This easy-to-make crock pot Christmas crack, aka Christmas candy, is a delightfully tasty holiday treat that anyone can make with very little fuss. The tasty combination of chocolate and peanut butter make these festive peanut clusters a popular favorite for kids of all ages.
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With the holidays comes family, and with family comes lots of preparation. Whether you're cleaning your house, planning an itinerary, or simply making a feast, time is of the essence this time of year. But no one wants to sacrifice flavor for speed.
With crock pot Christmas crack, aka crock pot candy, you won’t have to! If chocolate peanut butter is your thing, you’ll love this rich, decadent treat.
There are 3 kinds of chocolate, peanut butter chips, and actual peanuts in this recipe. The crunchy-creamy result is well worth the wait.
The best part about this Christmas candy recipe is that it only takes 5 minutes of prep time! It’s perfect for when you have a full house and are playing tetris with your schedule, trying to figure out what should go in the oven and when.
This recipe sidesteps the oven and can be safely tucked away in a corner somewhere until it’s ready to be scooped out and cooled. It’s an easy win for all the chocolate-lovers in your life.
This is another great way to involve the young chefs in your life. Kids can help with the feast by measuring out ingredients into the crock pot without any knives or hot ovens causing potential danger.
❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
Easy Prep. It only takes 5 minutes to add ingredients, then set it to low heat, and the crock pot does all the work.
Limited Mess. The only dish you’ll have to wash is your crock pot. I love this since my kitchen looks like a tornado hit it whenever I'm baking.
Sweet and Salty. Who doesn’t love that combination? You had me at peanut butter and chocolate.
🥘 Ingredients
There are only 6 ingredients in crock pot Christmas crack. And you’ll be able to get most of them in the baking aisle.
- 16 ounce jar Unsalted Peanuts - These amp up the peanut flavor without adding more salt.
- 16 ounce jar Salted Peanuts - Or as I like to call them, raw peanut butter, just waiting to be ground. Yum!
- 12 ounce bag Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips - If you don’t know the difference between semi-sweet and milk chocolate, do a taste test while you’re cooking.
- 12 ounce bag Milk Chocolate Chips - Bittersweet or dark chocolate would also be great in this recipe.
- 20 ounces (two 10 ounce bags) Peanut Butter Chips - If you haven’t yet baked with peanut butter chips, this is a great way to try them out. They’re amazing.
- 2 pounds White Almond Bark - Almond bark melts beautifully and makes a great coating. Use leftovers for chocolate-covered pretzels.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
📖 Variations
- Enhance that peanut butter flavor. Change things up by throwing in some Reece’s mini pieces with the peanut butter chips. Instead of using 20 ounces of peanut butter chips, I love to split it up. I use one package of peanut butter chips (10 ounces) and one of Reese’s mini pieces (10 ounces). It really enhances the peanut butter taste. You could also try replacing all 20 ounces with butterscotch chips for a completely different flavor.
- Add some colorful sprinkles for extra flair. While the chocolate is cooling but is still sticky, throw on some red and green sprinkles! Obviously, you can change up the color for any holiday. No need to limit yourself to once a year. This is another good task for the kiddos. Decorating cookies is always a good time.
- Swap out the nuts. Whether you make this a lot and want a change or just want to try something new, it’s easy to experiment with this recipe. Try replacing the peanuts with other nuts. Cashews, almonds, and pecans all are delicious replacements.
🔪 How To Make Crockpot Christmas Crack
You’ll need a crock pot and an area laid out with parchment paper. This is going to make your house smell great.
- Start by layering ingredients. In your cold crock pot or slow cooker, layer 16 ounces unsalted peanuts and 16 ounces salted peanuts. For the next layer, drop in 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, 12 ounces milk chocolate chips, then 20 ounces peanut butter chips. Top it all off with 2 pounds white almond bark, broken into squares.
- Next, heat it up. Put the lid on, and set the heat to low. Cook for 1 ½ hours.
