Golden, crisp, buttery, and packed with roasted peanuts, homemade peanut brittle is one of those old-fashioned candies that proves simple ingredients can create something spectacular.
Sugar and corn syrup cook until deeply caramelized, peanuts add plenty of salty crunch, and baking soda creates the tiny bubbles that give good brittle a lighter, easier-to-bite texture. Once the hot candy is spread across a baking sheet and allowed to cool, it becomes crisp enough to snap into irregular pieces.
Peanut brittle is especially popular during the holidays because it keeps well at room temperature and packages beautifully for homemade gifts. But there is no reason to wait until Christmas. If you have sugar, peanuts, and a candy thermometer, you can make a batch any time.
🥜 Homemade Peanut Brittle Recipe
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: About 20 minutes
Cooling time: 30–60 minutes
Total time: About 1 hour
Makes: About 1 1/4 pounds
🛒 Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups roasted unsalted peanuts
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
🍬 Prepare Everything Before You Start
Peanut brittle moves very quickly once the syrup reaches the proper temperature, so prepare every ingredient before turning on the stove.
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Lightly butter the parchment if desired.
Measure the peanuts into a bowl.
Measure the butter, vanilla, baking soda, and salt separately and place them next to the stove.
Once the candy reaches 300°F, there will not be time to search through the pantry for baking soda.
⚠️ Use Caution with Hot Sugar
Cooked sugar becomes dramatically hotter than boiling water and can cause serious burns.
Use a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan with plenty of extra room because the mixture foams rapidly after the baking soda is added.
Keep children and pets away from the stove while making brittle.
Avoid touching or tasting the candy until it has completely cooled.
If hot caramel lands on your skin, do not attempt to wipe it away with your fingers.
🍯 Start the Sugar Syrup
Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring gently until the sugar has dissolved.
Once the mixture reaches a steady boil and the sugar is dissolved, stop stirring the syrup unnecessarily.
Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan, making sure the tip is submerged in the syrup without touching the bottom of the pan.
Continue cooking over medium to medium-high heat.
🌡️ Cook to About 250°F
Let the syrup cook until the thermometer reaches approximately 250°F.
The mixture should be clear to pale golden and bubbling steadily.
Add the roasted peanuts carefully.
The temperature may temporarily drop when the peanuts go into the pan. That is completely normal.
Continue cooking while stirring frequently with a heat-resistant silicone spatula or wooden spoon so the peanuts do not scorch against the bottom of the saucepan.
🥜 Cook the Peanuts to Hard-Crack Stage
Continue cooking the sugar-and-peanut mixture until the candy thermometer reaches 300°F.
This is known as the hard-crack stage.
By this point, the syrup should have taken on a rich golden or light amber color and the peanuts should smell toasted.
Keep a close eye on the thermometer as you approach 300°F. Candy temperature can rise quickly near the end.
Remove the saucepan from the heat immediately when it reaches 300°F.
🧈 Add the Butter, Vanilla & Baking Soda
Immediately add the butter, vanilla, baking soda, and salt.
Stir quickly but carefully.
The mixture will foam dramatically when the baking soda goes in. This is expected.
Stir only long enough to combine everything and melt the butter.
The bubbles created by the baking soda help give brittle its characteristic lighter, aerated texture rather than producing an extremely dense sheet of caramel.
✨ Spread the Brittle Quickly
Immediately pour the hot candy onto the prepared baking sheet.
Use a lightly buttered or heat-resistant spatula to spread it into an even layer about 1/4 inch thick.
Work quickly.
The candy begins hardening almost as soon as it leaves the saucepan.
Do not worry if the brittle is not a perfect rectangle. Irregular edges are part of its homemade charm.
❄️ Let the Brittle Cool Completely
Leave the baking sheet undisturbed at room temperature for about 30 to 60 minutes.
The brittle should become completely cool and hard.
Do not refrigerate it to speed up the process. Moisture is one of brittle’s enemies and can make the candy sticky.
Once completely cool, lift the brittle from the pan and break it into pieces with your hands.
For smaller pieces, place the brittle inside a large food-storage bag and gently tap it with a rolling pin.
🌡️ Why 300°F Matters
Temperature is the key to properly textured peanut brittle.
At approximately 300°F, sugar reaches the hard-crack stage. Once cooled, candy cooked to this stage becomes hard and brittle rather than soft and chewy.
If the syrup is removed substantially before 300°F, the finished candy may remain sticky or bend rather than snap.
