Y’all, this Peanut Brittle recipe is a Southern gem that’s ready to capture your heart. We’re talking about the ultimate homemade goodness boos. It’s got that bomb crunch, that buttery bliss, and just the right balance of sweet and salty vibes. It’s the MVP of any homemade candy lineup, and trust me, peanut brittle is just as amazing when you bundle it up as a sweet, from-the-heart gift for your fave folks.
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Y’all let me just go ahead and say it, this is the best peanut brittle recipe online. Facts! I easily whip up batches to give out during the holidays because they are always a hit. It’s deliciously buttery and smooth with the delish texture of peanuts sprinkled throughout.
Cook a batch up nut brittle and get ready to have all your friends tripping over the addictive flavors.
The Lowdown of This Peanut Brittle Recipe
Cuisine Inspiration: Classic American OG
Primary Cooking Method: Stove-top
Dietary Info: Gluten-Free. Can be made dairy free with ingredient swap.
Key Flavor: Caramelized Sugar with Roasted Peanuts
Skill Level: Intermediate—Keep Your Eye on That Candy Thermometer boos!
Low-Key Ingredients
We make this brittle with only eight simple ingredients including water! We keep it no-fuss y’all resulting in minimal prep for maximum flavor.
Old School Done Right!
There’s a reason why this candy is such an OG that everyone loves. The flavors hit every time! This old fashioned peanut brittle recipe is definitely a classic that will never go out a style.
Perfect for Gifting
This sweet, buttery toffee-like candy is a legit crowd-pleaser. If you make a few batches and hand out for the holidays or trick-o-treaters, you will be everyone’s fave neighbor.
Ingredients You’ll Need To Make Homemade Peanut Brittle
- Granulated sugar: Sugar helps build the structure and caramelized sweetness of the brittle.
- Light corn syrup: This keeps the sugar from forming crystals so you get a smooth hard candy consistency.
- Spanish peanuts: These peanuts provide that classic crunchy texture and rich, nutty flavor.
- Baking soda: This helps get those bubbles released! It also aids in the hardening process so you get that perfect crisp texture.
- Butter: Unsalted real butter is gonna give you wonderful richness and flavor in your brittle.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla always adds such wonderful aromatic warmth in candy. Use pure for the best flavor.
- Salt: You gotta toss in some to enhance and balance the sweetness.
How to Make Peanut Brittle
How to Serve Old Fashioned Peanut Brittle
- Party Fave: Serve some up for the next game day along with bacon popcorn, caramel corn, chips and guacamole and mozzarella cheese sticks.
- Entertaining Boards: Add them to a dessert board along with other fave treats.
- Crumble Over Ice Cream Sundaes: Add a little extra texture to your next bowl of vanilla ice cream or make the ultimate sundae with strawberry ice cream, coffee ice cream and mocha ice cream with drizzles of caramel sauce, dollops of whipped cream and peanut candy sprinkled on top boos.
Recipe Substitutions
- Granulated Sugar: You can use light brown sugar as a substitute but I don’t recommend using dark brown sugar as it will make it harder for the candy to set up.
- Peanuts: Swap the peanuts for pecans, macadamia nuts, cashews, or almonds.
- Butter: I use unsalted but feel free to use salted and just leave out the salt in the recipe.
- Vanilla Extract: If you want a deeper vanilla flavor, add vanilla bean paste or scrape vanilla from the pod into your candy mixture.
Recipe Additions and Variations
- Spice it Up: Add a pinch of cayenne at the end along with the baking soda and butter. It will give a gentle bit of heat to your candy for a sweet and spicy combo that smacks! You can also add warm spices like ginger or cinnamon to the mix.
- Add Chocolate: After breaking up your peanut brittle, spread it out on the tray and drizzle with ganache. Let the chocolate harden before storing.
- Mix it Up: Use a combo of all your fave nuts to get some different flavors and textures going on.
- Dairy Free: Replace the butter with your favorite plant-based butter to make this vegan friendly and dairy free.
Expert Tips and Tricks for making the Best Peanut Brittle
- Use a candy thermometer! If you overcook the brittle, it could be bitter or burnt. If you undercook it, the brittle won’t properly set and the end result will be sticky. A thermometer is the best way to make sure you get it just right.
- Make sure your baking soda is fresh and active. Baking soda creates tons of little air bubbles that improve the texture of your peanut brittle. It’s gotta be active to create the necessary reaction.
- Whisk continuously! Stay focused boos. Do not walk away from the burner for even a second. Sugar burns quickly and, if left unattended, the mixture will harden and will taste burnt boos.
- Use a bigger pot than you’d think you need. Once the baking soda is added, the mixture will begin to foam and rise. If you don’t have enough space in the saucepan, the mixture will boil over and make a hot mess, literally.
- Be super careful boos! The peanut candy mixture gets super hot and can easily spill onto your hands or wrists. Wearing protective oven mitts or gloves is the right choice. While pouring, direct the pot away from you and use a spatula to scrape the candy onto the pans.
How to Store Peanut Brittle
Store fully cooled and hardened brittle in an airtight container at room temp. Don’t add to the fridge as the cool moisture will cause the brittle to soften.
How long will peanut candy last?
It can stay fresh for up to 7 weeks.
Can I freeze ?
No, you can’t freeze it boos. This will introduce moisture to your peanut candy which will cause it to soften.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most likely culprit is you didn’t heat your sugar mixture up to the right temp boo. It must cook to 300°F in order for it to reach the state where it will form a hard candy. Using a candy thermometer while heating your candy mixture solve this problem for ya.
It will take 1-2 hours for it to fully cool down and harden.
For sure boos! You can use just about any nut you enjoy to make brittle. Just make sure they are unsalted for the best flavor.
Yep boos you can but the texture might change slightly. Try subbing in maple syrup next time and see how it works for you.
Cook up a batch of the best peanut brittle recipe this holiday season (or any time for reals)! It makes an easy hostess gift to take along to parties, share with neighbors, or enjoy at all your holiday events. I’m sure everyone will love the buttery goodness of this crunchy peanut candy. Everybody will be screaming “gimme that goodness”!
More Holiday Dessert Recipes
- Divinity Candy
- Sugar Cookie Martini
- Chocolate Pound Cake with Peppermint Ganache
- Peppermint Brownies
Peanut Brittle Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup water
- 2 ½ cups raw Spanish peanuts
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring constantly.
- Once sugar dissolves, increase the heat to medium-high. Add peanuts and salt then cook until the temperature reaches 300 degrees or the hard crack stage, making sure to continuously stir.
- Finally add in baking soda, butter and vanilla and mix well. Next, pour the brittle mixture onto 2 thoroughly greased baking sheets and spread to the thickness you desire.
- Once completely cooled, crack into pieces and serve.
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oh great idea to use spanish peanuts! they’re so good in this.