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I tore the November page off of my desk calendar last night. I’ve been staring at a gigantic diet coke stain for about 2 weeks and couldn’t take it anymore. Although I’m a couple of days early, seeing December in big, bold letters across my desk made me feel flustered and anxious.

In theory, the holidays really shouldn’t be all that stressful, but let’s face it – they are. My holiday to-do list is a mile long. The rational side of me knows that I’ll never accomplish everything on it, but the go-getter in me forces me to give it one hell of a shot.


Because I know how crazy December can be, I decided to create a variety of recipes to share with you. Some will be a little more involved, but others will be incredibly simple like these Caramel Cashew Clusters. My hope is to arm you with a vast array of holiday recipes that will get you through any cookie swap, gift exchange, holiday party, or emotional eating extravaganza.

Today’s post is all about simplicity. These Cashew Clusters only require a few ingredients; they come together in minutes and always end up disappearing just as quickly as you made them. I hope you adore this sweet and salty holiday candy as much as we do.

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Caramel Cashew Clusters

By: Jamie
4.67 from 3 votes
Prep: 20 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 20

Ingredients

  • 30 individually wrapped caramels unwrapped {about 8 ounces}
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cup salted cashews coarsely chopped
  • ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable shortening

Instructions 

  • 1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
  • 2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine caramels and cream. While stirring constantly, heat mixture until caramels are fully melted. Remove pan from heat.
  • 3. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the vanilla and cashews until they are thoroughly mixed into the melted caramels.
  • 4. Spray a small or medium cookie scoop with non-stick cooking spray and scoop the caramel-cashew mixture 2 inches apart onto the prepared pan. If you prefer a more symmetrically shaped cluster, use your fingers to mold this caramel. Repeat with rest of mixture.
  • 5. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate and shortening until smooth stirring every 30 seconds or so.
  • 6. Drizzle melted chocolate over clusters. See recipe notes for storage information.

Notes

- The clusters are sticky, so you'll want to store them on parchment in the refrigerator. Leave them on the parchment and remove them to room temperature about 30 minutes before serving.
- Definitely feel free to experiment with the type of nuts that you use. Salted pecans or peanuts would be delicious.
- Love chocolate? You can definitely cover these completely with chocolate, you'll just have to play around with the proportions a bit. We prefer them with just a drizzle.

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50 Comments

  1. charlie says:

    dude. whoa.
    so, I tried to post just the above thing and some robot said my comment was “a bit too short” so I wrote all this when what I really just wanted to say was:

    dude. whoa.

    1. Jamie says:

      Ha! Well thanks for the extended comment and the dude. whoa. I appreciate them both!
      -Jamie

  2. Kim says:

    Well oh my these look so good. May have to had these to my goodie tins this Christmas.

  3. Jan says:

    Jamie, those look incredible; the photograph is phenomenal.
    I felt my jeans shrink a size just looking at them!!! Can’t wait
    to try this recipe! Thank you!

  4. Ann P. says:

    Cashews are great because they’re probably one of the sweeter nuts. But their salty taste pairs perfectly with chocolate!! these little clusters are so cute, and great for giving away to friends! :) great post!

  5. Leah @ Freutcake says:

    Oh yum! Those look buttery and delicious!

  6. Amber says:

    I’ll say it again. I want to eat these in my mouth. Right now. Must get some cashews.

  7. Lottie @ Lottiesworldofcakes says:

    These look so delicious!!

  8. Mercedes@Satisfy My Sweet Tooth says:

    I have been looking for a good turtle recipe and I think I will adapt this one and use it with pecans for my turtles! Thanks for sharing!

  9. Paula says:

    These must be absolutely delicious!

  10. Heather Taylor @ Kids in the Sink says:

    These look great! I’m trying to come up with a list of things to make as gifts from the kitchen for this Christmas. Do these get sticky after coming back to room temperature from the fridge? I’m just wondering how they would do as part of the gift.

    1. Jamie says:

      Heather-
      They get a bit sticky if they sit out for too long. I recommend that you package and serve them on parchment.
      -Jamie