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Posted by Aimee41 comments Published: Jun 16, 2022Last Updated: Jun 16, 2022
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Easy, delicious Microwave Peanut Brittle recipe ready in 10 minutes! Old fashioned candy made with simple ingredients in the microwave or on the stove top.
We love old fashioned candy recipes. Try our salted nut roll or almond bars for a delicious treat. Or learn how to make fudge with our tips and tricks!
Why this Candy is Best
Making homemade candy doesn’t have to be hard.
Peanut brittle is a similar to toffee with peanuts. Whether you’re looking for a simple Christmas candy to share, or a dessert for your family you’ve got to try our peanut brittle.
Made with simple ingredients.
Stays crunchy for weeks.
Perfect to give as gifts for the holidays.
Can be made in the microwave in minutes, or on the stove top!
Broken pieces of peanut brittle are delicious on our homemade vanilla ice cream too!
Try our homemade kit kat recipe next!
Ingredient Notes
Dry roasted peanuts– we prefer the lightly salted variety. But you can swap them out for cashews and make cashew brittle too!
Corn Syrup– adds sweetness and ensures that the texture of the candy does not turn grainy.
Baking soda– adds air bubbles to the brittle, creating the perfect texture!
PRO TIP- We love making our own homemade vanilla extract, but if using store bought, be sure it’s pure extract, not imitation (for best flavor).
Tips and Tricks
The bowl gets very hot. You’ll see I recommend using hot pads. Learn from my mistake and always use them.
Finally, clean up. The brittle hardens in the glass bowl very quickly. Fill with HOT water and allow to soak until you can scrub it off.
Store peanut brittle in an airtight container (or ziploc bag) at room temperature for up to three weeks. We prefer not to freeze brittle as it changes the texture and makes it chewy not crunchy.
Make Peanut Brittle on the Stove Top
Yes, you can also make this on the stove top if you prefer.
Line your baking sheet with parchment paper like above.
Using a heavy 2 quart saucepan over high heat, bring to a boil the sugar, corn syrup, and add 1/4 cup water.
Stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture is boiling. Reduce heat to medium.
Stir in peanuts. Set a candy thermometer in place, and continue cooking until temperature reaches 300 degrees F (or until a small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard and brittle threads.
Remove from heat and immediately stir in butter, vanilla, and baking soda. Pour onto baking sheet and spread to desired thickness. Break into pieces when completely cooled.
Peanut brittle may not get to the crunchy state if it’s not cooked long enough or the baking soda was not added. Also be sure when storing there is no moisture in the container.
How do I clean the peanut brittle bowl?
If your brittle gets stuck in the bowl, add water to the bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes. This will help soften the brittle so you can scrub it off.
What does baking powder do to brittle?
Adding baking powder to the peanut brittle is key to releasing tiny air bubbles into the candy. This helps create the perfect texture.
More Easy Candy Recipes
If you love Caramel deLites or Samoa Girl Scout Cookies, then these easySamoa Trufflesare going to drive your taste buds crazy!
Rich, decadent, copycatFannie May Fudge. It’s the perfect chocolate fudge recipe for any time of year, no candy thermometer needed!
If you’ve never triedSaltine Toffee, now is the time! Crispy, buttery toffee with crackers, pecans and chocolate. So easy to make, too!
Looking for the easiest fudge recipe? Today’sEasy Rocky Road Fudgeis your answer. And it’s absolutely delicious too!
Nobody will guess that this sweet toffee starts with graham crackers.Brickle Barsare the next best thing to homemade candy!
Easy, delicious Microwave Peanut Brittle recipe ready in 10 minutes! Old fashioned candy made with simple ingredients in the microwave or on the stove top.
Prep Time: 2 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 9 minutesminutes
Total Time: 11 minutesminutes
Servings: 24pieces
Ingredients
1cupgranulated sugar
½cuplight corn syrup
1cuppeanutsdry roasted, salted
1teaspoonunsalted butter
1teaspoonpure vanilla extract
1teaspoonbaking soda
Instructions
Lay a piece of parchment paper over a large cookie sheet. Set aside.
Combine sugar and corn syrup in a 2qt. glass bowl. Microwave (on power level 7) for 4 minutes. {I use a 1500watt microwave}
Remove and stir in peanuts quickly using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Return to microwave and heat for 3 ½ minutes (on power level 7).
