingerbread Cookie Fudge
Toffee Peanut Clusters
Equipment
- Double Boiler (see note)
Ingredients
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- ½ cup peanut butter chips
- 1 cup dry roasted peanuts (shelled)
- 1 cup toffee bits divided
Instructions
- Lined a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Using a double boiler, melt together chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and peanut butter chips until smooth.
- Quickly stir the dry roasted peanuts and ¾ cup of toffee bits into the chocolate mixture. Turn the heat off and place the bowl to a kitchen towel.
- Use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the cluster mixture and drop them onto the prepared baking sheet. (You can make larger clusters by using a 3-tablespoon scoop.)
- Flatten the scoops a little on the top so they are not in the shape of a ball. Sprinkle the clusters with the reserved toffee bits.
- Place the baking sheet in the fridge for 3 hours or about 1 hour in the freezer until the clusters are completely cooled and set.
- Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge until you're ready to serve.
Notes
- This recipe makes 24 small clusters (1.5 tablespoons each) or 12 large clusters (3 tablespoons each). The nutritional information below is based on small clusters. Double the nutritional information shown for large clusters.
- If you don’t have a double boiler, place a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. Just be sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. You want to steam to heat the chips, not the hot water.
Can you melt the chocolate in microwave?
Hey Betty! You could melt the chocolate in the microwave to make this recipe even easier. Choose a microwave-safe bowl large enough to hold all ingredients and combine the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and peanut butter chips. Microwave for one minute and then stir. Continue to microwave the chips for 10-30 seconds at a time and stir each time. Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, you can continue with the recipe as written.