Crockpot Christmas Candy: 12 Dump-and-Stir Treats That Fill Every Gift Tin on Your List, No Candy Thermometer Needed

Crockpot Christmas candy is the secret behind those overflowing holiday tins that some families hand out by the dozen every December. There is no candy thermometer, no scorched pot and no standing at the stove stirring sugar until your arm aches. You dump chocolate, nuts and a few pantry staples into the slow cooker, put the lid on, give it a stir now and then, and walk away. An hour or two later you spoon out clusters, spread bark and pour fudge while the kitchen smells like a candy shop. We gathered 12 easy crockpot Christmas candy recipes, each with a short story, a shopping list and simple steps, plus tips for packing them so every neighbor, teacher and mail carrier gets a tin..

Crockpot Peanut Clusters, the Crockpot Christmas Candy That Started It All

If one recipe made crockpot Christmas candy famous, it is these peanut clusters. Church cookbooks and office potlucks passed the idea around for years: layer peanuts and chocolate in the crock, let it melt low and slow, then drop spoonfuls onto parchment. The humble slow cooker keeps the chocolate gentle, so it never seizes or burns the way it can in a saucepan. One batch makes 80 to 100 pieces, which is why grandma could fill a dozen tins in a single afternoon..

You will need: 32 ounces salted dry-roasted peanuts, 16 ounces unsalted peanuts, 24 ounces chocolate almond bark (vanilla or chocolate), 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, 4 ounces German sweet chocolate, mini paper candy cups or parchment.

How to make it: 1. Pour both kinds of peanuts into a 6-quart slow cooker. 2. Break the almond bark into pieces and layer it over the nuts with the chocolate chips and sweet chocolate. 3. Cover and cook on LOW for 1 1/2 to 2 hours without stirring. 4. Stir until smooth and every peanut is coated. 5. Drop by tablespoons into paper cups or onto parchment and let set about 1 hour.

Slow Cooker Cashew Turtle Clusters

Turtle candy got its name because the nut cluster with its chocolate shell looks like a little turtle peeking out. Making them by hand means melting caramel and chocolate separately, but as crockpot Christmas candy the slow cooker does the hardest part. Cashews and pecans go in with the chocolate, then a ribbon of soft caramel is drizzled over each mound while it is still warm. They look like something from an old candy counter, and they are always the first thing to disappear from a holiday tray.

You will need: 3 cups whole cashews, 2 cups pecan halves, 20 ounces milk chocolate melting wafers, 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 cup soft caramel bits or unwrapped caramels, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, flaky sea salt.

How to make it: 1. Add the cashews and pecans to the slow cooker and top with the chocolate. 2. Cover and cook on LOW 1 1/2 hours, then stir well. 3. Drop spoonfuls onto parchment. 4. Microwave the caramel with the cream in 20-second bursts until smooth. 5. Drizzle caramel over each cluster, sprinkle with sea salt and let set.

Crockpot Peppermint White Chocolate Bark

Peppermint bark looks like a fancy shop gift, yet it is one of the easiest pieces of crockpot Christmas candy you can make. White chocolate is fussy on the stove and burns quickly, but on the LOW setting it melts into a silky pool with almost no risk. Spread it thin on a sheet pan, scatter crushed candy canes on top and let it harden. Snap it into jagged pieces and it fits into any tin, jar or cellophane bag you have in the cupboard.

You will need: 24 ounces white chocolate almond bark or white melting wafers, 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, 10 to 12 candy canes (crushed), 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate for drizzling (optional).

How to make it: 1. Break the white chocolate into the slow cooker. 2. Cover and cook on LOW 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes, until smooth. 3. Stir in the peppermint extract and half the crushed candy canes. 4. Spread on a parchment-lined sheet pan and scatter the rest of the candy canes on top. 5. Drizzle with melted dark chocolate, chill 30 minutes and break into pieces.

