Deliciously homemade Peanut Brittle makes a great gift over the holiday season. It’s sweet and buttery, and super crunchy!
Peanut Brittle is a tasty candy, perfect for sharing and filling goodie plates. This easy dessert is a Christmas favorite, but can be enjoyed year-round – like our famous Toffee!
A Christmas classic
I love making homemade candy recipes and gifting them to friends and neighbors – whether it’s Homemade Toffee, Christmas Crack, or some Chocolate Fudge.
This Peanut Brittle recipe is always a favorite. It’s perfectly crispy, filled with roasted peanuts, and has a sweet buttery flavor.
If you’ve never made homemade Peanut Brittle before, it’s not overly difficult. However, like many candy recipes, it can be a bit temperamental. I really recommend reading the recipe through from start to finish a few times before getting started.
Peanut Brittle and Toffee are similar in that they both boil a sugar base mixture into a crunchy candy.
One of the biggest differences is that toffee uses more baking soda as well as butter/dairy, which makes toffee a little richer in taste. Toffee is often paired with a layer of chocolate, while peanut brittle is classically served plain.
Ingredients for Peanut Brittle
The ingredients for peanut brittle are simple, but each is very important. There are no substitutions, except if explicitly stated.
- 1 cup white sugar. This adds sweetness and gives the peanut brittle its distinct crack.
- ½ cup light corn syrup. The corn syrup ensures that your peanut brittle doesn’t end up gritty or grainy.
- ¼ cup water to help dissolve the sugar.
- 1 cup blanched, roasted peanuts. Blanched peanuts are the ones without the skin on them. With this recipe, because we’re using roasted peanuts, you’ll add them to the mixture after the sugar is done boiling. However, if you’re peanuts aren’t roasted, add them to the mixture when you melt together the sugar, corn syrup, and water. This way they’ll roast on their own.
- 2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter for that buttery, delicious flavor. If you’d like to use salted butter, then remove the salt from the recipe. Cut the butter into cubes first, so that it melts better when adding it to the boiling sugar mixture.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract which is key for the delicious flavor.
- ¼ teaspoon salt to cut the sweetness and complement the peanuts.
- 1 teaspoon baking soda. When you add the baking soda, it creates little air bubbles. This chemical reaction gives your Peanut Brittle the perfect texture.
How to make Peanut Brittle
Make sure all ingredients are ready and measured out before starting. Some steps require quick actions, so this will help the process.
PREP. Preheat the oven to 170°F. Grease a 10×15 jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with at least 1-inch tall sides. Set aside.
SUGAR MIXTURE. In a large pot over medium heat, bring sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water to a boil. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. When the liquid looks clear, that indicates the sugar has dissolved.
While the mixture is heating up, add the jelly roll pan to the preheated oven so it can warm up.
PEANUTS. Add a candy thermometer to the sugar mixture. When the temperature reads 250°F, stir in peanuts. Cook on medium-low heat at a steady boil until the temperature reaches 300°F (takes about 10-13 minutes).
If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a small amount of the candy mixture into a bowl of cold water, if it separates into hard and brittle threads, it’s ready.
COMBINE. Once the mixture reaches 300°F, this is the fast part. Remove from heat and immediately stir in butter, baking soda, and vanilla.
SPREAD. Working quickly, pour back and forth onto the cookie sheet. Using oven mitts, move the pan around until the mixture spreads out (do not spread with a knife or spatula).
COOL. After pouring/spreading, allow it to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to let cool. Then place it in the refrigerator for another 20-30 minutes.
Tips for Making Peanut BrittlE
Read through the recipe. Be sure to read through the recipe a few times before getting started, and know what temperatures you’re looking for on your candy thermometer.
If you accidentally leave your pot unattended – say to read the recipe again – you could end up with it boiling over, or the candy burning.
Not for kids. I love baking with kids, but this isn’t the recipe for it. You’re going to have a pot of very, very, very hot bubbling liquid.
Pot size. The mixture will boil up a lot. Use a very large pot – one that’s bigger than you might think.
Candy Thermometer. Having a candy thermometer is the best method to get the exact temperatures you need, but you can still make this candy by testing it in a bowl of ice-cold water.
- 250 degrees: Keep the burner on medium heat and stir occasionally. It will reach a gentle boil. Test the mixture by dropping a small dollop into a bowl of ice water. The sugar should form a firm ball.
- 300 degrees: Drop a small amount of the candy mixture into a bowl of cold water. It should create a “crack” sound and separate into hard and brittle threads.
Storing + PREPPING
Prep ahead of time. This recipe can go by pretty quickly. Make sure you have all of your ingredients measured out before getting started so that you can quickly add them to the mixture as needed.
STORE. Peanut Brittle can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
FREEZE. I don’t recommend freezing or refrigerating peanut brittle, because it can lose its crunch.
More Homemade Candy Recipes to Love:
Peanut Brittle Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup peanuts (no skin)
- 2 tablespoon butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Make sure all ingredients are ready and measured out before starting. Some steps require quick actions, so this will help the process.
- Preheat the oven to 170°F.
- Grease a 10×15 jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with at least 1-inch tall sides. Set aside.
- In a large pot over medium heat, bring sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water to a boil. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. When the liquid looks clear, that indicates the sugar has dissolved.
- While mixture is heating up, add the jelly roll pan to the preheated oven so it can warm up.
- Add a candy thermometer to the sugar mixture. When the temperature reads 250°F, stir in peanuts. Cook on medium-low heat at a steady boil until the temperature reaches 300°F (takes about 10-13 minutes). If you don't have a thermometer, drop a small amount of the candy mixture into a bowl of cold water, if it separates into hard and brittle threads, it's ready.
- Once the mixture reaches 300°F, this is the fast part. Remove from heat and immediately stir in butter, baking soda, and vanilla. Working quickly, pour back and forth onto the cookie sheet. Using oven mitts, move the pan around until mixture spreads out (do not spread with a knife or spatula).
- After pouring/spreading, allow it to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to let cool. Then place in the refrigerator for another 20-30 minutes.
NOTE:
- When the baking soda is added, the reaction causes the brittle to lighten up in color, but as it cools, it will return to a golden beige color. This recipe will not cover the entire surface of the 10×15 jelly roll pan. It will cover about half of the pan. If you would like to fill up the entire 10×15 jelly roll pan, we suggest doubling this recipe.
I’m so excited to try this recipe. Peanut brittle has always been on my to do list. It’s always fun to try something different.
Thanks for sharing. I actually use this same recipe and it comes out great every time.
I had no idea how easy this was to make!! Love the crunch!! This will make a great filler on our goodie plates!
I was looking for ideas for the holidays- can’t wait to try as it looks delicious.
Fantastic! I made this for my mother in law (peanut brittle is her favorite) and it was a HUGE hit! Thank you!
I’ve never made brittle before, and your recipe is easy to follow. I’m happy to report we are munching on some delicious brittle right now and loving it!
The brittle was so easy to make. I’m so glad I gave it a try, it’ll go in my cookie boxes for the holidays this year.
I don’t have a candy thermometer so I appreciate the tips on making this without one.