How to Make Peanut Brittle

Learn how to make peanut brittle with Sister Gloria’s recipe or a selection of other recipes. I really did not get into making peanut brittle until my sister got me started. I usually had this candy around my house at Christmas because Gloria always made so much. Since childhood peanut brittle recipes were as common as “hard tack” candy.


Honestly I never really cared about learning how to make peanut brittle until I tasted Gloria’s. She was great at cooking everything but Gloria made the best Christmas candies and other holiday recipes. When it came to cooking peanut brittle, she had a big “production” every year. Around Thanksgiving she started making candy and you could always find her in the kitchen. 

How to Make Peanut BrittleHow to Make Peanut Brittle

Gloria would have several big iron skillets on the stove cooking peanut brittle. As soon as she poured one batch another batch would be ready to pour. She had it down! Gloria went through so many boxes (Big boxes) of raw peanuts each year. Everyone loved her peanut brittle and she made sure every person she knew got some of it for the holidays.


When Gloria learned how to make peanut brittle I am sure she started by using a candy thermometer. I think a candy thermometer is very important item for almost all cooked candy. However, I must add that my sister made so much peanut brittle that she no longer needed a thermometer. She knew what temperature to cook it over and how long to the minute. Her candy was always perfect but I do not recommend this.


When learning how to make peanut brittle it is important to have everything ready before you start. It is important to focus on the recipe and the temperature when the mixture is cooking. The cooking is the longest time but you will need to keep your attention on the temperature and cooking. Other than the cooking, time goes very quickly and you do not have time to find an ingredient. 


As I mentioned, I think a candy thermometer is very important when making candy. This is especially true when cooking candy mixtures to the hard crack stage. If not cooked to high enough temperature the mixture will not harden properly. Recipes will often instruct you to cook to the thread stage before making additions and then to cook until the temperature reaches the hard crack stage. The THREAD STAGE is 223F degrees to 234F degrees; the HARD CRACK STAGE is 300F degrees to 310F degrees. 


As you learn how to make peanut brittle you might find that the mixture sometimes will want to scorch. This is caused by the high temperatures required for obtaining the hard crack stage.  To help prevent this, the mixture needs to be cooked over lower temperatures (Low to medium) and your constant attention given when cooking. Since butter has a tendency to brown or scorch, it is best to add the butter (if required) toward end of cooking.

EASY MICROWAVE PEANUT BRITTLE

  • 1 Cup sugar
  • ½ Cup light corn syrup
  • ½ Cup salted peanuts
  • 1 Teaspoon butter
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 Teaspoon baking soda

Butter cookie sheet or platter; set aside.

Mix sugar and corn syrup in a 2 quart casserole; microwave on high 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir in the peanuts; microwave on high for 3 minutes.

Add butter and vanilla; microwave on high for 2 minutes.

Stir in baking soda; pour onto prepared sheet and cool.

Break into pieces with hands; store in airtight container.

SISTER GLORIA’S PEANUT BRITTLE

Sister Gloria's Peanut BrittleSister Gloria's Peanut Brittle

Learn how to make peanut brittle for Christmas like Sister Gloria.

  • 2 Cups sugar
  • 1/8 Teaspoon salt
  • 1 Cup light corn syrup
  • 1 Cup water
  • 2 Cups raw peanuts
  • 1 Teaspoon of softened butter
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 ½ Teaspoons baking soda

Butter cookie tray; set aside.

Combine sugar, salt, corn syrup and water in a heavy saucepan.

Over medium heat bring mixture to a boil stirring constantly.

Cover and boil for 3 minutes.

Remove lid and cook WITHOUT STIRRING until mixture spins a thread. 

NOTE: The temperature should read 234F degrees on the thermometer taking about 13 to 15 minutes.

Sprinkle in peanuts without stirring; without stirring cook to hard crack stage about 300F degrees taking about 23 to 25 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in butter, vanilla and baking soda.

Pour mixture onto buttered tray; when mixture starts to cool stretch it with forks and fingers until thin.

When cooled break into pieces.

