There’s nothing quite as impressive as homemade peanut brittle for a thoughtful homemade gift, addition to a festive holiday cookie tray, or as a sweet indulgence for yourself. Let me walk you through making your own peanut brittle at home, where the candy’s crunchy texture and rich flavor come together in a way that is far better than what you can buy in the store. With just a few simple ingredients and a dash of patience, you’ll be enjoying this classic treat in no time!
Origins Of This Recipe
This recipe originally belonged to my grandmother. She made peanut brittle every Christmas and taught my mom, who also made peanut brittle every Christmas. Now that I have a family of my own, I love sharing this Christmas tradition with my own son. We make homemade peanut brittle to include in cookie boxes for neighbors and friends, add them to cookie boards for holiday parties, bring them to cookie exchanges, and always make enough to snack on at home throughout the holiday season.
How To Make Homemade Peanut Brittle
- Spray an old cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. You will likely eventually scratch your cookie sheet while breaking your cooked peanut brittle, so never use your good cookie sheets for this recipe! I always keep a couple of old thrift store cookie sheets specifically for making candy.
- Add 2 cups granulated sugar, ¾ cup light corn syrup, ¼ cup water, and 1/8 teaspoon of salt to a pot and cook on medium heat until the granulated sugar melts.
3. Add 2 cups of raw peanuts to the pot. Do not stir! At first the peanuts will be sitting on top of the corn syrup and sugar mixture, but as the mixture rises in temperature and bubbles it will eventually envelope the peanuts. Add a candy thermometer to your pot. Make sure the candy thermometer is deep enough to reach the corn syrup mixture under the peanuts while not touching the bottom of the pot.
4. Do not stir your mixture while it cooks, but do watch it closely until the candy reaches the hard crack stage, which will be between 300-310 degrees F on your candy thermometer.
5. When your candy reaches the hard crack stage (between 300-310 degrees F), remove from heat, add in 2 teaspoons of baking soda, and stir quickly! Mix well until the candy puffs up.
6. Pour your peanut brittle mixture onto your prepared, old cookie sheet and spread with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Stretch the mixture as thin as you can so that it takes up the entire cookie sheet. You’ll need to spread it quickly as it gets hard very fast! If your peanut brittle is cooked enough and your cookie sheet is greased it will not stick to the cookie sheet.
7. Immediately fill your pot with very hot water. Put your rubber spatula/wooden spoon and candy thermometer in the pot in the hot water. This will keep the candy from sticking to your pot and utensils.
If you don’t soak your pot or utensils quickly enough and hard candy gets stuck, you can get candy out of the pot by boiling water in the pot on the stove. Let your utensils soak in scalding hot water for several hours to remove stuck on brittle.
8. After your peanut brittle cools completely, lift up one corner with a butter knife or metal spatula until it breaks. Once you have the first corner off, go through with your butter knife or spatula and break the rest of the brittle into pieces.
Why Use Baking Soda In Peanut Brittle?
The baking soda will create a puffy texture which you need to form the right consistency for your peanut brittle. It must be added during the hard crack stage (just above 300 degrees F). Without the baking soda, the peanut brittle will be too hard to chew.
Do I Have To Use A Candy Thermometer To Make Peanut Brittle?
The most difficult part of making candy is getting the perfect temperature needed for the correct consistency. If your mixture does not get hot enough it will result in peanut brittle that is not caramelized, crisp, and crunchy. If the temperature gets too hot, your peanut brittle can become tooth-breaking hard. Therefore, a candy thermometer is a must-have tool for making peanut brittle and finding that sweet spot in the temperature for the perfect bite. This candy thermometer is my favorite because it has an easy to read section indicating when your candy has reached the hard crack stage.
How Do You Store Peanut Brittle?
Never store your peanut brittle in the refrigerator. This will soften your candy. Always store peanut brittle in an airtight container on the counter.
Feedback
Did you try making your own homemade peanut brittle? How did it go? Let me know in the comments below!
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Grandma’s Old Fashioned Homemade Peanut Brittle
Description
This homemade peanut brittle is perfect for holiday gifts, festive cookie trays, or a sweet indulgence for yourself.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Spray an old cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Add 2 cups granulated sugar, ¾ cup light corn syrup, ¼ cup water, and 1/8 teaspoon of salt to a pot and cook on medium heat until the granulated sugar melts.
- Add 2 cups of raw peanuts to the pot. Do not stir! At first the peanuts will be sitting on top of the corn syrup and sugar mixture, but as the mixture rises in temperature and bubbles it will eventually envelope the peanuts. Add a candy thermometer to your pot. Make sure the candy thermometer is deep enough to reach the corn syrup mixture under the peanuts while not touching the bottom of the pot.
- Do not stir your mixture while it cooks, but do watch it closely until the candy reaches the hard crack stage, which will be between 300-310 degrees F on your candy thermometer.
- When your candy reaches the hard crack stage (between 300-310 degrees F), remove from heat, add in 2 teaspoons of baking soda, and stir quickly! Mix well until the candy puffs up.
- Pour your peanut brittle mixture onto your prepared cookie sheet and spread with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Stretch the mixture as thin as you can so that it takes up the entire cookie sheet. You’ll need to spread it quickly as it gets hard very fast! If your peanut brittle is cooked enough and your cookie sheet is greased it will not stick to the cookie sheet.
- Immediately fill your pot with very hot water. Put your rubber spatula/wooden spoon and candy thermometer in the pot in the hot water. This will keep the candy from sticking to your pot and utensils.
- After your peanut brittle cools completely, lift up one corner with a butter knife or metal spatula until it breaks. Once you have the first corner off, go through with your butter knife or spatula and break the rest of the brittle into pieces.
Notes
- You will likely eventually scratch your cookie sheet while breaking your cooked peanut brittle, so never use your good cookie sheets for this recipe! I always keep a couple of old thrift store cookie sheets specifically for making candy.
- If you don’t soak your pot or utensils quickly enough and hard candy gets stuck, you can get candy out of the pot by boiling water in the pot on the stove. Let your utensils soak in scalding hot water for several hours to remove stuck on brittle.
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