BityRich, melty layers of chocolate, peanut butter chips, and salty peanuts. This crock pot Christmas crack is your slow-cooked shortcut to holiday candy bliss.
If you’ve ever wanted dessert to be absurdly easy but still smell like a sugar-coated dream is simmering in your kitchen, this one’s for you. You toss it all in, wait a couple of hours, and boom, sweet and salty magic.
Imagine: it’s the week before Christmas. Chaos all around. You’re juggling gift wrap and cookie crumbs. And yet, among the flour explosions and glitter-infused carpets, you’ve got a batch of homemade candy cooling on parchment like some sort of domestic legend. That’s the vibe of crock pot Christmas crack. It’s more of an assembly than a “recipe,” but don’t let that fool you. This stuff disappears faster than your secret stash of wrapping paper tape. Bonus: it’s pretty much impossible to mess up.
Quick Breakdown
Why You’ll Love this Crock Pot Christmas Crack
This isn’t one of those candy recipes where you need a candy thermometer, nerves of steel, and backup sugar just in case. No drama here.
- Ridiculously simple to make: You literally stack everything in a crockpot, then leave it alone. That’s it.
- Sweet meets salty in the best way: The combo of salted and unsalted peanuts is wildly satisfying, like holiday fireworks for your taste buds.
- Melts and molds like magic: No double boiler, no burnt chocolate. It all melts just right, like a chocolatey blob of edible cheer.
- Perfect for gifting (or hoarding): Set it out or wrap it up. Either way, people will think you spent hours on it (shhh).
- Stays fresh for weeks: This stuff lasts so you can snack now, later, and probably again at 2 am when no one’s looking.
- Highly customizable: Toss in sprinkles, candies, or crushed holiday pretzels if you’re feeling festive.
Ingredient Notes
If you’ve got a few bags of chips, some peanuts, and no desire to bake, you’re 90% there. But here’s a closer look:
- Unsalted peanuts: These balance everything out. You need the neutral crunch to offset the saltiness and sweetness.
- Salted peanuts: Don’t skip these! That salty bite wakes up all the sugary elements and keeps things from tasting flat.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: These give it some deeper cocoa flavor, rich, but not too sweet. Essential for layering flavor.
- Milk chocolate chips: Milk chocolate smooths things out and brings old-school candy bar vibes to the mix.
- Peanut butter chips: These melt like a hug and add creamy nuttiness that practically insists you eat just one more.
- White almond bark: Or any vanilla candy coating. It’s the secret glue that holds this chaos together and makes it set like proper candy.
How To Make This Crock Pot Christmas Crack
Okay, ritual time. Grab your crockpot, crank some holiday music, and let’s candy.
- Layer the peanuts: Start with 16 ounces of unsalted peanuts at the bottom of the slow cooker. Then layer the salted ones on top. It’s not rocket science, but this order helps distribute the flavors evenly.
- Add your chips and bark: Dump in the semi-sweet chocolate chips, then the milk chocolate chips. On top of that pile, add the peanut butter chips. Break the almond bark into smaller blocks (if needed) and layer those last. White chocolate likes to be melt-resistant so it needs top-level heat.
- Let it cook, hands off: Cover and set your crockpot on low heat. Do not stir (I know it’s tempting). Let everything melt together slowly for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Give it your first stir: Once time’s up, go in with a spoon (wooden works best here) and stir everything until it looks swirly and molten and like you accidentally invented candy lava.
- Cook a touch longer: Put the lid back on and let it hang out for 30 more minutes. This lets anything stubborn fully melt and mesh together.
- Final stir and rest: Turn off the heat, give it one last stir for good luck (and thoroughness), then pop the lid back on and leave it sitting for 30 minutes. Residual heat does a lot of the cleanup work.
- Spoon out and cool: Scoop out small mounds onto parchment paper. Go for heaping tablespoons if you want that chunky candy feel. Let them cool at room temperature for an hour or so until set and firm.
Storage Options
So you’ve made a mountain of crockpot Christmas crack. First of all, congrats. Now what?
Once the candy mounds cool and harden completely, stash them in an airtight container. You can keep them at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks. Just make sure they’re kept dry and cool, don’t go putting them next to a furnace vent or inside sauna-like cabinets (learned that the hard way).
If you prefer longer storage, the fridge is a great option. Layer them between sheets of wax paper so they don’t stick together. They’ll keep their snap and flavor for up to a month that way.
And yes, you can freeze them! Wrap portions in plastic wrap, then tuck them into a freezer bag or container. They hold up great for about two months. Just take out what you need and let them thaw at room temperature. No reheating needed, candy doesn’t want that kind of drama.