If it cooks far beyond 300°F, the sugar can become excessively dark and eventually burn.
A reliable candy thermometer takes much of the guesswork out of the process.
🌡️ Check Your Candy Thermometer
If you make candy regularly, it is worth checking your thermometer occasionally.
Place it in boiling water and see what temperature it registers.
At sea level, water boils at approximately 212°F, although elevation changes the boiling point.
If your thermometer consistently reads several degrees high or low, take that difference into account when making brittle.
An inaccurate thermometer can be the difference between chewy candy and burned caramel.
🥜 What Kind of Peanuts Are Best?
Roasted unsalted peanuts are the easiest choice for this recipe.
They already have plenty of nutty flavor and allow you to control the amount of salt in the finished candy.
Salted roasted peanuts can also be used. If you choose them, reduce or omit the additional salt.
Spanish peanuts are a classic brittle choice and their reddish skins give the candy an especially traditional appearance.
Regular roasted peanuts work perfectly well too.
🥜 Can You Use Raw Peanuts?
Yes, but roasted peanuts are easier to work with and give you more predictable flavor.
If using raw peanuts, toast them first so they do not taste pale or underdeveloped in the finished candy.
Spread them over a baking sheet and toast until fragrant, watching carefully so they do not burn.
Let them cool slightly before adding them to the candy.
🍯 Why Use Corn Syrup?
Light corn syrup helps prevent the cooked sugar from crystallizing.
Granulated sugar naturally wants to form crystals as a concentrated syrup cools. Corn syrup contains different sugars that interfere with those crystals forming into a grainy mass.
That makes it particularly helpful in homemade candy such as brittle.
The finished candy should be clear and glassy rather than sandy or crystallized.
🥄 Why You Shouldn’t Stir Boiling Sugar Constantly
Before the sugar has dissolved, gentle stirring helps combine the ingredients.
Once the syrup is boiling, unnecessary agitation can encourage sugar crystals to develop along the sides of the saucepan.
After the peanuts are added, however, stirring becomes useful again because you need to keep the nuts moving and prevent them from scorching.
The important distinction is that the plain sugar syrup does not need continuous stirring once it is boiling.
🧂 Why Add Salt?
A little salt keeps peanut brittle from tasting like nothing but sugar.
It sharpens the roasted peanut flavor and balances the caramelized sweetness.
If you enjoy a pronounced sweet-and-salty contrast, sprinkle a small amount of flaky sea salt over the brittle immediately after spreading it onto the baking sheet.
Do this while the candy is still hot enough for the salt to adhere.
🫧 What Does Baking Soda Do?
Baking soda may seem like an unusual candy ingredient, but it is important to the texture of peanut brittle.
When baking soda is stirred into the extremely hot sugar mixture, it reacts and creates a mass of tiny bubbles.
Those bubbles become trapped as the candy hardens.
The result is a more porous brittle that still snaps cleanly but is less tooth-breakingly dense than a completely solid sheet of caramelized sugar.
That dramatic foaming is also why you need a saucepan with plenty of extra space.
🍫 Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Brittle
Chocolate and peanut brittle make an excellent combination.
Let the brittle cool completely and break it into pieces.
Melt semisweet, dark, or milk chocolate gently.
Dip one end of each brittle piece into the chocolate and place it on parchment paper until the chocolate sets.
You can also drizzle melted chocolate over the entire batch.
A sprinkle of flaky sea salt over dark chocolate makes this variation particularly good.
🌶️ Spicy Peanut Brittle
For a little heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper with the baking soda and salt.
Start with about 1/8 teaspoon.
You can increase the amount for a spicier batch, but the chile should complement the caramel and peanuts rather than overwhelm them.
A little smoked paprika can also add an interesting savory note.
🍂 Cinnamon Peanut Brittle
Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon along with the vanilla and baking soda.
Cinnamon gives the candy a warm flavor that works especially well for fall and Christmas gift boxes.
For even more spice, add the tiniest pinch of cloves or nutmeg.
Use stronger spices sparingly so the roasted peanut flavor remains noticeable.
🌰 Can You Use Other Nuts?
Absolutely.
The same general method works with almonds, cashews, pecans, pistachios, and mixed nuts.
Different nuts toast and brown at different rates, so keep a close eye on the candy once they are added.
Cashews make an especially buttery brittle, while almonds produce a firm, crisp crunch.
For another nutty homemade candy, try our Almond Roca Recipe.
