Equipment Needed
- A 6-quart or larger slow cooker
- Wooden spoon or sturdy silicone spatula
- Baking sheets (at least two)
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- A tablespoon-sized cookie scoop (optional, but a lifesaver for neat clusters)
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, I literally just dump almost everything into the cold crockpot. I add both kinds of peanuts, all the chocolate chips, the peanut butter chips, and the butter chunks. I give it one very gentle stir just to mix the dry items, then I layer all the broken almond bark pieces right on top. Do not stir again yet! This is crucial. I then place the lid on, set it to LOW, and walk away for a full hour. No peeking! This slow, gentle heat prevents the chocolate from seizing and allows everything to melt perfectly together. The first time I made this, I tried it on HIGH for 30 minutes and burned the chocolate a bit on the edges—low and slow is the only way to go.
After that hour is up, the top will look mostly unmelted, but when I lift the lid, the most incredible aroma hits me. I take my wooden spoon and start stirring slowly from the bottom. It will seem thick and chunky at first, but as I keep stirring, a gorgeous, glossy, molten river of chocolate and peanut butter emerges, coating all the nuts. This is where the magic happens. I stir for a good 2-3 minutes until every single piece is luxuriously coated and the mixture is completely smooth.
Now, here’s the step where timing is everything. I turn the slow cooker OFF and immediately fold in all of my pretzels. I work quickly but gently, using a folding motion to coat the pretzels without completely crushing them. You want them coated, but you still want to see their shape and feel their crunch. I’ve learned the hard way that if you leave the pot on warm, the pretzels will get too soggy. The residual heat is plenty to do the job.
Finally, I line my baking sheets with parchment paper. Using my tablespoon cookie scoop (or two spoons), I drop small mounds of the candy mixture onto the sheets. I don’t fuss about making them perfect—a rustic, craggy look is part of the charm. Then, I simply let them sit at room temperature to set. This takes a couple of hours, but if I’m in a hurry, I’ll pop the trays in the fridge for about 45 minutes. The sound of a set cluster snapping in half is pure music.(See the next page below to continue…)