Soft delicious caramel, salty cashews and a delicious coating of chocolate come together to make these fun bear claw candies. They are simple to make, cute and oh so tasty!
Cute and absolutely delicious, these bear paws are just begging you to make them. They are loaded with chewy caramel, crunchy cashews and coated in milk chocolate.
Don’t be surprised if they become your new favorite candy. Luckily they are easy to make, so whip some up today!
We are in prime candy making season right now. Homemade candies make a perfect gift for friends and neighbors.
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Of course candy makes a perfect addition to your dessert spread as well. These cute bear paws will be at home on your Christmas treat trays, but would really be fabulous any time of the year.
One of the things I love most about them is how balanced they are. They are sweet and a bit salty. They are chewy and a bit crunchy. Each ingredient and texture compliments the next wonderfully.
Making Chocolate Bear Claw Candy That Tastes Just Like See’s Candies
The best part is these tasty bear claws are relatively simple to make. Start by melting some chewy caramel candies with a bit of butter and cream.
The addition of butter and cream helps to give you that extra soft, gooey center rather than a hard and chewy caramel texture. It makes for an excellent mouthfeel while still getting all of that wonderful caramel flavor.
The cashews bring both depth of flavor and a crunchy salty kick to the party. I used the roasted and salted cashews that you find by the dry roasted peanuts etc. in the grocery store.
Once that is all mixed up, let it set for a minute or two to thicken back up. If you try to scoop it too soon the caramel may spread out on you. Slightly cooled caramel will give you a little more height to your finished paws.
Now it is important to get that caramel nice and chilled before you try to dip it. This will make everything much easier.
So freeze them for at least 10 minutes. Longer is fine too, but don’t try to rush it.
When the caramel is frozen, it will release from the wax or parchment paper much easier. Plus it will hold its shape while you coat it in chocolate.
Coating the Candy in Chocolate
Work quickly to coat the frozen caramel mounds in chocolate and add the cashew claws. You will find two things will happen if you don’t work quick.
The first is the chocolate sets quickly on the cold caramel, so you want to get the cashew claws on before it sets. The second is as the caramel starts to warm up, it is much harder to get off the wax paper.
Don’t let that deter you from giving these a go, they are still quite simple to make. I am just trying to help you avoid frustration!
Once the chocolate is completely set on the finished bear paws, you can remove them from the wax paper and store them in whatever container you like. They store well at room temperature and the caramel center is more fun to eat at room temperature as well.
Feel free to use a high quality compound chocolate, so you can dip your candies without tempering. Otherwise pick your favorite chocolate and temper away!
Of course there are several easy variations you could do on these fun bear claw candies. You could use white chocolate to make them polar bear claws or dark chocolate to make them black bear claws.
You could also use the same basic recipe and vary the nuts you use to make a variety of flavors. Use pecans for a delicious turtle candy or peanuts would be lovely as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of caramel should I use?
If you can find a one pound block of soft caramel, that is the easiest because you don’t have to unwrap individual caramels. Sometimes you can find caramel like that at specialty stores. Otherwise use about a bag and half of caramel squares (about 54 caramels) like Kraft caramel.
What kind of chocolate should I use?
I like using chocolate wafers that designed for making candies. That makes the process easy. You can find them at the grocery store and you don’t have to temper them. I have used dark, milk and white chocolate to make these bear claw candies and we have loved them all.
Double Boiler Tips
A double boiler is a perfect method to melt chocolate for dipping a variety of cookies and candies. Follow these tips for the best results.
- Make sure the bottom of the double boiler doesn’t touch the water below.
- Low and slow is the name of the game, the water should be steamy but not really boiling.
- Water is the enemy here, so make sure no steam or other water touches your chocolate as it melts.
- Once the chocolate is melted, you can turn the burner off. The residual heat from the hot water will help keep the chocolate warm without having to dodge the steam.
- If you don’t have a double boiler, you can use a metal or glass mixing bowl on top of a saucepan. You get the same effect and the same rules apply.
If you are looking for more fun and easy candy recipes, you may also like:
A deliciously treat, these chocolate peanut clusters are made in a slow cooker. They couldn’t be simpler to make and while they cook you can read the Christmas poem MiMi wrote!
Peanut butter Oreo truffles only take three ingredients to make. They are like Oreo balls, but with peanut butter and they are sooooo good!
Buckeyes, or chocolate dipped peanut butter balls are a classic holiday candy. They are really easy to put together and they look like a buckeye when they are done!
For a crunchy caramelly nut treat, try making pecan brittle in the microwave. Or make some caramel peanut balls if you your caramel on the softer side.
Do you have any must have candies you make for the holidays? Tell me what your favorites are in the comments and then give these a go!
Caramel and Cashew Bear Paws Candy
Ingredients
- 16 ounces chewy caramel candy
- 3 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1½ cups salted cashews roughly chopped
- 16 ounces chocolate
- 72 whole cashews for garnish
Instructions
- Line a cookie sheet or two with wax paper or parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan, slowly melt together butter, cream and caramel over low heat. Stir it frequently until it can be stirred smooth.16 ounces chewy caramel candy, 3 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream, 1 Tablespoon butter
- Remove from heat and stir in chopped cashews. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes or until slightly thickened.1½ cups salted cashews
- Scoop a Tablespoon or small cookie scoop worth of caramel mixture onto the wax or parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Continue scooping bits of caramel onto the sheets, leaving room in between until the caramel mixture is all used.
- Place sheet pans into freezer for at least 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt milk chocolate in a double boiler.16 ounces chocolate
- When the caramels are frozen, they should pull off the wax paper easily. Dip each one in the melted milk chocolate, using a fork to make sure they are completely covered. Tap the fork on the edge of the pan a couple of times to help extra chocolate run off and then place back on wax paper.
- Quickly place three cashews into chocolate to form bear claws.
- Continue until all candies are dipped.
- Allow to set completely and then store in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to serve.
Carlee
Wednesday 18th of December 2019
Thank you!
Jayleigh
Monday 2nd of December 2019
Oh, I cannot wait to get my paws on these! They're a blend of my favorite flavors. Thank you soooo much for posting the recipe, and for all the hard work you put in to make your website so wonderful! We absolutely love you! :o )
Carlee
Wednesday 18th of December 2019
Thank you soooo much!
Andrea Nine
Monday 2nd of December 2019
Yum! Gimmie those cashews! That nut is the BEST with caramel and chocolate.
Carlee
Wednesday 18th of December 2019
It is such a simple but delicious combination!