🥥 Coconut Peanut Brittle
Toasted coconut can add another layer of flavor.
Because shredded coconut can scorch easily, I would not cook it in the sugar syrup for the entire final stage.
Instead, stir about 1/2 cup toasted coconut into the candy immediately after removing the saucepan from the heat, along with the butter and vanilla.
Work quickly before adding the baking soda and pouring the mixture onto the pan.
🚫 Why Is My Peanut Brittle Chewy?
If brittle bends or sticks to your teeth instead of snapping, the sugar probably did not reach the hard-crack stage.
Make sure the thermometer reaches approximately 300°F before removing the saucepan from the heat.
Humidity can also affect brittle.
Sugar candy absorbs moisture from the air, so even properly cooked brittle can become sticky when stored uncovered in a humid kitchen.
Keep it sealed tightly once cool.
🧱 Why Is My Peanut Brittle Too Hard?
Peanut brittle is supposed to be hard, but it should break relatively easily and have tiny air pockets throughout.
If it is exceptionally dense, make sure you added the full amount of baking soda and stirred it into the hot candy quickly.
Too little baking soda can leave the candy much denser.
Cooking substantially beyond the hard-crack stage can also make the brittle darker and harder.
Remove it promptly at 300°F.
🏖️ Why Did My Brittle Turn Grainy?
Graininess usually means sugar crystals formed during cooking.
Make sure the granulated sugar is fully dissolved early in the process.
Once the plain syrup begins boiling, avoid excessive stirring.
Crystals clinging to the sides of the saucepan can sometimes trigger crystallization throughout the batch.
Corn syrup also helps reduce this problem by interfering with crystal formation.
💧 Why Is My Brittle Sticky?
Humidity is often the culprit.
Hard candy readily absorbs moisture from the surrounding air.
Let the brittle cool completely before storing it, then immediately transfer it to an airtight container.
Do not leave a finished batch uncovered on the counter overnight.
Also avoid storing it in the refrigerator, where condensation can make the surface sticky.
⏰ Work Quickly at the End
Once the candy reaches 300°F, everything happens fast.
The saucepan comes off the heat.
The butter, vanilla, baking soda, and salt go in.
The mixture foams.
Then it needs to be on the prepared baking sheet before it begins setting inside the saucepan.
That is why having every ingredient measured and the pan prepared beforehand is so important.
Candy making rewards organization.
🎁 Peanut Brittle Makes an Easy Homemade Gift
Peanut brittle is especially useful for holiday gifting because it does not require refrigeration and can be divided into any size package.
Once completely cool, break the candy into attractive pieces and layer them in a metal tin, glass jar, or food-safe gift box.
Parchment or waxed paper between layers can keep pieces from sticking together.
Add a ribbon or gift tag and you have an old-fashioned homemade Christmas gift that travels far better than many frosted or refrigerated desserts.
Be sure to clearly identify that the candy contains peanuts when gifting it.
🫙 How to Store Homemade Peanut Brittle
Let the brittle cool completely before storing it.
Transfer the pieces to an airtight container and keep them at room temperature in a cool, dry place.
Properly stored peanut brittle can stay crisp for about 2 weeks, and often longer depending on humidity.
Place parchment or waxed paper between layers if necessary.
The most important thing is keeping moisture away from the candy.
🚫 Should You Refrigerate Peanut Brittle?
No.
The refrigerator may seem like a good way to preserve candy, but the moisture and condensation associated with refrigeration can make brittle sticky and soft.
Room-temperature storage in an airtight container is a much better choice.
Keep the container away from steam, sunlight, and other sources of heat or humidity.
🧊 Can You Freeze Peanut Brittle?
Freezing is usually unnecessary because peanut brittle already keeps quite well at room temperature.
Freezer storage can also introduce condensation as the candy thaws.
If you need brittle for a future event, making it a week or two ahead and storing it airtight in a dry cupboard is simpler and generally preserves the crisp texture better.
🎄 A Classic Homemade Candy
Homemade peanut brittle has everything an old-fashioned candy should have: deep caramel flavor, roasted peanuts, a little salt, and a crisp snap.
The ingredient list is simple, but temperature makes all the difference.
Prepare everything before you begin, use a reliable candy thermometer, cook the peanut mixture to 300°F, and work quickly once the baking soda goes in.
After that, all you have to do is let it cool, break it into pieces, and try not to eat half the batch before you get it into the gift tins.
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