Remove and stir in butter and vanilla extract. Return to microwave for an additional 1 ½ minutes (on power level 7).
Remove and stir in baking soda, mixing until light and foamy. Pour over parchment paper and spread to desired thickness, working quickly.
Allow peanut brittle to set and harden at room temperature (about 2 hours). Break into desired sized pieces and store in an airtight container for up to one week.
Notes
The bowl gets very hot. You'll see I recommend using hot pads. Learn from my mistake and always use them.
Finally, clean up. The brittle hardens in the glass bowl very quickly. Fill with HOT water and allow to soak until you can scrub it off.
Store peanut brittle in an airtight container (or ziploc bag) at room temperature for up to three weeks. We prefer not to freeze brittle as it changes the texture and makes it chewy not crunchy.
Baking soda is a key ingredient in peanut brittle. It's what aerates the candy, giving it a nice light crunch. Why didn't my homemade peanut brittle get hard? The main reason why peanut brittle doesn't get hard and have the crunch we expect is because the sugar was not cooked long enough.
To store: Store peanut brittle (once it's completely cooled) 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.
Water: Water helps the sugar completely dissolve. Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the other flavors. If you opt for salted butter, you can skip this ingredient. Peanuts: Of course, you'll need peanuts for this classic treat!
Why didn't my homemade peanut brittle get hard? Same answer as the question above. If your peanut brittle is not hardening, it's because the sugar mixture did not get hot enough to properly caramelize, cool and become hard, crisp and crunchy.
As we said, the biggest enemy to the longevity of your peanut brittle is moisture. Whether it's during the cooking, cooling, or storage process, moisture and humidity can ruin the best batch of brittle in minutes, leaving you with a soggy, sticky mess.
The mixture will foam and grow so make sure to stir constantly to completely incorporate. Working quickly, pour into prepared 10×15 pan. To keep the brittle light and airy, do not spread or flatten the mixture.
How long will homemade peanut brittle last? This peanut brittle recipe will keep for up to 2 months if stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. I recommend placing pieces of wax paper or parchment paper between the candy pieces to keep them from sticking together.
Store the brittle in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month to maintain the crisp. Moisture in the refrigerator would soften the brittle.
Why did my peanut brittle turn out chewy? The likely cause is that the sugar mixture didn't reach the proper hard crack stage temperature. Ensuring it reaches 300˚F is key to getting that classic brittle texture.
Peanut brittle has one redeeming quality: peanuts. Outside of that single ingredient, peanut brittle is painfully unhealthy. It contains: sugar, corn syrup, and butter, all of which are unhealthy for your body in different ways.
The best corn syrup substitutes for baking are brown rice syrup, maple syrup, agave, tapioca syrup, honey, golden syrup, and black treacle. Whether you're avoiding using corn syrup, are allergic to corn, or don't have it on hand, there are a ton of substitutes for corn syrup to try instead.
As mentioned in “how to make peanut brittle”, it's very important to move fast after the peanuts and baking soda are mixed in. If not, the peanut brittle will turn out too thick and clumpy. Don't play the guessing game and use a candy thermometer instead. This will ensure your peanut brittle turns out perfectly golden.
Not spreading the mixture thinly enough: If the peanut brittle is too thick (usually because you used too small of a pan), it may not cool and harden properly. Be sure to spread the mixture as thinly as possible in the pan. 4. Humidity: Humidity can affect the hardening process of the peanut brittle.
Baking soda and baking powder are not the same. Sodium bicarbonate and bicarbonate of soda are other names for baking soda. Baking powder is made of baking soda plus cream of tartar and cornstarch. Baking powder can be substituted for baking soda by tripling the amount of baking powder.
Just like in my favorite english toffee recipe, this homemade peanut brittle recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of baking soda to be added right at the end of the cooking process. This is important because of a chemical reaction that results in the perfect peanut brittle texture.
Brittles and toffees accumulate small amounts of acid from the browning reactions that occur during cooking. This is one reason why the baking soda is added at the end of cooking. The soda reacts with the acid to make bubbles, and the syrup foams.
When the baking soda combines with the boiled sugar, it creates Carbon Dioxide that form lots of bubbles and puff the candy up. Once it hardens, the bubbles get trapped inside and create a texture that looks just like a sponge or piece of foam. It's crunchy and sweet, with an almost molasses-like flavor.
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