Peanut Brittle
Peanut Brittle is one of the best holiday treats and is so easy to make yourself! It tastes wonderful made fresh and is a great gift for family and friends.
If you’re looking for an easy holiday gift that you can make on the cheap, peanut brittle is it.
I know a lot of people are intimidated by cooked sugar candies such as Caramel and toffee, but peanut brittle is the most forgiving and easy of them all.
It’s so easy that I consider it silly to buy it from those specialty stores for $20/tin, when you can make a big batch yourself for a few dollars.
Many peanut brittle recipes don’t provide a target temperature for cooking, which I sort of understand because we’re aiming for the final amber stage, known as “hard crack,” but I provide a temperature below so you can nail it every time without question.
If you don’t have a thermometer (affiliate), it’s time to spend $9 and get one. It will help you make homemade candies like this perfectly every time, and it’s useful for cooking meats and other dishes too.
However, if you don’t have a thermometer, color can be a good guide. Once the mixture is an amber color, you can add the peanut mixture and finish the recipe.
An extra bonus to peanut brittle is that it ships very well too.
You can pack it up in those cute metal tins and mail it off to someone you love…and better yet, you won’t have to pay for the outrageous overnight shipping because that brittle will keep well for a couple weeks (if stored properly).
While peanuts are the classic nut here, you may substitute other nuts, such as almonds, if you’d like.
I’m partial to peanuts though, which you may already know from the many peanut butter recipes I’ve posted on this blog (here are some of my favorites):
How to Make Peanut Brittle:
Start by combining salted roasted peanuts, butter, and baking soda in a bowl:
Set this bowl right next to your stove, so you can add it to the pot immediately once the brittle mixture reaches the proper temperature.
Next, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in a heavy bottomed saucepan, but do not stir it.
It’s going to look uneven since the sugar isn’t all moistened, but it will dissolve just fine, and refraining from stirring minimizes any possibility of crystallization.
Place the pot over medium heat, and it should all dissolve into a clear, homogenous mixture, all without stirring:
Cook the sugar mixture to 300 degrees F, when it should be slightly amber in color.
This is the hard crack stage, and when you should immediately add the bowl of prepared peanuts from before:
Because of the baking soda, the mixture will foam up instantly:
Stir quickly to distribute all the ingredients evenly and melt the butter, then immediately spread the mixture out onto a parchment paper-lined sheet pan to cool:
The mixture will firm up quickly once it’s off the heat, so you need to spread it all out quickly.
Let the peanut brittle cool to the touch, about 15 minutes, then break the brittle into shards.
Store the completely cooled peanut brittle in an airtight container.
Do not leave the peanut brittle uncovered, or it will absorb moisture from the air and get gummy.
Baklava is another one of my favorite holidays gifts to make in my kitchen. Enjoy!
Peanut Brittle Questions:
Can peanut brittle be frozen or refrigerated? No, I don’t recommend it. It will soften the peanut brittle and it will lose its crunch.
How long does peanut brittle keep? If stored in a dry place at room-temperature in an airtight container, a couple weeks.
Is peanut brittle gluten free? Yes, at least this version is!
What temperature should you cook peanut brittle to? It needs to hit the hard crack stage, which is between 295F and 309F.
Enjoy!
Peanut Brittle Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups salted roasted peanuts
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine the peanuts, butter, and baking soda in a bowl, and place next to the stove.
- Place the sugar in a heavy bottomed saucepan, and shake it back and forth so the pile of sugar flattens out.
- Add the corn syrup and water, but don’t stir it together.
- Place the pan on the stovetop over medium heat and watch as the sugar goes through several stages over the next 15-20 minutes. First the sugar will dissolve, then it will turn into a clear sugar syrup and bubble like crazy, then the sugar syrup will eventually take on a clearish golden amber color, and cook to 300 degrees F, the hard crack stage.
- After the mixture has reached 300 degrees F, add the peanut mixture (the mixture will foam), and stir it all together to distribute the ingredients and melt the butter.
- Immediately pour the mixture onto the parchment and spread it with a spatula to your desired thinness.
- Let the brittle cool completely, about 15 minutes, then break it into pieces.
Notes
Nutrition
Post updated in November 2018. Originally published December 2012.
I made this today, exactly as the recipe was written. I doubted adding the nuts before adding the baking soda but it worked out just fine.
My peanuts were salty, in fact too salty for my taste so I simply did not add any salt to the mixture and it all evened out. Adding real butter is the BEST. Don’t scrimp on that, people.
Hit it first time … perfect 😃 as good or better than expensive See’s
I can’t believe this, I’m a chef and have been cooking for over 30years but I have never made peanut brittle. I looked at several different recipes and yours looked like the easiest so I decided to try it, boy am i glad I did…its fantastic. First time making it and I can’t believe how good it is. I will definitely be making this one again. Thank you for sharing. PJ from Kansas
Add pure Mexican vanilla. You will be glad you did. Raw Spanish peanuts work best. I put a buttered pizza pan in the freezer. It will give your peanutbrittle a better crunch. Good lu k from one kansan to another!
What did you do with the butterd pizza pan?
I made these yesterday. They are absolutely FANTASTIC. Thank you!
Best recipe ever! I searched multiple recipes and even tried a few before I found this one. Easy instructions to follow and the best brittle. Thanks so much!!
Best recipe ever and simple. I made it and it turned out awesome. Used Virginia Peanuts with Sea Salt.
Yummy!!!!
Thank you for recipe.
First time making these and they were Amazing as my neighbor said. I used a whole 16oz jar of salted dry roasted peanuts (Planter’s) and it turned out thicker than the picture but it made them unique! Loaded with peanuts in each bite. I would give this recipe more stars if I could for ease of recipe and taste! Thank you for such a great recipe!
I made a slightly different peanut brittle about two weeks ago but I had not kept a copy of the recipe. Earlier today I decided to make another batch using this recipe. Here are my observations on this recipe for any neophyte brittle-makers:
1. A little stirring in the beginning is OK.
2. More butter is OK, up to a full cup (decadent.) A little Kosher salt (unless you use salted peanuts like others have mentioned) is good.
3. Don’t mix baking soda with peanuts. Instead, at around 280 degrees, melt butter in sugar mixture and then add peanuts. Stir so all peanuts get coated well.
4. Temp WILL naturally go down a bit because of the peanut mass, so continue stirring AND heating (medium heat). Go past 280 and to 305 degrees.
5. Remove from heat, and then sprinkle and mix in the baking soda, foaming warnings and all that. After a quick stir, carefully pour onto parchment-paper-lined tray.
–Very Hot!!–
6. Wait to cool and harden to the brittle point. Then then break up into pieces.
I like to add a little bit of cayenne pepper for a touch of spiciness.
I’ve read that if you want to flatten the brittle faster, have an additional sheet of parchment paper prepared to cover the soft brittle (oxymoron there!) and use a rolling pin to flatten brittle.
In any case save the parchment paper. It is perfectly reusable for your next few batches of peanut brittle, chocolate chip or meringue cookies.
Made this for the first time with my daughter. We doubled the recipe. Came out beautifully. She’s giving them as Christmas gifts. Thank you for helping us to build memories. I took pictures.
My family loved this recipe! It was easy and an awesome taste..
Tried this today with pecans instead of peanuts! Turned out great! Easy to make! If I can do it, anyone can!
Easy and delicious!