Peanut Brittle 
(American toffee candy with peanuts)

Peanut brittle ready to enjoy
Image by Janet Hudson

This is good, old-fashioned, buttery peanut brittle like Grandma used to make. Perfect as part of an assortment of holiday sweets or as a tasty treat for Halloween tricks.

Use a candy thermometer to test when your syrup is at the right temperature. It’s much easier and more accurate than the old “ice water” test, and you’ll have a lot less chance of getting burned.

Peanut Brittle

Peanut Brittle

Course: Desserts, CandyCuisine: United States
Makes about

2

pounds

This is good, old-fashioned, buttery peanut brittle, perfect as part of an assortment of holiday sweets or as a tasty treat for Halloween tricks.

Ingredients

  • Sugar — 2 cups

  • Light corn syrup — 1 cup

  • Water — 1/2 cup

  • Salt — 1/2 teaspoon

  • Unsalted butter, cut into chunks — 3/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons

  • Roasted peanuts — 2 cups

  • Baking soda — 1 teaspoon

Directions

  • Grease two 13×10-inch baking sheets with the 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the sugar, corn syrup, water and salt to a large saucepan and place over medium flame. Stir occasionally to dissolve the sugar and bring to a boil.
  • Once the mixture in the saucepan has come to a boil, whisk in the 1 cup of butter, one piece at a time. Continue to cook the mixture until it reaches about 280°F on a candy thermometer, 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Stir in the peanuts and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 305°F, another 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda. The mixture will foam up immediately. That’s okay.
  • Immediately pour the mixture onto the two prepared baking sheets and use a heat-proof spatula to spread out to about 1/4 inch thick. Set aside to cool completely.
  • Break the peanut brittle into pieces and store in a tightly covered container for up to one month.

Peanut Brittle Notes and Variations

  • Nuts: Substitute cashews or almonds for the peanuts.
  • For a darker, more richly flavored brittle, use 1/2 light corn syrup and 1/2 dark corn syrup.
  • The amount of butter can be varied to your taste, and some recipes eliminate it altogether.
  • Add 1 or 2 teaspoons of vanilla in step 1 if you like.

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