Sister Gloria's Peanut Brittle CoolingSister Gloria's Peanut Brittle Cooling

SIMPLE PEANUT BRITTLE RECIPE

  • 2 Cups sugar
  • 1 Cup crushed roasted peanuts

Melt sugar in a heavy iron skillet stirring constantly over low heat to prevent scorching.

NOTE: When it lumps continue stirring and all lumps will dissolve.

Add crushed peanuts to the melted sugar; pour IMMEDIATELY onto a buttered cookie tray.

QUICKLY roll with a rolling pin to a thin sheet; let set and break apart.

QUICK PEANUT BRITTLE RECIPE

  • 1 Can (12 ounces) salted peanuts
  • 1 ½ Cups sugar
  • ¾ Cup dark or light corn syrup
  • 2 Tablespoons butter

Butter metal cookie tray; set aside; spread peanuts on cookie sheet.

Combine in heavy 2 quart saucepan sugar, corn syrup and butter.

Stirring occasionally bring to full boil over medium heat; boil for 14 minutes.

NOTE: Mixture should boil GENTLY over entire surface.

Pour over the peanuts; cool and break into pieces.

HOW TO MAKE PEANUT BRITTLE

  • 1 ½ Cups sugar
  • ½ Cup light corn syrup
  • ½ Cup water
  • 2 Cups raw peanuts
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 Teaspoon baking soda

Butter a cookie tray; set aside.

Cook sugar, corn syrup and water on high until it spins a thread when drops are placed in cold water.

Reduce heat to medium; add peanuts and cook 10 minutes until peanuts are browned.

Add butter and let mixture come to a boil; stir in baking soda.

Pour mixture onto buttered tray; cool and break apart.

SPANISH PEANUT BRITTLE RECIPE

Learn how to make peanut brittle made with Spanish peanuts and vinegar.

  • 2 Cups sugar
  • ¼ Cup water
  • ¼ Cup apple cider vinegar
  • ½ Cup dark corn syrup
  • ¼ Pound butter (cut into bits and softened)
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 Pound Spanish peanuts

Butter cookie baking tray; set aside.

Combine in a large heavy saucepan sugar, water, vinegar and corn syrup.

Cook over SLOW heat to 240F degrees; stir in butter.

Cook to hard crack stage 300F degrees; pour IMMEDIATELY onto prepared tray.

Cool and break into pieces.

HOW TO MAKE PEANUT BRITTLE

How to Make Peanut BrittleHow to Make Peanut Brittle
  • 1 Cup sugar
  • 1 Cup light corn syrup
  • 1 Cup raw peanuts
  • 1 Tablespoon baking soda

Combine sugar, corn syrup and peanuts in large iron skillet.

Cook over medium heat to hard crack stage 300F degrees; remove from heat and stir in soda.

NOTE: Mixture will foam up from soda and look milky; keep stirring it will begin to look like peanut brittle.

Pour onto a large buttered cookie sheet.

When cool enough to handle, butter hands; quickly stretch candy until thin.

Cool and break into pieces.

Stretching Warm CandyStretching Warm Candy

MICROWAVE PEANUT BRITTLE 

How to make peanut brittle in the microwave.

  • 1 Cup sugar
  • ½ Cup dark corn syrup
  • 2 Cups lightly salted roasted peanuts
  • 1 Teaspoon butter
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 Teaspoon baking soda

Combine sugar and corn syrup together in 1 ½ quart casserole dish; cook 4 minutes.

Stir in peanuts and cook 3 minutes; stir in vanilla and butter and cook 1 minute and 10 seconds.

Add baking soda; mix well and pour onto buttered baking sheet.

Spread out thin; cool and break into pieces.

PEANUT CANDY RECIPE

  • 3 Cups sugar
  • ½ Cup water
  • 2 ½ Tablespoons corn syrup
  • 4 Cups ground peanuts (or chopped)
  • Dash salt

Butter a large cookie tray; spread peanuts over the tray.

Combine sugar, water and syrup in heavy saucepan.

Cook mixture until it spins a thread when dropped in cold water.

Pour mixture over the peanuts.

NOTE: Work fast, it hardens quickly.