Why You’ll Love This
Oddly enough, this recipe does not have any butter in it at all. But it tastes traditionally buttery sweet. I’ve tried the microwave kind, and it just doesn’t have the same buttery classic taste. Using only a few ingredients, you have an easy homemade peanut brittle in under 30 minutes! It’s great for gifting during the holiday season too. If you love making homemade treats during the holidays to share with friends and family, check out our flaky shortbread cookies, chocolate covered pretzel rods, English toffee recipe, and maple shortbread cookies.
Key Ingredients
Sugar and Corn Syrup – This classic peanut brittle recipe uses corn syrup. It’s used to help keep the sugar from crystallizing and keep the brittle smooth.Baking Soda – Adding baking soda to the caramel in the liquid state produces tiny air bubbles creating pockets as it cools and hardens. This is the difference between brittle and hard candy (toffee).
How to Make Old Fashioned Peanut Brittle
Prepare a large baking sheet pan with parchment paper. Or, as my grandmother would do, generously butter a clean section of countertop. You can also butter the sheet pan. In a large saucepan (heavy-bottomed), combine the sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and continue cooking, constantly stirring until it reaches a candy thermometer reaches 310º-320º. (I bring mine to 320º.) Remove from the heat, and add the peanuts and baking soda. Stir to combine. Quickly spread the peanut brittle to the thinness you prefer. My grandmother called this stretching. Cool completely. Break the peanut brittle into pieces. You can use a butter knife, or I use parchment to hold the candy and break it with my hands. Share as gifts in cute tins or boxes. Homemade candy makes great gifts during the holidays. Be sure to enjoy some yourself before giving it all away.
Tips and Variations
My grandmother always used raw shelled peanuts and would stir them in when the mixture came to a boil. I now use cocktail peanuts and stir them in at the end. They give it a little saltiness.You can also swap the peanut for a different nut, such as pecans, pistachios, or hazelnuts. Chop larger nuts into smaller pieces.Remember to be very careful handling the boiling candy mixture. It can cause some serious burns!The hard crack stage begins at 300-310 degrees F. Be sure to prep a baking sheet with parchment paper before you do anything else. You want to be able to move quickly once the candy reaches temperature.Be sure to use a candy thermometer (affiliate link). Peanut brittle is cooked to the hard crack stage. You can try the cold water test if you don’t have a thermometer. Drop a little of the boiling candy liquid into a glass of cold water. It should separate into hard, brittle strands. This is how you will know the peanut brittle is at the hard crack stage.
