Spanish Peanut Clusters are the easiest homemade chocolate candy ever, and everyone goes ‘nuts’ for them! Use dark or milk chocolate to make this delicious treat.
Delicious peanut clusters can be made in minutes, and anybody can do it!
Happy Halloween everyone! it’s going to be a slow one here, my husband has to be somewhere for work and my daughter is going out so I’ll be home alone. Don’t tell anyone but I’m going to put a bowl of candy out on the porch and pretend I’m not here. I know, I’m a killjoy, but I’ve been there and done that when it comes to all the Halloween stuff and I’m kind of over it, at least for this year. I’m going to watch a movie and eat my homemade Spanish Peanut Clusters…
I still get a thrill out of making my own candy, no matter how simple it is, and this one is about as simple as it gets.
I LOVE peanut clusters, they’re the first thing I attack pick out of every candy box. I love them best with roasted Spanish peanuts — the flavor and crunch is amazing. (Spanish peanuts are the little guys, the ones with the skins still on.) I used bittersweet chocolate to bind them all together, and the result is a classic candy just as good as anything you’ll get at a fancy chocolate shop. It only takes a few minutes to make them, too, which is always a bonus.
This is a 2 ingredient recipe…so both of those ingredients count!
You can look for Spanish peanuts at your grocery store, it’s hit or miss whether you’ll find raw, like I used. But Planters sells them roasted and lightly salted, and you can definitely use those, just skip the roasting step. That little bit of salt will give these another dimension.
My chocolate comes from Equal Exchange, a wonderful company I recently discovered.
They’re headquartered in Massachusetts and they were pioneers of the Fair Trade movement back in the 80s. They partner with small farmers all over the globe to maintain better working conditions, higher incomes, sustainable growing environments, and a better product. Everybody wins. I used their Extra Dark Pananma Chocolate, it’s 80% cacao, which means it’s got tons of rich chocolate flavor, perfect for these clusters. When you purchase fair trade products you’re basically making the world a little bit better at the same time, it’s a pretty sweet deal 🙂
This particular combination of Spanish peanuts and bittersweet chocolate has a decidedly sophisticated flavor.
The skin-on peanuts and the chocolate both have a slight bitterness to them. I really like that. You can use regular peanuts and milk chocolate if you aren’t into it.
Looking for more homemade candy?
- Chocolate Hazelnut Torrone
- How to Make Homemade Ferrreo Rocher Truffles
- Easy Butter Brickle Bark
- Jewel Box Truffles
Roasted Spanish Peanut Clusters
Ingredients
- 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut in small pieces
- 1 cup Spanish peanuts, skins on
Instructions
- Set oven to 350°F.
- Put the peanuts on a dry baking sheet and toast in oven for 10-15 minutes, or until you begin to smell their aroma. Let them cool. Skip this step if you are using roasted peanuts.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper.
- Put the chopped chocolate in a small microwave safe bowl and microwave for one minute. Stir to melt. Microwave for an additional 30 seconds if necessary. Let the heat of the bowl and chocolate help to completely melt it as you stir; don't over cook or the chocolate will seize up.
- When the chocolate is completely smooth, add in the peanuts and give a quick stir to coat them.
- Use a tablespoon to make little piles of the chocolate on the lined baking sheet. Let them sit until set at room temperature, or you can put them in the fridge for quicker setting.
- I like to store these in the fridge.
Nutrition
Make this chocolate candy your own ~
- Use any chocolate you like, including white, blonde, or milk.
- Use any nut you like, too. I think walnuts would be wonderful. Hazelnuts, too!
Don’t forget to pin these easy Spanish Peanut Clusters!
Hi Sue, I have a question. Are cocktail peanuts the same as spanish peanuts and/or do cocktail peanuts need to be roasted? I bought cocktail peanuts,(3-16 oz cans…lol), thinking they were spanish peanuts. Thanks, Shelly
Hey Shelly ~ you can use either, actually. Cocktail peanuts are roasted, and they usually contain salt, so be aware of that. The Spanish peanuts I used don’t. But a little salt isn’t a bad thing in a chocolate bark 😉
Could you use raw peanuts?
You can but the flavor won’t be very great, Katrina. If you’ve got raw peanuts, best to toast them in a dry pan until they get fragrant, it will only take a few minutes. Keep the heat to med or med/low and keep them moving so they don’t scorch.