Homemade Peanut Brittle

An easy-to-make old-fashioned peanut brittle recipe that comes together quickly right on your stovetop. Perfect for gift giving and hostess gifts during the holiday season.

Course dessert/candy

Cuisine American

Keyword easy peanut brittle recipe, homemade peanut brittle, how to make peanut brittle

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 210kcal

Author Beth Pierce

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1 1/4 cups salted roasted peanuts
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Cover a baking sheet that has at least a 1/2-inch rim with aluminum foil. Coat the aluminum foil with butter and place in the oven to warm.
In a heavy 2.5 or more quart saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Bring contents to a boil stirring very frequently to dissolve the sugar. When you reach a boil, add the roasted peanuts and continue cooking until the temperature reaches 300 degrees, stirring constantly.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Immediately remove the peanut brittle from the heat and stir in the butter, baking soda, and vanilla. Be careful, as it will foam up and change texture. Quickly and carefully pour the caramel into a circle or line and tilt to spread the peanut brittle. Let the brittle cool at room temperature before breaking into pieces.

Notes

Buy good quality salted roasted peanuts. You can use unsalted peanuts but add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the pot with the sugar, corn syrup, and water before bringing it to a boil.
Making candy is a pretty precise business as a chemical reaction is taking place so invest in a candy/deep fry thermometer to achieve the desired texture for this peanut brittle and all your candy recipes. They are fairly inexpensive and a necessity for making great candy.
The purpose of the baking soda is to provide those familiar air pockets in peanut brittle that make it easier to bite down and break easily with your teeth.
Honey or molasses can be substituted for the corn syrup.
Other nuts that work with this recipe include walnuts, almonds, pecans, macadamia nuts, and pistachios.
This recipe goes very quickly, so make sure you have everything measured, close by, and ready to go.
Please be very careful as the candy mixture gets extremely hot. Wear oven mitts and keep your arms covered. Take precautions to keep children and pets away while you are making candy.
Don't skip the step in which you heat the baking sheet while you make the candy. The heated surface really helps spread the candy by tilting and shaking the baking sheet.

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