Peanut Brittle Recipe (With Video and Step by Step)

Prep Time:

5 mins

Total Time:

35 mins

Servings:

4

The perfect balance between salty and sweet, our peanut brittle recipe is made with just a few ingredients: peanuts, granulated sugar, butter, and salt. There's no corn syrup in our peanut brittle, giving it a true old-fashioned flavor and texture.

Peanut brittle is one of the easiest candies to make—and since it can be made way ahead of when you need it, it's perfect for gifting during the holiday season (or any season). There’s no special equipment required, and you can whip it up in just over half an hour. It’s customizable, too: If peanuts aren’t your thing, make it with cashews or almonds instead.

close up of peanut brittle overhead — Credit:
Ellie Miller

What Is Peanut Brittle?

Brittle is a smooth, crisp candy made by stirring toasted nuts into a sugar mixture cooked to the hard crack or caramel stage. The mixture is then turned out onto an oiled surface to cool. Peanut brittle is the most popular type of brittle.

3 Tips for Making Peanut Brittle

Watch the weather: Avoid making brittle in a humid environment. Brittle is best made on a dry, low-humidity day. If you make it when it is humid, the candy will attract moisture from the air, making it sticky instead of crisp. Humidity also slows the cooling process while your candy is setting, increasing the chances of having unwanted crystals form.
Remember to prep: Have all your ingredients measured before starting the peanut brittle so you aren’t searching for an ingredient while the sugar burns.
Proceed with caution. The brittle is very hot, so be careful when pouring it into the buttered pan. Wear oven gloves to prevent the molten candy from touching your skin.

Peanuts make the classic brittle, but you can use other nuts instead. Simply substitute the same amount of cashews or almonds in this recipe.

Equipment Needed for Making Peanut Brittle

Baking sheet: You'll need a rimmed baking sheet to transfer the brittle to once it's done cooking. Be sure to throughly butter the pan for an easy release, or use a silicone baking mat instead.

Saucepan: Reach for a medium saucepan made from stainless steel, copper, or cast-iron. Avoid nonstick pans—the high heat can damage the coating and the nonstick surface can interfere with the caramelization process.

Spatulas: Grab two spatulas for this recipe: A silicone one for stirring the sugar mixture and a metal spatula for spreading the hot brittle in the baking sheet.

Directions

Butter baking sheet:

Butter a rimmed baking sheet; set aside.
Mix sugar, water, and salt:

Stir together sugar, 1/2 cup water, and the salt in a medium saucepan.

Use a medium-size saucepan (wider rather than taller) that does not have a nonstick coating.
Cook:

Cook over high heat, without stirring, until sugar begins to melt and turn golden, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar has melted and mixture turns golden amber, about 10 minutes.

If you have a candy thermometer, use it here: You're looking for the sugar mixture to reach 300°F, which is also known as the "hard crack" stage of candy making.
Add peanuts:

Remove pan from heat. Stir in peanuts.
Spread on prepared tray:

Immediately pour peanut mixture onto buttered baking sheet. Quickly spread mixture to 1/2 inch thick using an oiled metal spatula. Let cool completely, about 15 minutes.
Break into pieces:

Break brittle into pieces when ready to serve.

Storage

Properly stored (in an airtight container at room temperature), peanut brittle will last one month. Do not store it in the refrigerator, as the moisture will soften it.

Peanut brittle can be frozen, but we do not recommend it because the candy keeps well at room temperature and freezing alters its texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why didn't my homemade peanut brittle get hard?

The main reason why peanut brittle doesn’t get hard is because the sugar was not cooked long enough. This means the brittle will lack the crunch we expect. For peanut brittle, the sugar needs to be cooked to what is called the hard crack stage, 300ºF.
What is the hard-crack stage?

The hard-crack stage is the highest temperature you are likely to see specified in a candy recipe. At the hard-crack stage, there is almost no water left in the sugar syrup. It gets its name because it is the point when a drop of boiling sugar syrup immersed in cold water will break or crack into hard, brittle threads.
Is English toffee the same as peanut brittle?

English toffee is not the same as peanut brittle. Both candies are made with butter and sugar, but there are significant differences; toffee has a much higher proportion of butter than brittle, which is what gives it a more pliable texture. Also, peanut brittle contains peanut halves. It is a simpler candy than English toffee which has a chocolate topping and generally does not contain peanuts—and if it has nuts, they are cut into much smaller pieces.
Why did my peanut brittle burn?

Peanut brittle will burn if cooked too long or at too high a temperature. To avoid this, keep a close eye on the brittle while it is cooking. Be sure not to let it get darker than a golden amber color.