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Whip & Wander

Paleo Cockroach Clusters

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Paleo Cockroach Clusters on a white plate with a book

“Reckon Fred’d take a bit of Cockroach Cluster if I told him they were peanuts?“—Ron Weasley, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Do Cockroach Clusters contain real Cockroaches?

In the world of Harry Potter, Cockroach Clusters are likely made from actual candied clusters of cockroaches otherwise Ron wouldn’t have been tempted to dupe his brother Fred into eating them. In my world, I’ve swapped the bugs for a mix of crunchy pecans, creamy nut butter, chocolate, and naturally sweet dates and honey.

closeup of Paleo Cockroach Clusters on a white plate

Easy peasy, cockroach squeezie

I highly recommend making these Cockroach Clusters in a food processor rather than a blender because the width of the bowl will allow you to better see when the mixture has reached the correct consistency. Your mixture should be quite crumbly and sticky; several levels courser than a thick nut butter. To shape the Cockroach Clusters, I use a tbsp measuring spoon of mix and squeeze gently to shape into an oblong form slightly larger than the pecan half that goes on top.

If you’d like to fully dip these beauties in chocolate you can, but I prefer to simply pour chocolate over the top of each with a spoon instead. Not only does this method save you ample time and considerably limit the mess, it also saves you from fishing bits of “cockroach” out of the bowl of melted chocolate if anything breaks off during impact with the hot mixture. I also just really like the look of the insides peeking out between the chocolate drip on the sides. This method makes them look less like a stuffy truffle and more like a whimsical confection you might find in the wizarding world.

processs shot of Paleo Cockroach Clusters before they've been topped with chocolate

No double-boiler? No problem

I don’t have a double boiler, but melting chocolate is super easy. Add 2 inches of water to a medium saucepan and place a heat-proof glass bowl over the top. Choose one that is large enough that it does not touch the water, but hovers above. Turning the heat to medium-low, melt the chocolate slowly, stirring occasionally and turning the heat down if the water begins to bubble.

process shot of Paleo Cockroach Clusters with melted chocolate

closeup of Paleo Cockroach Clusters with melted chocolate

sideview of Cockroach Clusters with melted chocolate

A note for special diets

These Cockroach Clusters are grain-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free and friendly for Paleo and SIBO diets. These technically fall within macros for a Keto diet as well coming it at 6 net carbs per cluster.

In addition to the pecans, I also use nut butter in this recipe. Almond butter is a great option if you’re strict Paleo; if you’re not, peanut butter is my favorite option.

LOOKING FOR MORE HARRY POTTER CONTENT?

I’m celebrating Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling’s birthdays on July 31st by filling the month with all things Potter. Check back regularly this month to see additional Harry Potter recipes and content linked HERE.

Cockroach Clusters on a white plate with a harry potter book

closeup of nut clusters with chocolate and pecans

nut clusters with chocolate and pecans on a white surface

A white plate with nut clusters and chocolate and pecans on a teal towel

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Cockroach Nut Clusters on a white platter with a dark teal towel and a harry potter book

Paleo Cockroach Clusters

★★★★★ 5 from 31 reviews
  • Author: Whip & Wander
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hours 25 minutes
  • Yield: 30 clusters 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: British
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Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper.
  2. Add pecans, nut butter, almond flour, raw honey, putted dates, vanilla, cinnamon, and sea salt to a food processor. Pulse until mixture is combined and looks coarse and crumbly. Be careful not to overblend or you will end up with nut butter.
  3. Shape the Cockroach Clusters into 1 tbsp mounds. Squeeze gently to shape into an oblong form, slightly larger than the pecan half you will top them with and place on the lined cookie sheet.
  4. Place in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
  5. Once frozen, prepare the chocolate. Add 2 inches of water to a medium saucepan and place a heat-proof glass bowl over the top. Choose one that is large enough that it does not touch the water, but hovers above. Turning the heat to medium-low, melt the chocolate, coconut oil, and stevia slowly, stirring occasionally and turning the heat down if the water begins to bubble.
  6. Once the chocolate is melted and glossy, use a spoon to drizzle the tops of each cluster with chocolate to your liking. Press a pecan half gently into the top while the chocolate is still warm.
  7. Place the clusters back in the freezer to allow the chocolate to solidify.
  8. Cockroach clusters should be stored in the freezer. They are lovely frozen or slightly thawed, but should not be kept at room temperature for long periods of time or the chocolate becomes quite messy.

Notes

Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cluster
  • Calories: 135
  • Sugar: 5 g
  • Sodium: 27 mg
  • Fat: 10 g
  • Saturated Fat: 2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 8 g
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Protein: 3 g

Reader Interactions

Comments

  7. Alexis

    Oh my goodness, you had me at chocolate and nuts. These are definitely going on our treat list for the week and I love that they are healthy for my family. Thank you.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  8. Meredith

    My boys would love these “cockroach” clusters! We are all about creating snacks inspired by our favorite stories right now. Pinning to try very soon, thanks!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  10. Waz

    Yay, another Harry Potter themed treat! I completely forgot about this from the Prisoner of Azkaban. Yours look and sound much more delicious than what Ron had in mind. 😉

    Reply

  14. Anna

    These are so fun. They seriously look like cockroaches. When I saw the title of your post I thought, no way! Haha…these would be perfect for Halloween and I love that they’re paleo.

    Reply

  18. jaimee

    how creative! all my favorite things into one little treat. i’m not a harry potter fan but i could definitely see myself making these. thank you for explaining the process so well too! xo.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  32. Karyl Henry

    These are such a fun idea! And you could defininitely use them as a Halloween “trick” on the kids, to see if they believe they’re really cockroaches 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  34. Mahy Elamin

    Wow, these Cockroach Clusters are so cute! I would love to eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Thank you for sharing this great recipe and I am pinning this recipe for later!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  38. Marisa Franca

    Those clusters look so good but oh the name!! Couldn’t you call them anything else? I could abide spiders but cockroaches make me shutter. They make the perfect Halloween treat. Spooky and scary.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  40. Anna

    These look so fun and easy to make! Perfect treat to make with the kids for Halloween! Looking forward to trying this recipe out!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  43. Amanda Mason

    I’m enjoying all your Harry Potter themed food! These look so fun; something my kids will love to make! Perfect for Halloween!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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