Slow Cooker Chocolate Fudge

Old-fashioned fudge meant boiling sugar to the soft-ball stage and hoping it did not turn grainy. This slow cooker version skips all of that by using sweetened condensed milk, which gives the same creamy, sliceable bite. Of all the crockpot Christmas candy on this list, fudge is the one people ask for by name. Everything goes into the crock, melts gently while you wrap presents, and gets one good stir before it is poured into a pan. For a showstopper, pour a layer of white or mint fudge over the set chocolate layer. Cut it into small squares, because fudge is rich, and one pan can stretch across a surprising number of gift boxes.

You will need: 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, pinch of salt, 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional).

How to make it: 1. Grease the slow cooker insert, then add the chocolate chips, condensed milk and butter. 2. Cover and cook on LOW 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. 3. When smooth, stir in the vanilla, salt and walnuts. 4. Pour into a parchment-lined 8-inch square pan and smooth the top. 5. Chill 2 hours until firm, then cut into 36 to 49 small squares.

Crockpot Chocolate-Dipped Pretzel Bites

Sweet and salty is the flavor that makes people reach for a second handful, and these pretzel bites deliver both. The slow cooker keeps a whole pot of chocolate warm and fluid for an hour, so you can dip batch after batch without reheating. Kids love helping with this crockpot Christmas candy, rolling the wet pretzels in red and green sprinkles. Pack them in clear bags with a ribbon and they look like they came from a boutique candy shop.

You will need: 24 ounces chocolate almond bark or melting wafers, 1 bag (16 ounces) mini pretzel twists or squares, red and green sprinkles or nonpareils, 4 ounces white chocolate for drizzling.

How to make it: 1. Melt the chocolate in the slow cooker on LOW for about 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. 2. Switch to WARM. 3. Dip each pretzel halfway or fully, letting extra chocolate drip off. 4. Lay on parchment and add sprinkles right away. 5. Drizzle with melted white chocolate and let set 30 minutes before packing.

Slow Cooker Candied Pecans

Candied pecans used to mean a hot oven and a sheet pan you had to watch every few minutes. In the slow cooker they toast slowly in a coating of egg white, brown sugar and cinnamon until they turn crisp and glossy. The whole house smells like a holiday market while they cook. Spread them out to cool, then pack them in clear cellophane bags or mason jars tied with ribbon for a gift that costs very little per bag.

You will need: 1 pound pecan halves, 1 egg white, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons water.

How to make it: 1. Whisk the egg white and vanilla until frothy, then toss with the pecans in the slow cooker. 2. Mix the sugars, cinnamon and salt and stir in until every nut is coated. 3. Cook on LOW 3 hours, stirring every 20 minutes. 4. Stir in the water during the last 20 minutes. 5. Spread on parchment to cool and crisp completely.

Crockpot Caramel Corn

Caramel corn is a classic Christmas gift that usually means boiling syrup and a hot oven. This crockpot version melts butter, brown sugar and corn syrup together, then lets the popcorn toast in the coating with the lid off. Stirring every 15 minutes keeps it from clumping, and the result is crunchy, buttery and impossible to stop eating. Fill tall jars or paper bags with it and tuck a few pieces of crockpot Christmas candy on top for a bonus surprise.

You will need: 16 cups popped popcorn (about 2/3 cup kernels), 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup light corn syrup, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup roasted peanuts (optional).

How to make it: 1. Melt the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and salt in the slow cooker on HIGH, about 30 minutes. 2. Stir in the baking soda and vanilla; it will foam. 3. Fold in the popcorn and peanuts until coated. 4. Cook uncovered on LOW 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. 5. Spread on parchment to cool and break apart.

Slow Cooker Chocolate Cherry Clusters

Chocolate-covered cherries are a vintage holiday favorite, but making the liquid-center kind is a project. These clusters give the same flavor with none of the fuss. Dried tart cherries and toasted almonds go into melted dark chocolate, and each spoonful sets into a chewy, crunchy bite that tastes like the boxed candies grandma kept hidden in the hall closet. The deep red flecks look festive in a tin, and they pair perfectly with a cup of coffee on Christmas morning.

You will need: 20 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate wafers, 1 1/2 cups dried tart cherries, 1 1/2 cups whole almonds (toasted), 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, pinch of flaky salt.

