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Making your own small batch of chocolate candy is both simple and satisfying. With just rich chocolate chips and crunchy nuts, you can create delicious bite-sized treats perfect for snacking, adding to a dessert table, or gifting. This easy recipe proves that the best treats often come from the simplest ingredients.
Looking for more irresistible small batch candy recipes? Try our buttery Pralines, creamy Microwave Fudge, rich Peanut Butter Fudge, festive Rum Balls, and decadent Chocolate Truffles!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy: Ready in less than 20 minutes, including chill time.
- Customizable: Add your favorite nuts, seeds, or dried fruits to make it your own.
- Simple Ingredients: Requires just two main ingredients—no fuss.
- Versatile Treat: Great for gifting, snacking, or serving at gatherings.
- Easily Scalable: Need more? Double or triple the recipe effortlessly.
Picture bite-sized chocolate clusters that are as simple as they are delicious.
These easy treats come together by melting your favorite chocolate and mixing in a handful of crunchy add-ins. The result is a small batch of sweet, creamy, and crunchy candies that are pure chocolate perfection.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small batch chocolate candies recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Chocolate Chips: Use your favorite type of chocolate chips. Dark chocolate creates a deeper, richer flavor, while milk chocolate adds extra sweetness. If you have leftovers, consider using them in recipes like Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Lava Cake, or Brookies!
- Nuts: Pecans, peanuts, or walnuts work wonderfully in this recipe, adding a satisfying crunch. If you don’t have nuts on hand, try substituting with dried fruit, candy sprinkles, or granola for a fun and unique twist.
Recipe Variations
Want to change things up? Here are some easy ideas to try:
- Macadamia Nut and Sea Salt: Add macadamia nuts and sprinkle a little sea salt for a sweet and salty treat.
- Spicy Chocolate Clusters: Mix in a pinch of cayenne pepper for a touch of heat.
- Chocolate and Fruit: Toss in dried cranberries or raisins for a pop of sweetness.
- Coffee-Infused Chocolate: Stir in a bit of instant coffee granules for a mocha-inspired flavor.
How To Make Chocolate Candy
These step-by-step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make a small batch of chocolate candy. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Measure the Chocolate Chips: Start by measuring 1 cup of chocolate chips.
- Melt the Chocolate: Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe glass bowl. Glass helps distribute heat evenly, reducing the risk of burning. Microwave the chocolate in 20-second intervals, stirring after each round until smooth and fully melted.
Pro Tip: If using a chocolate bar instead of chips, chop it into small, evenly-sized pieces for consistent melting.
- Mix in Add-Ins: Stir 1/2 cup of your choice of nuts, dried fruit, or other mix-ins into the melted chocolate.
- Shape the Candies: Spoon the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Create individual clusters or spread it out to break into pieces later.
- Chill: Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and let the candies chill until firm.
Expert Tips
- Use Good Chocolate: Choose high-quality chocolate for the best flavor. It makes a big difference in how rich and smooth your candy turns out.
- Microwave Melting: Melt the chocolate in short bursts, stirring after every 20 seconds. This helps prevent overheating and keeps the chocolate from seizing.
- Coat Mix-Ins Evenly: Stir your add-ins thoroughly to ensure every piece is coated with chocolate. This guarantees balanced flavor and texture in every bite.
Serving Suggestions
- Dessert Garnish: Use the candies as an elegant garnish for desserts like a slice of cheesecake, in a trifle, or a bowl of vanilla pudding.
- Trail Mix Twist: Break the candies into smaller pieces and add them to a homemade trail mix with dried fruits, nuts, and seeds for a sweet and crunchy snack.
- Party Favors: Wrap each chocolate candy in colorful cellophane or place them in mini treat bags to give as party favors or holiday gifts.
- S’mores Alternative: Use the candies instead of a chocolate bar in your s’mores for a fun twist on the classic treat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Microwave the chocolate in short 20-second intervals, stirring well after each one. Stop microwaving when the chocolate is mostly melted and stir to finish melting the remaining pieces.
Absolutely. Use a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water to gently melt the chocolate, stirring constantly.
Store the chocolate candies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three weeks to keep them fresh.
Sprinkle the tops with colored sugar, edible glitter, or drizzle with a contrasting melted chocolate or caramel for decoration.
Absolutely! This recipe scales up easily. Just make sure you have enough space on your baking sheet to let the candies set.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
RELATED: 20 Single Serving Breakfast Recipes
If you’ve made this easy chocolate candy recipe or tried any recipe from One Dish Kitchen, I’d love to hear your feedback! Please rate the recipe and share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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Small Batch Chocolate Candy
Ingredients
- 1 cup chocolate chips (use semi-sweet, dark chocolate, or milk chocolate)
- ½ cup nuts (pecans, peanuts, or use your favorite chopped nuts or trail mix)
Instructions
- Melt the Chocolate: Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring well after each one. Stop microwaving when the chocolate is mostly melted, then stir until the remaining chips are completely melted and smooth.
