Peanut Brittle Recipe
Classic peanut brittle is everyone’s favorite treat! You may be surprised at how simple this candy recipe is to make.
Servings: 16
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup lightly salted, dry roasted peanuts (see note)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed (see note)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, or lightly grease the pan with butter. Set aside. Measure out all the ingredients. It's important to prepare the baking sheet and to have all the ingredients measured and ready to go so that you can move quickly.
- Add sugar, corn syrup, and water to a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir to combine.1 cup granulated sugar, ½ cup light corn syrup, ¼ cup water
- Over medium-low heat, bring to a gentle rolling boil (the entire surface is covered with bubbles). The mixture will have a white, opaque appearance at first. Once the mixture starts to boil, don’t stir it. Stirring before reaching 250℉ can cause crystallization of the brittle. As it approaches the 250℉ mark, it will turn clear and have a yellowish tint. This process will take about 10 to 12 minutes. Use a candy thermometer to measure the temperature.
- Turn the heat to low. Add the peanuts and stir the mixture to incorporate them. After adding the peanuts, keep heat LOW. Resist the urge to turn up the heat. Otherwise, the temp will rise too quickly, and you risk burning the brittle.1 cup lightly salted, dry roasted peanuts
- Continue to cook over low heat until the temperature reaches 300℉, stirring occasionally to prevent the peanuts from settling to the bottom and burning. This will take about another 5 minutes. As the temperature rises, the color of the brittle should become more caramel-colored.
- Remove the pot from heat and quickly stir in the cubed butter, baking soda, and vanilla.2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Immediately pour the peanut mixture onto the parchment-lined baking sheet and spread to a thickness of about ¼ inch. When you are spreading the peanut mixture onto the baking sheet, it might appear to be separating. However, as you spread it, it will hold together and level itself out.
- Let the peanut brittle cool for 30 minutes. Break into bite-sized pieces.
Notes
- Butter: Cubing the butter helps incorporate all the ingredients quickly before the sugar mixture hardens. You'll find that the process goes much better if the butter is in small pieces.
- Peanuts: I prefer LIGHTLY salted peanuts in the brittle. The regular salted ones seem to have a weird coating that gives the brittle an orange tint.
- Storage: Once the peanut brittle has cooled completely, store in an airtight container or resealable bag at room temperature for up to 3 weeks. Do not refrigerate or freeze the brittle; it will change the texture and make it chewy.
Nutrition
Serving: 1oz. | Calories: 147kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 114mg | Potassium: 61mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 44IU | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.2mg
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