These decadent Chocolate Caramel Cashew Clusters are filled with gooey caramel and covered with espresso infused dark chocolate. An easy treat with just 4 ingredients! An easy holiday treat you’ll want to eat all year round.
Chocolate and caramel is one of my favorite combinations. And these cashew clusters are one of my favorite treats because not only does it have the caramel and the chocolate, it’s also got cashews for crunch and espresso to amp up the flavor. And hey, I’m not going to complain about the caffeine buzz either! (These Paleo Chocolate Espresso Truffles are awesome for the same reason.)
Why You Need These Cashew Clusters in Your Life
Yes, that’s a big statement but I guarantee you will swoon over these bad boys!
- Homemade candy, but EASY. You don’t need candy thermometers or special equipment for these cashew clusters since we’re not making our own caramel from scratch. That also means they’re done in just 20 minutes!
- Only 4 simple ingredients. Well, 5 if you include the salt, but I bet you have that in your kitchen already.
- Great for gifting. Add these to your Christmas cookie tins, pack them in boxes for a teachers’ gift, or just make them as a gift to yourself! You deserve it.
What You’ll Need
You are only a handful of ingredients away from these decadent espresso cashew clusters! Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Whole cashews – For awesome crunch. You can use raw or roasted, depending on your preference.
- Soft chewy caramels – Like the kind you melt for making caramel apples.
- Dark melting chocolate wafers – These melt more smoothly than chocolate chips.
- Ground espresso – For some pep in your step.
- Sea salt – Flaky sea salt is the perfect finishing touch.
How to Make Cashew Clusters
Here’s how easy it is to make these chewy, crunchy, and decadent cashew clusters!
- Prep the cashews. Divide the cashews into about 20 portions on a parchment-lined baking sheets. Pile 5 to 7 cashews together closely for each portion. (In other words, make a cluster!)
- Melt the caramels. Melt the unwrapped caramels in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments, stirring between each.
- Add the caramel. Divide the melted caramel onto the cashew clusters, drizzling it so the caramel is touching all of the cashews in each cluster, which holds them together.
- Set. Place the pan in the fridge and chill for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate. Add the chocolate wafers to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate in 30-second increments, stirring after each. Once the chocolate is melted, stir in the espresso.
- Coat the clusters. Add the cashew clusters to the chocolate and stir to coat.
- Finish. Transfer the clusters to the parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle salt on top if you’d like. Return to the fridge to set.
Tips and Variations
I have a few more notes on these cashew clusters to help you make sure they turn out perfect!
- Don’t overcook the chocolate. Be sure to stir it after each 30 second interval. Near the end, there might still be chunks of unmelted chocolate in the bowl, but once you stir, they’ll melt.
- Make them without espresso. No need to replace it with anything! They’ll still be delicious.
- Swap the dark chocolate for milk chocolate. For a creamier, milkier chocolate coating.
- Try another nut. You can swap in pecans, walnuts, almonds, or peanuts—or use a combination.
How to Store
Store these caramel cashew clusters in an airtight container at room temperature with parchment paper between the layers. They’ll last about 2 weeks (if you don’t eat them first!).
More Recipes for Chocolate Lovers
Chocolate Caramel Cashew Clusters
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 20 clusters 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Chilled
- Cuisine: American
Description
These decadent Chocolate Caramel Cashew Clusters are filled with gooey caramel and covered with espresso infused dark chocolate. An easy treat with just 4 ingredients!
Ingredients
- 1 cup of whole cashews
- 8 oz. soft chewy caramels
- 14 oz. dark melting chocolate wafers
- 1 1/2 tablespoon ground espresso
- sea salt to garnish
Instructions
- Place parchment paper on a baking sheet.
- Form 20 stacks with of 5-7 cashews in each, piled up.
- Unwrap caramels and place in a microwave safe bowl. Place in microwave and melt in 30 second increments until melted and smooth. Stirring the entire time.
- Once the caramel is smooth. Add a scoop of caramel to each pile of cashews. Try to make sure that the caramel touches each of the cashews in the pile so it holds together.
- When finished with the caramel, put them in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes so the caramel hardens.
- Add melting wafers to a medium sized microwave safe bowl. Melt chocolate in 30 seconds increments, stirring throughout. Once the chocolate is melted, add espresso to the chocolate and stir to combine.
- Add the cashew clusters to the bowl of chocolate and completely coat. (I used two spoons to do this).
- Place chocolate covered clusters back on parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- {Optional} sprinkle with sea salt
- Place in refrigerator to harden up.
- Devour!
24 comments on “Chocolate Caramel Cashew Clusters”
Hi! These look delicious, I was wondering if you could tell me what kind of ground espresso you used? Thank you! Looking forward to making these!!
Hey Victoria, I use Cafe bustelo, you can get it at most grocery stores.
These look devine! Do.i need to keep it in the fridge?
Thanks Jana. And no you don’t need to keep them in the frig. Just until they harden then you can keep them out. 🙂
These are like the queen of all nut clusters. Espresso and cashews and chocolate and sea salt, I mean, what more can a girl ask for!? Totally drooling over the photos alone!
haha… I know right! I could slather that espresso chocolate all over me! Sooo good!
Should this be instant espresso powder? Won’t the grinds give an off putting texting or taste?
Nope! I purchased it already ground and it is extremely fine so you see the specks of espresso but don’t get the texture 🙂
These look insanely delicious! And I love the addition of espresso – yum!
Thanks Laura, the espresso in these is awesome!
These sound amazing! I can’t turn down anything with espresso in it!
haha.. I’m with ya!
Swooning already! I KNEW there was a reason I picked up 30 pounds of Guittard chocolate last week – cashew clusters, here I come! 🙂
haha… yup. That chocolate and these recipe were meant to be friends!
No one has decorated by my house yet, but they lit the big tree downtown! It’s about time to start decorating!!
Agreed! We usually start the day after Thanksgiving.
Oh my! If I made these I do not think I would every stop eating them!
Agreed… and I haven’t. hehe
These little clusters look like chocolate caramel perfection!
Amen to that!
I am all about these! Love anything espresso and chocolate. Bonus points if it’s candy. 🙂
hahah… I think we need to be friends!
Oh these look so incredibly delicious!!
Thank you so much Amanda!