Variations and Substitutions
Now for the fun part: playing around with what goes in the pot. Once you nail the base, feel free to experiment.
- Use different nuts: Swap peanuts for almonds, cashews, or mixed nuts if you want something a little fancy-pants.
- Add pretzels or crushed crackers: For that salty crunch hit, mini pretzels or Ritz pieces are weirdly excellent in this.
- Toss in dried fruit: Chopped dried cherries or cranberries give it a sweet-tart edge that’s very festive and snackable.
- Try butterscotch chips: In place of peanut butter chips, or alongside them, if you’re feeling buttery caramel energy.
- Decorate with sprinkles or sea salt: A light sprinkle before the candy sets adds color or crunch. Sea salt flakes? Yes, always.
- Make it colorful: For an icy vibe, you could pair this with something like blue Christmas truffles and make a whole candy table glow up.
What to Serve with Crock Pot Christmas Crack
Honestly, this can totally stand on its own. But if you’re doing a holiday dessert spread or just want to balance it out, here’s what works great alongside.
- Coffee or espresso: The bitterness balances the sweetness beautifully. Plus, the caffeine helps cut through the sugar fog if you’ve had “just one more” ten times.
- A charcuterie snack board: Sounds weird? Hear me out. A bite of cheese, a bite of spicy salami, and then a piece of sweet candy… oddly magical and fun at parties.
- Fruit platter: Keep it simple with fresh grapes, apple slices, or strawberries. Bright and crisp enough to refresh your palate between sugar nibbles.
- Crumbly cookies: Something like a shortbread or gingersnap can sit happily on the plate next to this, giving a buttery or spicy contrast.
- Holiday punch or mulled wine: The warmth and spices pair so well with the creamy, chocolatey richness. It’s an actual festive hug.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use all salted or all unsalted peanuts?
You definitely can, but I’d suggest mixing both if possible. Using all salted peanuts might make it too salty, while going all unsalted may leave things a little flat. The mix gives it that sweet-salty balance that really makes this candy pop. If you must pick just one, I’d lean toward unsalted and maybe sprinkle on a pinch of flake salt at the end.
Do I need to stir it more than once?
Nope, honestly, don’t mess with it while it’s cooking for the first 90 minutes. Stirring too early can mess with the layers heating evenly. The first stir at 1.5 hours is when the chocolate starts blending beautifully. Then another little stir at the end helps combine it fully. That’s more than enough mixing for this easy affair.
How do I keep the candy from sticking when I drop it?
Just use parchment paper or wax paper to scoop the hot mixture onto. It cools and sets so much better that way. I’ve done the “directly on my countertop” approach before when I ran out of parchment, bad idea unless you like chiseling candy off granite. You can also use silicone mats; they’re reusable and work like a charm.
Can I make this in advance for gifting?
Absolutely. It’s a great make-ahead treat. Once it sets, you can store it in tins, jars, or little treat bags up to a week or two in advance. I just recommend keeping it somewhere cool and dry. Not by the fireplace, not in a warm car during errands. Basically, treat it like the chocolate treasure it is.
Crock Pot Christmas Crack
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- Wooden Spoon
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
Base Ingredients
- 16 oz unsalted peanuts
- 16 oz salted peanuts
- 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 12 oz milk chocolate chips
- 10 oz peanut butter chips
- 24 oz white almond bark or vanilla candy coating, broken into blocks
Optional Add-Ins
- sprinkles for decorating
- flaky sea salt for topping
- crushed mini pretzels for crunch
Instructions
- Layer the peanuts. Add the unsalted peanuts to the bottom of your slow cooker, then top with salted peanuts.
- Add your chips and bark. Pour in the semi-sweet chocolate chips, then the milk chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and finally, the broken almond bark blocks on top.
- Cook gently. Cover and set your slow cooker to low. Cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes without stirring.
- First stir. Uncover and stir the mixture until everything is fully melted and smooth.
- Cook a little more. Cover again and continue to cook for another 30 minutes.
- Final stir and rest. Turn off the slow cooker, stir once more, then cover and let the mixture rest for 30 minutes (off heat).
- Scoop and cool. Spoon the mixture into heaping tablespoon-sized mounds on parchment paper. Top with sprinkles or sea salt if desired. Let cool at room temperature for about an hour until firm.
Notes
- Customize: Swap in your favorite nuts, add dried fruit, or include pretzel pieces for extra fun. Butterscotch chips also work as a peanut butter chip substitute.
- For gifting: Make ahead and store in jars or treat bags. Just keep candy cool and dry for best results.
