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Peanut brittle is the kind of old-fashioned candy that shows up in Christmas tins year after year, and it’s easier to make at home than most people think. Sugar, corn syrup, and peanuts cook to a deep golden amber, then a spoonful of baking soda makes it light, airy, and shatteringly crisp.
You don’t need any special skills, just a heavy pan, a candy thermometer, and about 35 minutes. It keeps for weeks, so it’s perfect for cookie trays, teacher gifts, and holiday care packages.
Why You’ll Love This Peanut Brittle
- Simple pantry ingredients: sugar, corn syrup, peanuts, butter, and baking soda.
- Light and crunchy: the baking soda creates tiny air bubbles, so it snaps without being tooth-breaking hard.
- Great for gifting: it keeps for up to 2 weeks in an airtight tin.
- Ready fast: about 35 minutes of cooking, then it cools on the counter.
Ingredients Overview
- Sugar and light corn syrup: the corn syrup keeps the sugar from crystallizing, so the brittle stays smooth and glassy.
- Peanuts: raw Spanish peanuts are traditional and toast right in the syrup. Roasted peanuts work too, but add them at the very end so they don’t burn.
- Butter: adds flavor and a richer color.
- Baking soda: reacts with the hot syrup and creates the airy, honeycomb texture. Don’t skip it.
- Vanilla and salt: balance the sweetness.
Equipment You’ll Need
- A heavy 3-quart saucepan. A deep pan gives the candy room to foam up.
- A candy thermometer for hitting 300°F accurately.
- A heat-safe silicone spatula for stirring and spreading.
- A rimmed sheet pan lined with a silicone baking mat or well buttered.
- Gift tins or airtight containers for storing.
How to Make Peanut Brittle
1. Get everything ready
Line a rimmed sheet pan with a silicone baking mat or butter it well. Measure the vanilla and baking soda into small bowls and keep them next to the stove. Once the candy is ready, you’ll only have seconds to add them.
2. Dissolve the sugar
Stir the sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt together in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the syrup starts to boil. Clip on a candy thermometer, making sure the tip is in the syrup but not touching the bottom of the pan.
3. Boil to soft-ball stage
Let it boil without stirring until it reaches 240°F, about 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Add the peanuts and cook to hard crack
Stir in the peanuts and butter. Now stir constantly so the nuts don’t scorch, until the thermometer reads 300°F and the syrup turns a deep golden amber. This takes about 10 to 12 minutes.
5. Stir in the vanilla and baking soda
Take the pan off the heat and quickly stir in the vanilla, then the baking soda. The mixture will foam and lighten in color. Stir just until it’s blended so you don’t knock out the air bubbles.
6. Spread and cool
Pour it onto the prepared pan right away and spread it thin with a buttered spatula. Let it cool completely, about 45 minutes, then break it into pieces.
Ways to Share Peanut Brittle
- Add it to a holiday cookie tray alongside our Christmas cookies.
- Pack it in cookie tins with a batch of easy peppermint bark for neighbors and teachers.
- Crush a few pieces over ice cream or one of our Christmas desserts.
- Set out a bowl on the dessert table for easy holiday snacking.
Storage and Safety
- Hot sugar safety: candy at 300°F can cause serious burns. Use a deep, heavy pan, keep kids and pets away from the stove, and don’t touch or taste the hot syrup.
- Storage: keep completely cooled brittle in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Don’t refrigerate it, as the moisture makes it sticky.
- Humidity: on humid days brittle can turn tacky, so store it as soon as it’s cool.
- Allergens: this candy contains peanuts and dairy. Label gift bags and tins clearly.
Photos in this post come from fellow food bloggers’ peanut brittle recipes. Tap a photo credit to see each version.
Peanut Brittle FAQ
Why is my peanut brittle chewy or sticky?
It didn’t get hot enough. The syrup needs to reach the full hard-crack stage, 300°F. Check your thermometer in boiling water first; it should read 212°F at sea level.
Can I make peanut brittle without a candy thermometer?
Yes, with the cold-water test. Drop a little syrup into a glass of ice water. At hard-crack stage it forms hard, brittle threads that snap. A thermometer is much more reliable, though.
Why did my brittle turn out dark or bitter?
The sugar went past amber and started to burn, or roasted peanuts went in too early. Pull the pan off the heat as soon as it reaches 300°F.
Can I use other nuts?
Yes. Pecans, almonds, and cashews all work. Add roasted nuts near the end so they don’t burn.
You might also like: no-bake Christmas treats, candied pecans, and Christmas cake recipes.
Tools You Need
- Heavy 3-quart saucepan
- Candy thermometer
- Silicone spatula
- Rimmed sheet pan
- Silicone baking mat
- Christmas cookie tins
Old-Fashioned Peanut Brittle
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Butter a rimmed sheet pan or line it with a silicone baking mat. Measure the vanilla and baking soda into separate small bowls and set them by the stove, because the last steps go fast.
- Combine the sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt in a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to boil, then clip on a candy thermometer.
- Boil without stirring until the syrup reaches 240°F (soft-ball stage), about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in the peanuts and butter. Keep cooking, stirring constantly, until the thermometer reads 300°F (hard-crack stage) and the syrup is a deep golden amber, about 10 to 12 minutes more.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Quickly stir in the vanilla, then the baking soda. The candy will foam up, so stir just until blended.
- Immediately pour it onto the prepared pan and spread it as thin as you can with a buttered spatula. Work quickly, because it sets fast.
- Let the brittle cool completely, about 45 minutes, then break it into pieces. Store airtight at room temperature.
Notes
- Hot sugar syrup at 300°F can cause serious burns. Use a deep, heavy pan, keep children and pets away from the stove, and never touch or taste the hot candy.
- If you use roasted peanuts, add them in the last minute or two of cooking so they don’t scorch.
- No thermometer? Drop a little syrup into ice water. At hard-crack stage it forms brittle threads that snap cleanly.
- Humidity can make brittle sticky, so make it on a dry day if you can.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Don’t refrigerate, as it will turn sticky.
- Contains peanuts and dairy. Label gift bags clearly for friends with allergies.
