Our Crockpot Candy is about to blow you away! We love to make our own candy at home, and our kids love to eat it, too. This easy recipe is chocolatey, indulgent, and completely free of added sugar – a win-win for everyone!
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How to modify this recipe if you have a peanut allergy
Nut allergies are incredibly common. And while our recipe calls for roasted peanuts, you can absolutely adapt it to be allergen-friendly! All you need is a different kind of nut (unless you are allergic to all nuts) or something else crunchy to use in their place.
Different kinds of nuts to use in this recipe
- Almonds are a great alternative to peanuts for this recipe. They have loads of lean fat, fiber, and protein! You can get roasted almonds or use regular almonds – either way, you can’t go wrong.
- Cashews are just as healthy as almonds! They are packed with protein, healthy unsaturated fats and have a high amount of magnesium. Roasted cashews tend to be very salty, so we recommend going for a low-sodium roasted option or plain cashews.
- Hazelnuts are absolutely delicious and can add an extra layer of flavor to these candies. Their shape is more round than peanuts, almonds, and cashews, so you may want to try to crush them up slightly. They are also high in omega-3 fatty acids and have tons of antioxidants.
- Pecans are a bit more expensive than the rest of the nut alternatives on this list but are still a great option. They have a high fat content, which makes their flavor slightly buttery. Despite being high in fat, they are still a healthy addition to this recipe.
- Walnuts have a fairly mild flavor that can be slightly bitter, but that balances out the sweetness from the chocolate in this recipe. They are technically edible seeds so they tend to be allergen-friendly for those with nut allergies!
Non-nut alternatives to use in this recipe
If you are working with a nut allergy, and looking to make this allergen-friendly, we highly recommend trying any of the alternatives below! The only suggestion we have, if you are modifying with these ingredients, is that you add them in after slow cooking the chocolate. This will make sure that they maintain their crunchy texture.
- Pretzels help to make these candies salty and sweet! They are perfect to incorporate if you or anyone you are making these for has a nut allergy. You can either crush them up or leave them in whole form.
- Rice Krispies are a bit smaller, so will change the overall texture of these candies. However, they are still a great option to add texture to these chocolate candies.
- Puffed quinoa are very similar to rice krispies, but are much healthier. Quinoa is a great source of fiber, and puffed quinoa is no different. They also have a ton of iron in them compared to other grains, so if you are looking to sneak in some nutrients, you should definitely try out this modification!
How to roast peanuts
Buying roasted peanuts will make this recipe less time-consuming, but pre-roasted nuts tend to have a higher salt content. If you are trying to limit sodium in your diet, you may want to try roasting peanuts yourself so you can control the amount of salt added.
It is super easy to roast your own peanuts, or any nut for that matter! All you need is nuts, salt, a baking sheet, and a hot oven. Within 10 minutes you will have perfectly roasted nuts!
First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then spread the nut of your choice on a baking sheet. You can sprinkle salt on if you’d like, or if you are avoiding salt you can leave them as is (they will be scrumptious either way). Place the baking sheet in the oven and cook for about 5-10 minutes.
We recommend checking them after 5 minutes in the oven then every couple of minutes after that to make sure they do not burn.
How to make slow cooker candy
- If you are roasting peanuts start out with that following the instructions above.
- Add chocolate bark, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips and roasted peanuts to a slow cooker or instant pot.
- Cover and cook on the low setting for an hour.
- Mix everything together when the time is up and the chocolates are melted.
- Note: if you are using one of the non-nut alternatives listed above, you will add them into the melted chocolate during this step.
- Scoop heaping tablespoons full of the melted chocolate and nut mixture onto wax paper or
parchment paper . - Sprinkle with Maldon salt, or your favorite flaky sea salt, while they are warm.
- Place in the refrigerator until the chocolate candies are solid all the way through.
- Once cooled and hardened, serve these delicious homemade candies!
How to store slow cooker candy
Store in an airtight container in a cool place on the countertop for 3-5 days. To prevent the chocolates from sticking together, cut small pieces of parchment or wax paper between the chocolates!
You can store these in the fridge to make them last longer, but be sure to remove them for about 30 minutes to bring them down to room temperature.
Slow Cooker Candy
Ingredients
- 16 ounces chocolate bark
- 16 ounces bitter sweet chocolate chips
- 12 ounces peanut butter chips
- 12 ounces vanilla bark
- 24 ounces large roasted peanuts
- Maldon sea salt flakes to taste
Instructions
- Add chocolate bark, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, white chocolate bark and roasted peanuts to a slow cooker or instant pot12 ounces vanilla bark, 16 ounces chocolate bark, 12 ounces peanut butter chips, 16 ounces bitter sweet chocolate chips, 24 ounces large roasted peanuts
- Cover and cook on the low setting for an hour.
- Mix everything together when the time is up and the chocolates are melted.
- Scoop heaping tablespoon-fuls of the melted chocolate and nut mixture onto wax paper or parchment paper.
- Sprinkle with maldon salt, or your favorite flaky sea salt, while they are warm.Maldon sea salt flakes to taste
- Place in the refrigerator until the chocolate candies are solid all the way through.
- Once cooled and hardened, serve these delicious homemade candies!
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
In the description of the recipe it calls for white chocolate chips but in the actual recipe it says white choco bark. Is one preferred over the other? Thank you.
Good catch! We will definitely adjust the recipe, it should be white chocolate bark. Regular white chocolate will not work as it can scorch.
I am in Scotland and we don’t have chocolate bark here, please explain it to me and is there a UK alternative.
Chocolate bark is also called almond bark or melting chocolate or vanilla flavored candy coating, let us know if any of these sound familiar!
Can this be made without a slow cooker?
Yes just use a sauce pot like you put mashed potatoes in or use a double boiler or melt in the microwave stirring every 30 seconds and the mix together
Made the slow cooker chocolate candy today. They are delicious. Using them for Valentine gifts.
I just made these today, and my family fell in love with them! My husband loves caramel so I added Skor bits, and they’re over-the-top delicious!