Description
Scrumptious Christmas M&M Peanut Butter Clusters deliver festive cheer with minimal effort. Rich chocolate and colorful candies combine in an easy no-bake treat perfect for holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 cups (340 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup (170 g) white chocolate chips
- 1 cup roasted salted peanuts
- 1 cup Christmas-colored M&M candies
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) coconut oil or vegetable shortening (optional, for smoother melting)
Instructions
- Prep Surface: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to create a non-stick foundation for your clusters.
- Chocolate Fusion: Microwave chocolate chips and peanut butter in a bowl, stirring every 30 seconds until achieving a silky, homogeneous consistency.
- Cooling Interlude: Let the molten chocolate-peanut butter mixture rest for 2-3 minutes to prevent potential ingredient scorching.
- Nutty Integration: Fold roasted peanuts into the chocolate blend, ensuring comprehensive coating and even distribution.
- Festive Embellishment: Gently incorporate Christmas M&M candies throughout the mixture, maintaining their structural integrity.
- Cluster Formation: Utilize a spoon or cookie scoop to deposit uniform chocolate mounds onto the prepared baking sheet, creating artistic clusters.
- Decorative Finishing: Strategically place additional M&M candies atop each cluster for visual appeal and extra crunch.
- Solidification Phase: Refrigerate clusters for 15-20 minutes, allowing complete setting and texture stabilization.
- Storage Protocol: Transfer hardened clusters to an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper to prevent adhesion, and store in a cool environment for optimal preservation.
Notes
- Prevent Chocolate Burning: Stir melted chocolate at 30-second intervals to ensure smooth, even melting without scorching.
- Cooling Technique: Let melted chocolate mixture rest 2-3 minutes before adding ingredients to avoid potential candy discoloration or texture issues.
- Gentle Mixing Method: Fold peanuts and M&Ms carefully to maintain candy integrity and prevent breaking delicate chocolate coating.
- Storage Optimization: Use parchment paper between layers when storing to prevent clusters from sticking together and preserve their individual shape and texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 11
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 100 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg