These Dark Chocolate Cashew Clusters with Sea Salt are made with only 3 ingredients and are to die for! An easy & healthy treat for the holidays!
There are only 10 {TEN!} days until Christmas Eve! Can you believe it?! We have been enjoying the season so much this year that I wish I could slow down time for the next week and a half. We’ve also been making {and eating} our fair share of yummy Christmas treats, like these Dark Chocolate Cashew Clusters with Sea Salt!
When it comes to candy, I am about as plane-Jane as they come. You’ll usually find me reaching for pure dark chocolate, or some sort of nut covered in dark chocolate. One of my all-time favorites are Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Cashews from a place in Chicago called Standard Market. It’s the #1 foodie destination I must visit when we fly home, and I always pick up a container of them!
Since we didn’t travel back to Chicago for the holidays, I’ve been recreating many of my favorite candies of the season at home. And these Dark Chocolate Cashew Clusters with Sea Salt did not disappoint! They are made with only three ingredients and are the perfect combination of sweet and salty. They’re the perfect holiday treat for anyone on your guest list because they’re vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free and can also be paleo & refined sugar free too! 
How to make Dark Chocolate Cashew Clusters with Sea Salt
This recipe only has three ingredients, so it’s fairly simple, but here are a few tips to get them just right!
- Temper the chocolate. I discovered a method of tempering chocolate in the microwave that has changed my candy-making life. Simply warm the chocolate for 60 seconds, then 60 more until almost all the of it is melted. Then stir until it’s completely smooth and let it cool back down to 90 degrees F before using it in the recipe! This method has resulted in the most beautifully shiny chocolate with the best texture! If you don’t really care about shine, you can simply melt the chocolate and proceed with the recipe, however I think it’s totally worth it.
- Size. Be mindful of the size of your Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Cashew Clusters! At first I used a 1 TBS measure to make the clusters but they were much too large for my liking! So I switched to 1/2 TBS and they were perfect! Choose a size that you love!
- Topping. Be sure to sprinkle the sea salt on as soon as you form the cluster on the waxed paper! If you wait too long you run the risk of the clusters hardening and the sea salt not sticking!
Dark Chocolate Cashew Clusters with Sea Salt: Substitutions
There are only three ingredients here, but there actually are a couple substitutions that can be made!
- Dark Chocolate. I used an 85% Colombian chocolate {from the bulk bins at Sprouts} that I chopped before melting and it was amazingly rich and dark. However, if you’re used to sweeter treats I’d recommend using a chocolate that is in the 60-70% dark range.
- To make the recipe paleo: Use unsweetened chocolate and add 1-2 TBS of honey or maple syrup (to taste) when it’s melted in the microwave. This will ensure your coating is refined-sugar free!
- Cashews. Any nut can be used in this recipe. The two I recommend most highly are cashews and almonds! I prefer salted nuts to add to the sweet/salty goodness of these beauties!
- Sea salt. I really don’t think this ingredient is optional. I use this flaky sea salt and LOVE it. You can also add crushed cashews or festive sprinkles if you desire!
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Dark Chocolate Cashew Clusters with Sea Salt
Ingredients
- 1 cup (8 oz) dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup roasted, salted cashews
- flaked sea salt (for sprinkling)
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Set aside.
- Microwave chocolate for 1 minute.
- Stir and microwave for 60 more seconds until most of the chocolate is melted (but not all of it).
- Stir until all the chocolate is melted.
- Let the melted chocolate cool to 90 degrees F, stirring occasionally to speed up the process.
- Once chocolate reaches 90 degrees F, stir in the cashews
- Drop mixture by in ½ TBS portions (about 3-4 cashews per scoop) on to the prepared baking sheet
- Sprinkle with sea salt and let stand at room temperature until hardened.
Nutrition
There is no way you will be able to eat just one of these Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Cashew Clusters {I know from experience}! 😉
Do you have a favorite homemade candy that you make every Christmas?
Missy
I’m all about Christmas candy over cookies this year! These sound amazing, especially since cashews are my all time fave. I’ve got a dark chocolate bark with gingerbread and toffee you should check out too (www.behindtheplates.com). Happy Holidays!
Jennifer Bliss
I can’t express how YUM these are! WOW! They look, sound, and I KNOW they will be GREAT!
Emily Swanson
We love to make buckeyes and toffee and sometimes peanut brittle for Christmas, but my new favorite is your cookie dough cups; I made them yesterday and they’re so delicious. I have to tell you that I LOVE chocolate too, and I love that you’re doing so many chocolate Christmas candy recipes.