How to make it: 1. Melt the chocolate in the slow cooker on LOW, about 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. 2. Stir in the almond extract. 3. Fold in the cherries and almonds. 4. Drop by tablespoons onto parchment or into mini paper cups. 5. Top each with a pinch of flaky salt and let set 1 hour.

Crockpot Almond Butterscotch Haystacks

Haystacks are the candy every school bake sale seemed to have, with crunchy noodles poking out like straw. Butterscotch chips melt beautifully in the slow cooker, and stirring in crisp chow mein noodles and almonds gives them that famous rustic look. They take about ten minutes of real work and set at room temperature, which makes them perfect for a candy-making day with kids. Line them up in a tin with parchment between the layers so they stay crisp until delivery.

You will need: 22 ounces butterscotch chips, 1 cup peanut butter chips, 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, 5 cups crispy chow mein noodles, 1 1/2 cups sliced or chopped almonds.

How to make it: 1. Add the butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips and peanut butter to the slow cooker. 2. Cover and cook on LOW 45 to 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. 3. Gently fold in the noodles and almonds so they do not break. 4. Drop heaping spoonfuls onto parchment. 5. Let set about 1 hour at room temperature.

The Crockpot Christmas Candy Chocolate Guide: Chips, Bark or Wafers?

Every recipe in this gallery starts with the same question: which chocolate should go into the crock? Chocolate chips hold their shape on purpose, so they melt thicker and work best mixed with bark or a little butter. Chocolate almond bark and candy melting wafers are made to melt smoothly and set firm at room temperature, which is why church cookbooks swear by them for clusters. Pure white chocolate is the most delicate of all, so keep it on LOW and stir often for glossy crockpot Christmas candy every time.

You will need: Semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips, chocolate or vanilla almond bark, candy melting wafers, white chocolate, a little butter or coconut oil, a silicone spatula and a dry slow cooker insert.

How to make it: 1. Make sure the crock and spoon are completely dry, since one drop of water can make chocolate seize. 2. Break bars and bark into even pieces. 3. Melt on LOW, never HIGH, with the lid on for the first 30 minutes. 4. Stir every 15 to 20 minutes until smooth. 5. If chips look thick, stir in 1 teaspoon of butter or coconut oil at a time.

Crockpot Rocky Road Candy

Rocky road is said to have gotten its name during hard times, when the bumpy mix of chocolate, nuts and marshmallows promised a little comfort on a rough road. It is one of the most forgiving pieces of crockpot Christmas candy, because nothing needs to be exact. Melt the chocolate, fold in walnuts and mini marshmallows once the crock is off the heat, and press it all into a pan. Cut into chunky squares, it looks generous and homemade, which is exactly what a holiday gift should feel like. For more vintage favorites, see our old-fashioned Christmas candy grandma made for pennies.

You will need: 24 ounces milk chocolate chips, 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts or almonds, 4 cups mini marshmallows, 1/2 teaspoon salt.

How to make it: 1. Melt the chocolate chips and butter in the slow cooker on LOW, about 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. 2. Turn off the slow cooker and let it cool 10 minutes so the marshmallows do not melt. 3. Fold in the nuts, salt and marshmallows. 4. Press into a parchment-lined 9×13 pan. 5. Chill 2 hours and cut into squares.

How to Pack Crockpot Christmas Candy for Gifts

The last step is the most fun: turning a counter full of candy into gifts. Line metal tins with parchment or wax paper and separate layers so clusters and fudge do not stick together. Put salty and sweet treats in different tins, since pretzels and caramel corn soften when packed next to fudge. Most crockpot Christmas candy keeps 2 to 3 weeks in a cool, dry spot. Add a handwritten tag naming each treat, and include a nut warning, since many of these recipes contain peanuts or tree nuts.

You will need: Metal cookie tins or mason jars, parchment or wax paper, mini paper candy cups, clear cellophane bags, ribbon or baker’s twine, gift tags and a marker.

How to make it: 1. Let all candy set completely, at least 1 hour, before packing. 2. Line each tin with parchment and set clusters in paper cups. 3. Separate layers with another sheet of parchment. 4. Pack crunchy treats in their own bags or jars. 5. Seal, tie with ribbon and label each tin with the treats inside and any nuts.