You’ll always find a tin of golden brown peanut brittle in my house around Christmas. I’ve also been known to package it in festive airtight metal tins and give it away as thoughtful (not to mention tasty) homemade Christmas gifts. The salty-sweet hard candy is a holiday classic, and comes together with a few simple ingredients and uncomplicated kitchen tools.
One of the most important tips I can share for the best peanut brittle is to use a candy thermometer. Homemade candy is not very difficult, but it is a process of precision, and its temperature needs to be monitored closely. The simplest and most accurate way to do this is by using a candy thermometer. This handy kitchen tool is a staple for all my candy-making endeavors! For more festive homemade candy recipes, try my easy peppermint bark, homemade toffee, or homemade buckeye balls.
What You Need to Make this Recipe
Sugar — you need 2 cups of granulated sugar (white sugar) to make the hard candy.
Corn syrup — light corn syrup gives you a smooth texture and helps ensure the sugar does not crystallize and become grainy.
Salt — gives the brittle a wonderful salted caramel type of flavor.
Butter — use unsalted butter cut into cubes. Set it out beforehand so it softens to room temperature.
Dry roasted peanuts — use salted or unsalted peanuts. If you opt for salted nuts, do not add any additional salt. You can use raw peanuts, but I prefer the crispiness that dry roasted nuts give the brittle.
Vanilla — use a high-quality vanilla extract, not vanilla essence.
Baking soda — an ingredient with no swaps or substitutions in this recipe, baking soda gives the candy a light, airy texture, making it easier on your teeth. Do not leave it out!
How to Make Peanut Brittle
1. Start by measuring all your ingredients and preparing the necessary equipment to make the recipe. Lightly grease a 13×18-inch baking sheet with butter. Line it with parchment paper and lightly butter the paper if desired. In a heavy-bottom medium saucepan with tall sides, combine sugar, light corn syrup, water, and salt. Place over medium heat, stir, and bring to a boil. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot.
2. Let the mixture boil, occasionally stirring it gently until it reaches 250°F, 6 to 10 minutes. Once the mixture hits 250 degrees f, add the butter and continuously stir until it has melted. Allow the sugar mixture to come back to a boil.
3. Once the mixture heats to 280°F, stir in the peanuts with a silicone spatula. Continue stirring constantly until the thermometer reads 305°F (hard crack stage).
4. Once it reaches temp, you need to work fast. Remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla extract and baking soda. It will bubble quite a bit!
5. Immediately transfer the brittle mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet and spread it out into a thin layer using the silicone spatula. Please be careful during this step. The hot mixture can splatter. If there are any large air bubbles, gently tap the sheet pan on the counter a few time to pop them.
6. Let the brittle cool and harden, then break it into pieces and enjoy!
Pro Tips for Making this Recipe
- Watch out for humidity. Humidity ruins candy. I like to make a batch during a drier day, so that my kitchen is a low-humidity environment.
- Mise en place. I cannot stress the importance of having all your ingredients and equipment prepped and ready before you start working on this recipe for peanut brittle. Once it starts boiling, the brittle progresses rapidly, and there’s no time to dig around your pantry for baking soda or line the baking sheet.
- Use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula. Wooden spoons and silicone utensils can withstand high temperatures. Plastic utensils may melt and metal will become much too hot to handle.
- A heavy saucepan will keep the candy from burning on the bottom. A thin pot will not insulate it well enough from the heat and may burn easily during the cooking process.
- Stick with corn syrup. I do not recommend switching corn syrup out for agave syrup, molasses, or honey. The texture and taste will be very different.
- Use a candy thermometer. Trying to make this homemade candy without a candy thermometer can make the process needlessly stressful. The inexpensive little tool takes away any guesswork regarding the proper temperature of the candy.
- Be careful. When pouring the hot caramel and peanut mixture into the baking sheet, there is a burn risk due to splashing. Work quickly, but be mindful! I recommend wearing oven mitts to protect your hands from any splatters.
- To enhance the sweet-salty flavor. Sprinkle the brittle with flaky sea salt after you spread it out but before it hardens.
