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This easy homemade Peanut Brittle is an old-fashioned sweet, hard candy made on the stovetop with six simple ingredients and roasted peanuts. It's a family favorite during the holidays but can be enjoyed any time of year!
There's just something special about old-fashioned recipes like peanut brittle. My other favorite old-fashioned recipes include Grandma's Oatmeal Cake, Baked Apples and Baked Rice Pudding.
Peanut Brittle
Every holiday season my grandmother used to make a few batches of peanut brittle. She always dropped a container at our house and it lasted all season. I can't help but think of her when I think of this Peanut brittle recipe.
Peanut Brittle is a smooth, flat candy (similar to toffee), with peanuts in it, that is cooked on the stovetop and poured onto a sheet pan to cool. Once it cools it's broken into small individual-size pieces of hard candy and lasts at room temperature for several weeks.
Homemade Peanut Brittle in 6 steps:
- Cook sugar mixture. Add sugar, and water to a medium saucepan and stir well. Stir in corn syrup. Cook mixture over medium heat (don’t be tempted to turn the heat up!), stirring occasionally, until it comes to a gentle boil. Cook until temperature reaches 250F.
- Stir in peanuts. Add peanuts and stir the mixture constantly until the candy thermometer temperature reaches 300 degrees F.
- Remove from heat.
- Add remaining ingredients. Immediately stir in butter, baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will foam and change texture.
- Pour into sheet pan. Carefully pour the hot mixture onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Use a knife or spoon to quickly (and carefully!) spread the mixture into an even layer.
- Cool and enjoy. Allow to cool completely (at least 30 minutes) before breaking apart and eating.
Important Tips:
Temperature is Key!
You will definitely want to use a candy thermometer to make peanut brittle as the proper temperature of the candy is crucial to ensure you have peanut brittle that's not too soft or chewy and not too hard.
Baking Soda?
Baking soda is a crucial ingredient that can't be substituted in this recipe. Just as in homemade syrup or caramel corn, baking soda causes a unique chemical reaction (basically a lot of rising foam) that is crucial in creating the right texture in peanut brittle. If you make it without baking soda but you will notice the brittle is a bit harder to bite through.
Precaution!!
Wear gloves and be CAREFUL! The candy gets VERY hot and can easily spill onto your hands or wrists during pouring if you're not careful. Make sure to use cooking/oven mitts (that you don't mind getting dirty) and be sure to tilt the pan away from you and use a spatula to scrape the hot mixture onto the sheet pan.
Corn Syrup Substitutes:
If you need to substitute corn syrup in this peanut brittle recipe, you can substitute cup for cup of:
- honey
- light molasses
- agave nectar
- brown rice syrup
You could also substitute a combination of these ingredients and please note that with any of these substitutions, the peanut brittle will have a lightly different taste, texture and consistency as well.
Making Ahead, Storing and Freezing Peanut Brittle:
To make ahead: Peanut brittle can be made several days or even weeks in advance. It stays fresh at room temperature for 6-8 weeks.
To store: Once it's completely cooled, store peanut brittle in an airtight container at room temperature. Do not refrigerate as the moisture from the fridge will cause the brittle to soften. Store for 6-8 weeks.
To Freeze: Peanut brittle can be frozen and stored up to 3 months. Allow the brittle to cool completely and store it in a freezer safe, airtight container.
CONSIDER TRYING THESE HOLIDAY TREATS:
- Homemade Caramels
- Caramel Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods
- Peppermint Candy Cane Brownies
- Turtle Thumbprint Cookies
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Peanut Brittle
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups salted roasted peanuts
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Measure out peanuts, butter, baking soda and vanilla and have them ready.
- Add sugar, and water to a medium saucepan and stir well. Stir in corn syrup. Cook mixture over medium heat (don’t be tempted to turn the heat up!), stirring occasionally, until it comes to a gentle boil.
- Attach your candy thermometer to the edge of the pot, and make sure it is submerged in the liquid, but not touching the bottom of the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally until temperature reaches 250°F (121°C).
- Add the peanuts and stir the mixture constantly until the candy thermometer temperature reaches 300 degrees F.
- Remove mixture from heat and immediately stir in butter, baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will foam and change texture.
- Carefully pour the hot mixture onto the prepared pan and use a knife or spoon to quickly (and carefully!) spread the mixture into an even layer.
- Allow to cool completely (at least 30 minute) before breaking apart and eating.
- Store the completely cooled peanut brittle in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
The best recipe ever. I made a big pan full last night and it’s gone. I will make more this weekend. Perfect candy
This recipe is fantastic! I made it exactly as written and it turned out perfectly. The taste and texture were perfect! I am so glad that I found a great recipe for peanut brittle. Thank you!
I make this at least twice during the holiday season every year! I have double batched it and had my pans ready so it wasn’t an issue. My father in law loves this- he’s German and says it’s the best peanut brittle he’s had in years! I added the peanuts too early last time I made it, but it still turned out fine. Will be doing a double batch in a few days!
Followed recipe as directed – no problems.
Turned out pretty good. Wife and friends gave favorable comments.
Will try with molasses next time, maybe add some cashews. Will also try to “stretch” it using a rolling pin.
I have tried this just before Christmas and it was a great gift for my Dad, he loved it. Can the recipe be doubled or tripled? I’m wanting to make some for a farmer’s market so I need to make this several times.
Still cooling my first ever batch!! So far I’m giving it 5 stars. Followed instructions carefully .Candy bits taste great. Not too hard or soft. Can’t wait for it to cool.
I made peanut brittle with this recipe today. I followed the recipe precisely and the result was perfect. The other posters are correct…let your temperatures drive the process. It will take a while, be patient.
Hi my name is Lucy
My husband loves peanut brittle,so I made him some following your recipe, he totally loved it and asked me to make more, but it came out different and darker , shared it everybody loved it, my third batch is different, I’m following your recipe step by step don’t know what I’m doing wrong
But everybody still tells me it’s good
Please help
I tried it and I failed, LOL
I am going to try again but I am making a smaller batch till I get it right.
Best of luck! Let me know if I can help!
I followed this recipe and the peanut brittle came out perfect. I used a small metal scoop to quickly make small round puddles and they are very pretty. I did add dashes of salt on my brittle to get that salty sweet taste. I highly recommend this recipe for peanut brittle!!
I made peanut brittle to hand out at Christmas and tried a number of recipes. This was the best, I put the roasted peanuts in at 280 rather than 250 (as more recipes said 280). I only made one other change which I think is quite important. I had looked at recipes in old cookbooks (Fannie Farmer, etc). After the brittle was spread, still very warm but cooled just enough to touch, they flipped it over, then stretched it out, making the brittle thinner and an easier chew. I made this recipe with and without the stretch, and for me the stretch made a real difference.
I prepared the mixture in a 2 qt. sauce pan, but could not get the temperature above 220.
Any thoughts as to what the problem might have been?
Time? It literally took 45 minutes to get to 300 for me.
It was slow getting to 250 for me, probably took about 20 minutes. I began at more than medium heat, maybe medium to high. Then I turned it down to medium and I added the peanuts and that made the temp go down to about 225. Getting it to 300 degrees from that point took about 10-15 minutes. I stirred it a lot with the peanuts in it off and on until it got to 300, and just a tad above 300 degrees. Wonder if you thermometer is off, or your stove top isn’t giving enough heat?
This is the first recipe if found that turned out perfect. The flavor is amazing. Anyone saying it turned out “gummy” and blames the recipe just doesn’t understand how to read a recipe. “cook to 300 degrees” means you cook the brittle to 300 degrees. It takes patience and a candy thermometer.