- Stir. Take the lid off and stir. Return the cover and cook for another 30 minutes.
- Stir again and turn off. After 2 hours of total cook time, stir it again and shut off the heat. Put the lid back on and let it sit for another 30 minutes.
- Finally, scoop out and cool. Stir one last time. Lay out a sheet or two of parchment paper, wax paper, or aluminum foil. Use a spoon or cookie scoop to form small mounds on the parchment, leaving them to harden for an hour at room temperature. Take a bite and enjoy!
These Christmas candies are beautiful when served on a large platter and can easily be passed around as an afternoon snack. They’re great for dessert and packed lunches, too!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Wrap up a pile of your crock pot Christmas crack candies for some thoughtful gifts. Whether you put them in a jar and add some ribbon or wrap them in plastic and tissue paper, these candies make great gifts for friends and neighbors.
You can also send extras home with dinner guests if you’re trying to get them out of the house. As an added bonus, you won’t have to be as careful with them as you would with cookies; they don’t break easily. - Make these any size you’d like. There’s no rule for how big or how small to make these mounds.
If you’re looking for a small indulgence to have as a finger food with coffee, make them the size of truffles. If you’re ready to go all-in on a really delicious dessert, use a tablespoon or bigger. It’s totally up to you. - Portion them into mini-muffin liners for a pretty look. Plus it makes them easy to pack and eat.
🥡 Storing
Store leftovers in a plastic storage bag or airtight container. At room temperature, they’ll stay good for up to 2 weeks. If left in the fridge, they will keep for up to 3 weeks.
Having a crowd for Christmas? Make your crock pot Christmas crack well in advance. To store in the freezer, put them in a freezer bag, eliminating as much air as possible, or an airtight container for up to 6 months.
To thaw, leave the Christmas candy on the counter for a few hours or in the fridge overnight.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
In short, yes. It’s important, for example, that the white chocolate goes in last. If it gets too close to the bottom, you run the risk of it getting too hot and clumping or burning. For best results, layer in the order listed in the recipe.
Definitely! To do this, line a sheet pan or two with parchment instead of the counter. When you’ve made your mounds, put the pans in the fridge uncovered. They might be a bit soft in the middle even when the outside is hard, but it will be delicious.
You can likely cut your cooling time in half if you’re in a rush and have space in the fridge.
Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
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📖 Recipe Card
Crock Pot Christmas Crack
Ingredients
- 16 oz unsalted peanuts (1 16 ounce jar)
- 16 oz salted peanuts (1 16 ounce jar)
- 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 12 ounce bag)
- 12 oz milk chocolate chips (1 12 ounce bag)
- 20 oz peanut butter chips (2 10 ounce bags)
- 2 lbs white almond bark (or vanilla candy coating)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Layer all of the ingredients into your crock pot or slow cooker, starting with the roasted peanuts (salted and unsalted). Add the semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips, plus the peanut butter chips, then the white almond bark. *Breaking the almond bark down into the squares will work just fine for melting in this candy recipe.
- Cover the crock pot and turn to low heat. After 1 ½ hours, uncover and stir. Return the cover and cook on low heat for another 30 minutes. Once the chocolate and peanuts have cooked for 2 hours, stir and turn off the heat. Replace the cover and leave the mixture in your crock pot for an additional 30 minutes.
- Stir before portioning out the chocolate candy mixture onto parchment paper, wax paper, or aluminum foil. Leave the candies to harden for about 1 hour at room temperature.
Notes
- My favorite way to change this recipe up a bit is to use one package peanut butter chips (10 ounces) and then swap in Reese's mini pieces (10 ounces) for the second portion of peanut butter chips.
Yolanda says
I have made this many times. My family calls it a drug.
