This week Mom and I decided we would share a no bake recipe which is perfect for the warm weather we are currently experiencing, no need to turn on the oven for this recipe. Although the recipe did not come from my grandmother’s recipe box it is near and dear to my heart.

One year for my birthday, I received a box of these crunchy chocolatey treats made by my best friend’s mother. She was an important figure in my childhood who unfortunately passed away in 2008. Her birthday would have been this week, she shared it with her daughter who is celebrating a milestone birthday this year! Happy Birthday friend! I love you so very much. Now when I have one of these treats, I think of the women I loved like an aunt and remember all the fun times we had.

By pure accident most of the baking recipes we have shared so far contain chocolate, but can you really go wrong with chocolate? The original recipe I got in that box all those years ago calls for chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanuts, and Chow Mein noodles, yes you read correctly, Chow Mein noodles. This is my favorite version of the recipe but when we were workshopping it for this post, we came up with two other flavour combinations.

Our first switch up contains sea salt caramel chips, mini chocolate chips, toasted pecans, and Chow Mein Noodles. I consider this version to be the elevated version of the original recipe and has become my family’s favorite. I still have a soft spot for the original but must admit this one is delicious. If you want to elevate it further try sprinkling some kosher salt on top before the clusters set.

The second switch up we did calls for white chocolate chips, toasted almonds, toasted shredded coconut and Chow Mein noodles. This combination tastes like a tropical version of almond bark, perfect for the summer.

We have been brainstorming so many different versions of this recipe. You too can switch it up based on your preferences. You might like less or more chocolate, or more nuts, or different chips, don’t be afraid to workshop this recipe yourselves!

When making these treats, we recommend breaking up the Chow Mein noodles to about half an inch in length. This makes it easier when you are scooping these treats out. Another tip is to not pile them up too high. In some of the pictures you will notice they are about an inch high, it made them a lot more difficult to eat, we got chocolate all over our faces. Trying piling them only half an inch high instead. If it’s hot out, like it has been this summer, consider storing them in the fridge. Finally, they taste way better after a few days so as difficult as it may seem wait until the next day or two before digging in, it is amazing how much the flavour develops.

We hope we have inspired you to try out this easy no bake recipe, fair warning, they are highly addictive.

Chocolate Butterscotch Clusters

1 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
¾ cups salted peanuts
2½ cups Chow Mein noodles

Salted Caramel Pecan Clusters

2 cups or 1 package (283g) sea salt caramel chips
⅓ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup toasted pecans roughly chopped
2½ cups Chow Mein noodles

White Chocolate Almond Clusters

1 package (225g) white chocolate chips
⅓ cup toasted slivered almonds
⅓ cup toasted shredded coconut
2½ cups Chow Mein Noodles

When you are using nuts or coconut in any recipe you should consider toasting them as this enhances the flavour. You can do this in the oven, or you can toast them in a pan over low heat stirring regularly. Keep a close eye on the pan as nuts can quickly go from toasted to burnt.

Break up the Chow Mein noodles until they are half an inch in length, combine them with the mixings of your choice in a large bowl.

To melt the chocolate, we recommend using a double boiler. If you do not have a double boiler, you can place a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir the chocolate constantly as it melts ensuring water or steam does not encounter the chocolate causing it to seize. When we remove the bowl from the pot, we wipe it down first so excess water doesn’t seize the chocolate when we go to pour it.

Pour the chocolate over your mixings and stir until evenly coated. If you are making the salted caramel version only melt the salted caramel chips, wait for it too cool slightly and pour over the mixings including the mini chocolate chips. Some of mini chips will melt and some will stay whole giving you a small bite of semisweet chocolate.

Using two spoons scoop the mixture onto parchment paper or a Silpat piling them no higher than half an inch. You can make them as big or small as you like. They rarely come out the same size and it’s messy work. If you are sprinkling kosher salt on the clusters do so before they set.

We like to place ours in the fridge to speed up the setting process and store them in the fridge to keep them from melting when the weather is warm. We hope you enjoy this delicious treats as much as we do!