This is a favorite candy at my house. Peanuts coated with crunchy, caramelized sugar? Nothing could be better! Peanut brittle is a perfect last minute gift or a perfect stocking stuffer. The best part? It takes about 15 minutes to make!
The Recipe
by volume by weight
1 cup sugar 198 grams sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup 150 grams corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt 1 gram salt
2 tablespoons water 30 grams water
1 cup salted peanuts 150 grams salted peanuts
2 tablespoons butter 28 grams butter
1 teaspoon baking soda 6 grams baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla 8 grams vanilla
Directions
Mix the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water together in a sauce pan just to wet all of the sugar.
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and wash down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush if any sugar is stuck to the sides above the surface of the mixture.
Boil without stirring until the mixture reaches 305F on a candy thermometer. It will be deep caramel in color.
Remove the mixture from the heat and immediately add the peanuts, butter, baking soda, and vanilla.
The mixture will bubble up and foam.
Stir until the butter is melted and then pour out onto a buttered sheet pan.
Use a spatula to quickly spread the mixture to a thin layer over the bottom of the pan.
Let cool completely. (This only takes about 10 minutes in a cool place. Don’t cool the candy in the refrigerator to speed the process. The candy absorbs moisture and gets sticky.) Break the peanut brittle into pieces and enjoy!
Alternatives
Although this recipe is traditionally made with peanuts, any nut works well for this brittle. Whole toasted almonds, macadamias, or pistachios are fantastic alternatives. A mix of nuts is also a nice adaptation.
I specify salted peanuts in this recipe because I feel the salt is a nice counterpoint to the sweetness of the caramel, but unsalted or even dry roasted nuts will make wonderful peanut brittle.