Heidi England says
This is my go to recipe for Christmas Crockpot Crack Candy. But be sure if you almond bark no one has an allergy. One Christmas I made this. My daughter in law's brother is allergic to tree nuts I did not know(He never brings his epipen anywhere so that is on him too). So one batch I did was with cashews the one in one batch was made with almond bark and peanuts. Well he bit into one and started to have an reaction. His other sister took him to the hospital er. I was known from then on as the Christmas Assassin. But my family and extended family always asks where it is when I go for any family holiday or function.
Anonymous says
Almond bark does not actually contain almonds or any tree nuts at all.
Angela Latimer says
The reaction was to the nuts in the almond bark (peanuts, or cashews as she used in one batch). The almond bark is safe for nut-allergies.
Lynda Wilson says
Love making Crockpot Christmas Crack for family stocking stuffers...along with other sweet treats. Everyone looks forward to their sweet treats.
Lisa says
I do not have access to almond bark or melting chocolate. Could I make this with just bags for chocolate chips?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Yes, you can use chocolate chips instead of almond bark. They can be swapped in a 1:1 ratio and will harden and set just as well.
Sheila says
I make this every year and it is easy, simple and quick. We love it and so do the ones we share it with...
Sarah says
Is it required to put them in muffin papers, or can the little bundles be stored on top of each other in a cookie tin? Will they stick together if they’re not stored in cupcake cups?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I don't usually use the mini muffin liners. For storing, place them in a container with parchment paper or cling film between the layers. They store exceptionally well and are a great addition to cookie trays! Happy holidays!
Carol Tichnell says
Didn’t specify what size crock pot. I used a 4 quart and trust me it did not turn out. Please let me know what size crock for the next time. Thank you.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
This recipe is written for a standard size crockpot or slow cooker, which is 6-7 quarts. Thanks for sharing results in a 4-quart crockpot.
Liz says
Can you just do this on the stove top?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Yes, just heat at medium until all of the chocolate and bark is melted then stir in peanuts. Portion and allow to set.
Julie says
Substituting butterscotch chips for the peanut butter chips should be ok, right?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
That should be no problem, enjoy!
Deborah Green says
I prepare this every Christmas but was thinking of switching out the peanut butter chips wit caramel candies..what’s your thoughts?
Anonymous says
Well I think I'm like others whose crockpot runs too hot - totally burned it- I'll have to try again with something different 🙁
Cynthia says
I make crockpot candy for different holidays my favorite is Easter. This is going to be a treat the recipe looks great. My question is my crockpot cooks pretty warm even on low is there something I can do to avoid burning the peanuts
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
If you have a crockpot that cooks on the warm side, you can stir this candy recipe to prevent it from burning. Just stir every 30 minutes until the candy is fully melted and smooth. Enjoy!
L. Nabors says
do you know if you could use miniature marshmallows w/pecans? So, it would be 2 pds. of pecans, a bag of miniature marshmallows and then the rest of the ingredients.
Julie says
Hi there,
I bought white chocolate instead of vanilla almond bark… will it be the same? I literally bought 2 lbs of white chocolate squares 🙁
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
White chocolate and almond bark will both melt, I would watch the white chocolate very closely though. Stir frequently while cooking, then remove from heat and portion your candies out once everything is smooth. Hope that helps!
Michelle says
Can you use just salted peanuts or will it be to salt for crock pot Christmas crack
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I haven't tried it with only using the salted peanuts, which I think could work OK. However, I can't say for certain. If you do try it out please come back and let me know how it tastes! 🙂
Scarlett says
This looks amazing! I put it all together and discovered my crockpot at its lowest setting is still waay too hot. Burned the heck out of my the nuts. Such a disappointment!
Will try again though with a newer crockpot. Ugh! Cautionary tale, kids!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Oh no! What size crockpot was it that you used? Hope you do give it another try here soon!!
Jessica says
I can’t find peanut butter chips anywhere…
Could I use peanut butter? If so, what would the ratio be?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Hello, I have never tried using jarred or homemade peanut butter in this recipe so I cannot speak to the results. However, I do regular swap out the peanut butter chips for an equal amount of Reese's peanut butter candies (or mini's). Hope that helps!