- Add the Nuts: Stir the nuts into the melted chocolate until evenly coated.
- Form the Clusters: Drop heaping tablespoon-sized portions of the chocolate mixture onto a small, lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
- Chill the Clusters: Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, or until the clusters are firm.
- Store: Transfer the chocolate clusters to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Notes
- Use Good Chocolate: Choose high-quality chocolate for the best flavor. It makes a big difference in how rich and smooth your candy turns out.
- Microwave Melting: Melt the chocolate in short bursts, stirring after every 20 seconds. This helps prevent overheating and keeps the chocolate from seizing.
- Coat Mix-Ins Evenly: Stir your add-ins thoroughly to ensure every piece is coated with chocolate. This guarantees balanced flavor and texture in every bite.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Out of curiosity, how can I correctly make “Mint Chocolate Chips” from this recipe to then add to the “Mint Chocolate Chip” ice cream recipe?
Mint chocolate chip ice cream is my favorite that I buy a lot but due to losing my job, I have to stay on a budget.
All your recipes are very good that I made so many batches of cookies as my Christmas gifts to my family!
I’m so glad to hear you’ve been enjoying the recipes, and it’s wonderful that you shared your homemade cookies as Christmas gifts! Making mint chocolate chips at home is a great idea to keep enjoying your favorite mint chocolate chip ice cream while staying budget-friendly. To experiment with making mint chocolate chips from our Chocolate Candy recipe, you can try infusing the chocolate with a mint flavor and then shaping it into chocolate chunks. Although I haven’t personally tested this modification, here’s a suggested approach:
Begin by preparing the Chocolate Candy recipe. When your chocolate is melted and ready, stir in a couple of drops of peppermint extract to add the minty taste. Be careful with the amount, as peppermint extract is quite potent. If the chocolate seems too thick after adding the extract, a small amount of vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil (maybe 1/2 teaspoon) can help to smooth it out.
Pour the flavored chocolate onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, spreading it thin. Place it in the refrigerator to set. Once firm, break the chocolate into small pieces. For more evenly shaped chips, consider scoring the chocolate when it’s partially set. These homemade mint chocolate chips should then be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They can be a unique addition to your Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. This method is untested, so feel free to adjust and experiment to get your perfect mint chocolate chips!
I have to chuckle. People really need a recipe for these?
I’ve said it a million times… not everyone knows what you know and some folks are searching for “how to make x” on the internet. I try to share recipes for all levels of cook.
Thank you, Ms Joanie, for that response! (Just loved it)
I use sugar free chocolate chips,nuts and salted pretzels!
I made these with red vanilla coating chocolate, some pecans, craisins, a few pieces of broken savory butter pretzels and a little coconut. They are fantastic!!!
I made these as gifts for years. I put in whatever hit me at the time (I usually did multiple batches and mixed up kinds for each person). Add-ins included nuts, dried fruit, crumbled potato chips or pretzels, mashed up hard candies (stonger tasting ones are better than milder and make sure not to have pieces big enough that it has to be chewed–you don’t want your gift to break someone’s tooth). When doing a small amount I would put some chocolate chips in a single serve microwave proof ceramic dessert dish. After the chocolate was melted, I stirred in whatever I was putting in until I thought there was a good ratio. I dropped by sm. spoonfuls onto a waxed paper lined pan. That made more pieces than using the usual recommended tablespoon. In today’s world where many people are trying to cut down on sugar, people seemed to like the smaller candy.
Made these with walnuts. Very easy and tasted great.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the candies. Thank you so much for your feedback.
mine seems to be soft, chocolate on fingers when eating, what do I do wrong? is there a difference in chips. I used Milk choc. were delicious
Hi Ethel, although I prefer using semi sweet chocolate chips in this recipe, I have used milk chocolate chips without any problem. I’m thinking that the candies needed to be refrigerated for a longer period of time. Perhaps they didn’t cool long enough to set and that’s why they were soft. I am glad they tasted good though 🙂
When you don’t temper the chocolate, this will sometimes happen. Milk chocolate melts easier than darker chocolate, both when melting for the recipe and after the candies are made. I do an in-exact tempering when making candies like these. I chop a small amount of chips into smaller pieces and add to the melted chocolate, stir in until melted and then test by putting a small amount just above my upper lip–it should feel neutral (not warm or cold). This often works to temper the chocolate, but not always. You can look up on-line how to temper chocolate if you want to be sure it works.
Can I use wax or parchment paper to line the tray?
Yes, either is fine.
I also put a little peanut butter in when melting.
Yum! These look delicious. Thanks for sharing.