Pecan Caramel Clusters – My Baking Habit

Pecan caramel clusters come along with only a handful of elements for a straightforward sweet that’s candy, a bit salty, and completely excellent for present giving.

Having a candy-loving husband and youngsters signifies that Mama’s sweet stash isn’t actually Mama’s sweet stash – it’s extra of a household stash.

And I’m completely effective with that… till somebody eats my final bitter gummy.

Then Mama contemplates inserting all of the sweet right into a decoy bag of kale chips. As a result of let’s be trustworthy right here, nobody in my household is crunching on kale chips.

They’re simply not the identical as common chips, irrespective of how exhausting you attempt to persuade me.

Two varieties of candies stay untouched by Elle and Eric. Black licorice and caramel.

Okay, so I completely get the black licorice factor as a result of it’s positively not for everybody. However I LOVE it. A lot in order that I used to be the child on the grocery retailer checkout begging her mother for containers of Good & A lot and consuming all of the black jelly beans from everybody’s Easter baskets.

However caramel? Come on now, caramel is EVERYTHING.

So, clearly there’s something deeply flawed with each Elle and Eric as a result of they each detest that candy, buttery taste as a lot as I detest tomatoes.

Whether or not it’s in a froo-froo espresso drink, or a cheapo field of goodies from the pharmacy, one factor is for sure – I’m all the time going with caramel if it’s an choice.

Like salted caramel brownies. And caramel pecan bars. And salted caramel pretzel cookies.

And I might just about drink my salted caramel sauce. However I gained’t, as a result of I really feel like I’d find yourself in an ultra-sticky scenario.

However I 100% eat it straight from a spoon. No disgrace in my recreation, buddies.

I first made these pecan caramel clusters after making an attempt one thing comparable from our native chocolate store. They have been so, so good, I knew I needed to remake them at residence.

After I inform you this recipe is simple, I imply it. You actually solely want handful of elements.

Oh, and parchment paper. As a result of caramel is sticky.

Fast and straightforward pecan caramel clusters

Should you’ve ever had chocolate turtles, then you definitely already know what these pecan caramel clusters style like! They’ve the entire parts of chocolate turtles, however in a faster and simpler kind.

When making these clusters, we don’t have to fret about shaping them to appear to be turtles and even totally coating them in chocolate. 

As an alternative, we’ll combine the caramel and pecans collectively, spoon that combination out onto parchment, after which drizzle the tops in melted chocolate.

They’re nonetheless wonderful and scrumptious and excellent for gifting, however the course of is less complicated. Which is ideal for the vacations when everyone seems to be so busy, proper??

Easy methods to make pecan caramel clusters

Although they’re straightforward to make, these pecan caramel clusters look actually fairly. So nobody will guess they solely took you a matter of minutes to make! 

Components you’ll want

To make these scrumptious little clusters, you will have:

• 11 ounces caramel squares (unwrapped)
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups pecan halves, coarsely chopped
• ½ teaspoon sea salt (use much less if you happen to aren’t a fan of salted caramel)
• 1/4 cup semi-sweet or darkish chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon shortening or coconut oil
• further flaky sea salt for sprinkling on prime (non-obligatory)

If unwrapping 30-something caramel squares isn’t accessible for you (otherwise you simply don’t wish to do it), be happy to make use of an 11-ounce bag of Kraft Caramel Bits as a substitute. 

I loooove salted caramel, so I like to make use of 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt within the clusters and add a bit extra flaky sea salt on prime. Should you aren’t a giant salted caramel fan, be happy to scale back the salt to 1/4 teaspoon.

You should utilize semi-sweet or darkish chocolate chips on these clusters – go together with your private favourite!

The chocolate will get melted with 1 teaspoon of shortening or coconut oil. I do know that doesn’t look like a lot, however it’ll make a giant distinction within the texture of the melted chocolate and the way simply it may be drizzled over the clusters. So don’t skip it!

Making this recipe

Earlier than you begin, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

To make the caramel base, soften the caramels and the heavy cream over medium-low warmth, stirring consistently. As soon as the caramels are totally melted, take the pan off the warmth.

Stir within the vanilla, pecans, and salt till effectively mixed. 

Now it’s time to scoop this combination onto the lined baking sheet. To do that, I wish to spray a small (1 tablespoon) cookie scoop with nonstick spray and use that to portion the caramel combination onto the tray.

The caramel will unfold some, so be sure to depart a few inches between every cluster. You must get 16-18 clusters from this combination.

Now combine the chocolate and shortening/coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave till easy, stirring each 30 seconds.

Drizzle the chocolate over the clusters. Should you’d like, go forward and sprinkle the tops with some additional sea salt.

Pop the pan into the fridge to set the clusters earlier than serving.

Storage ideas

These pecan caramel clusters are sticky, so I like to recommend storing them on parchment paper within the fridge. Line the underside of a tin or hermetic container with parchment and place the clusters on prime.

If you might want to layer them, be sure to put a chunk of parchment between the layers.

You possibly can additionally place the clusters in mini cupcake liners. That may mean you can straightforward seize them out and place them on serving platters for a celebration.

Earlier than serving, let the clusters relaxation at room temperature for about half-hour. It will permit the caramel to melt simply sufficient in order that it isn’t too exhausting to eat!