Homemade Chocolate Cashew Clusters are the easiest edible gifts or sweet and salty snacks to make using only 5 simple ingredients. These crunchy cashew and toffee bits candies are coated in melted chocolate and are a perfect no-bake confection that can be prepared in 5 minutes.
Homemade Candy: Chocolate Cashew Clusters
These easy-to-make Chocolate Cashew Clusters are a delicious sweet treat that adds a fun, festive flair to the traditional holiday dessert display, especially when you’ve had your fill of Christmas cookies. I LOVE the combination of rich, smooth chocolate and hard, buttery toffee bits that cover the outside of crunchy, slightly salty cashews–it’s the perfect contrast of textures and flavors that simply set into the tastiest, melt-in-your-mouth morsels.
Did you know that this delicious dessert has a healthy dose of nutrition in every bite? Dark chocolate is high in flavonoids and antioxidants and contains vitamins and minerals while cashews are rich in fiber, heart-healthy fats, and plant protein.
So this holiday season, let’s skip the customary cookie recipe and make this healthy-ish chocolate nut indulgence, because homemade sweets are always more satisfying and create pure holiday happiness in the form of a candy cluster!
Why We Love This Chocolate Cashew Clusters Recipe
- Quick and easy to make in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Delicious contrast of sweet and salty flavors with a satisfying crunch.
- Perfect for sharing as edible gifts during the holidays or for serving on a festive party platter.
- Fun to make with kids and enjoyable to eat by all.
- Gluten-free treat made with nutrient-dense ingredients.
- Easy to customize according to your taste preferences.
Ingredients / Shopping List
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Dark chocolate chips
- Roasted salted cashews
- English toffee bits
- Sea salt
- Sprinkles, optional garnish
Substitutions and Additions
- Choose Your Chocolate: Depending on your chocolate preference, you can use all semisweet chocolate chips, add or only use milk chocolate, or all dark chocolate, etc.
- Customize Your Cluster: Cashews are used in this recipe, but any assortment of nuts like almonds, pecans, peanuts, or walnuts will taste great!
- Christmas Clusters: For a festive flair, add some chopped dried cranberries, and sprinkle some red and green sprinkles or nonpareils on top.
- Chocolate Cashew Turtle Clusters: Swap the toffee for caramel bits to create a homemade “Turtle.”
- Change The Chip: You can add some peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, or mint chips for different pops of flavor.
- Fruit: Mixing in dried fruit like cranberries or blueberries will give this chocolate cashew cluster recipe a gourmet candy shop feel.
- Seeds: Add chia seeds, hemp seeds, or sunflower seeds for an extra boost of nutrition.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Large sheet pan
- Parchment paper (You can use wax paper or aluminum foil in a pinch)
- Double boiler
- Mixing tools
- Measuring tools
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How to Make the Cashew Clusters
Homemade Chocolate Cashew Clusters are the easiest edible gifts or sweet and salty snacks to make using only 5 simple ingredients. These crunchy cashew and toffee bits candies are coated in melted chocolate and are a perfect no-bake confection that can be prepared in 5 minutes.
- Melt the semi-sweet and dark chocolate chips together using either a double boiler or microwave.
Pro Tip: See FAQ for instructions on how to make your own double boiler. If you have an urgent need to cure a chocolate fix, use the microwave to melt the chocolate. If you want something a little fancier, you can slowly melt the chocolate using a double-boiler. This will give your clusters a little bit of a shine.
- Add cashews and toffee bits to melted chocolate and mix until nuts and toffee are completely chocolate covered.
Pro-Tip: If you want to use raw cashews instead of pre-roasted, you should roast them first until well toasted, allow them to cool, and then use them to create your chocolate clusters. - Scoop mixture into mounds and place on chilled sheet pan.
- Sprinkle with sea salt and sprinkles (optional).
Pro-Tip: Be sure to sprinkle the sea salt on as soon as you form the cluster on the parchment paper. If you wait too long you run the risk of the clusters hardening and the sea salt not sticking. - Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or let clusters set at room temperature for 45 minutes.
Pro Tip: Clusters should be hardened so that they stick together and the chocolate is solid. - Plate, serve, and enjoy!
Storage Tips
- To Store: You can store these Chocolate Cashew Clusters in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. I like to store them in the refrigerator to make sure the chocolate doesn’t melt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, if you are making these for a potluck or party, you can definitely double this recipe!
You can absolutely use different types of chocolate chips. I find that when using different varieties such as dark chocolate, I still need to add in some semi-sweet chocolate along with it as it has less fat content and will melt differently.
Yes, you can certainly use melting chocolate, but for this recipe it is so easy to use simple chocolate chips. Since you don’t have to worry about a smooth finish that melting chocolate provides, chocolate chips work just fine, especially because these clusters are bumpy!
A double boiler is a method of melting chocolate that keeps it from seizing or burning. You can buy a double boiler, or use items you already have in your kitchen to create your own double boiler.
In a small saucepan, pour about 1 cup of water in the bottom and place a larger, heatproof bowl on top. Place the chocolates in the heatproof bowl. Heat the water in the saucepan over the stovetop, with the bowl and chocolates on top. The steam from the boiling water in the saucepan will slowly heat and melt the chocolates in a way that will keep them from burning. Keep an eye on the temperature so that the water doesn’t boil out and burn you. It’s the surest way to melt chocolate, especially for those of us who dislike the microwave!
Other Easy Homemade Candy Recipes
- Tiger Butter Fudge
- Jello Divinity Candy
- DIY Peppermint Candy Spoons
- Jolly Rancher Shot Glass – an edible shot glass!
- DIY Peppermint Candy Bowls
- Old Fashioned Peanut Brittle
- Chocolate Turtles
- Crock Pot Candy
- Jello Roll Ups
Chocolate Cashew Clusters
Ingredients
- 12 ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 10 ounce bag dark chocolate chips
- 2 cups roasted salted cashews
- ½ cup English toffee bits
- Sea salt
- Sprinkles, optional garnish
Instructions
- Prepare a large sheet pan by lining it with parchment paper and setting it in the refrigerator to chill.
- Use a double boiler or microwave to melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips and dark chocolate chips together.
- Once the chocolate has completely melted, add in the cashews and toffee bits. Mix until the cashews and toffee bits are completely covered in chocolate.
- Use a 2-inch cookie scoop to scoop out mounds of the mixture onto the chilled sheet pan.
- Sprinkle it with sea salt and optional sprinkles.
- Let the clusters set by chilling them in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or by leaving it at room temperature for 45 minutes. They should be hardened so that they stick together and the chocolate is solid.
- Plate and serve.
Jenn’s Notes
- Be sure to sprinkle the sea salt on as soon as you form the cluster on the parchment paper. If you wait too long you run the risk of the clusters hardening and the sea salt not sticking.
- If you want to use raw cashews instead of pre-roasted, you should roast them first until well toasted, allow them to cool, and then use them to create your chocolate clusters.
- If you have an urgent need to cure a chocolate fix, use the microwave to melt the chocolate. If you want something a little fancier, you can slowly melt the chocolate using a double-boiler. This will give your clusters a little bit of a shine.
These Look GREAT Jennifer 👍🏼♥️Thank You FOR SHARING ❗️AND We DEFINITELY Like Dark Chocolate 🍫 BETTER And ALSO BC it’s Better For You 😊A Mixture IS GOOD. G-d♥️Bless