- Add peanut brittle to your Christmas cookie tin! It makes a great gift alongside an array of homemade Christmas cookies like spritz cookies, fruitcake cookies, and chocolate crinkle cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Baking soda is an ingredient that can make or break this brittle recipe. Baking soda releases carbon dioxide and is responsible for giving the candy its light, airy texture so it isn’t too hard on your teeth!
Peanut brittle is gluten-free, as it contains ingredients that are naturally gluten-free. However, if making this for someone who has a gluten allergy or is steadfastly avoiding gluten, please double-check all ingredient labels to be 100% certain.
Using baking soda usually prevents peanut brittle from being too, well, brittle. However, if you cook the candy past the set temperature or overwork the candy once you spread it out onto the cookie sheet, that can cause it to become very hard and difficult to bite through.
If the caramel does not get hot enough, it will not become brittle. The sugar has to get to the hard crack stage, which happens between 300°F and 310°F. The easiest way to make sure your candy is at exactly the right temperature is to use a candy thermometer.
Yes, technically, you can make peanut brittle without a candy thermometer, but I don’t recommend it — especially if you aren’t very familiar or comfortable with making candy. As mentioned above, the caramel needs to reach the hard crack stage. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, you can use the cold water test. Drop a little of the hot candy, which should be a dark golden brown to amber color, into a glass or bowl of cold water. It should form brittle threads in the water that crack when you bend them.
It can last for 6 weeks in an airtight container or paper bag or at room temperature. The best way to ensure its longevity is to protect it from humidity as much as you can.
You can freeze it in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 3 months.
If you’ve tried this peanut brittle recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Peanut Brittle
Equipment
- pot
- Candy thermometer
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
- 1 cup light corn syrup (240ml)
- ½ cup water (120ml)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup butter cubed and softened to room temperature
- 2 cups dry roasted peanuts (240g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Lightly grease a large baking sheet (13×18”) with butter. If desired, line it with parchment paper and lightly butter the paper. Make sure all of your ingredients are measured out and ready to go before you start.
- Combine the sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt in a medium heavy-bottom saucepan with tall sides, then stir to combine. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Clip a candy thermometer on the side of the pot (make sure it doesn’t touch the bottom the bottom of the pot).
- Allow the mixture to boil, gently stirring occasionally, until it reaches 250°F, 6 to 10 minutes.
- Once the mixture comes to temp, add the butter and continuously stir until melted. Let the mixture come back to a boil.
- Once the mixture reaches 280°F, stir in the peanuts. Cook, stirring constantly, until the thermometer reads 305°F.
- Remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla and baking soda. (The mixture will bubble up quite a bit, so don’t be alarmed.) Immediately dump the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and quickly spread it out using a spatula. Your brittle should be thinner than the peanuts embedded in it.
- Allow the brittle to cool completely before breaking into pieces.
Notes
- Watch out for humidity. Humidity ruins candy. I like to make a batch during a drier day, so that my kitchen is a low-humidity environment.
- Mise en place. I cannot stress the importance of having all your ingredients and equipment prepped and ready before you start working on this recipe for peanut brittle. Once it starts boiling, the brittle progresses rapidly, and there’s no time to dig around your pantry for baking soda or line the baking sheet.
- Use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula. Wooden spoons and silicone utensils can withstand high temperatures. Plastic utensils may melt and metal will become much too hot to handle.
- A heavy saucepan will keep the candy from burning on the bottom. A thin pot will not insulate it well enough from the heat and may burn easily during the cooking process.
- Stick with corn syrup. I do not recommend switching corn syrup out for agave syrup, molasses, or honey. The texture and taste will be very different.
- Use a candy thermometer. Trying to make this homemade candy without a candy thermometer can make the process needlessly stressful. The inexpensive little tool takes away any guesswork regarding the proper temperature of the candy.
- Be careful. When pouring the hot caramel and peanut mixture into the baking sheet, there is a burn risk due to splashing. Work quickly, but be mindful! I recommend wearing oven mitts to protect your hands from any splatters.
- To enhance the sweet-salty flavor. Sprinkle the brittle with flaky sea salt after you spread it out but before it hardens.
- Add peanut brittle to your Christmas cookie tin! It makes a great gift alongside an array of homemade Christmas cookies like spritz cookies, fruitcake cookies, and chocolate crinkle cookies.
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