Y’all are gonna love this Peanut Brittle Recipe. Easy old-fashioned Peanut Brittle is a great holiday Christmas treat to make for friends, family, neighbors, and teachers. It’s a cinch to make and is just about the cheapest treat around. The combination of salty and sweet, with a buttery flavor, can’t be beaten.
You came to the right place for some quick and easy holiday peanut brittle. The holidays are my favorite time of year with gift giving, Christmas cookie exchanges, the build-up to the holiday feasts, and all of the holiday baking.
I’m already dreaming of every type of cookie under the sun, amazing, melt-in-your-mouth fudge (we fight over it around here), Christmas bread, hot chocolate, anything and everything peppermint, and of course, quick and easy holiday peanut brittle.
I’ll take any type of peanut butter candy I can get my hands on, including this peanut butter fudge.
You’re gonna love this old-fashioned peanut brittle recipe. It’s super easy to make and everyone will love it.
I gave some away last year for the holidays and people were asking for more. It’s that good!
How to make peanut brittle
- Add the sugar, corn syrup, and peanuts to a saucepan.
- Boil until temperature reaches 275-degrees.
- Remove from the stovetop. Add the butter and baking soda and stir.
- Spread out on greased cookie sheet and cool.
- Break up the pieces.
Recipe and printable instructions at the bottom of the post.
Grab one of your cookie sheets and butter it up. Cover the entire thing, so the candy doesn’t stick to it. I use a cookie sheet that is approximately 10″ x 15″.
Get started by adding the sugar to a saucepan and turn it on medium-high.
Next, add the corn syrup. Give the sugar and corn syrup a good stir. We’re just going to pretend there are not any calories in here. We can still pretend, can’t we?
Finally, add the peanuts and stir them into the sugar mixture.
Once the peanut brittle starts to boil put your thermometer on the edge of the pan. I already had mine in there, but you really don’t need to add it until it starts to boil. Keep stirring on occasion so the mixture doesn’t burn.
TIP: Be sure not to let the thermometer touch the bottom of the pan, or you’ll get an incorrect reading. The bottom of the pan is going to be hotter than your peanut candy.
The candy thermometer needs to reach 275-degrees, which is when it will turn to hard candy. It may take a few minutes to get there, but it will.
Be sure to stir it often. As it gets closer to 275-degrees, keep an eye on it and keep stirring, or it will burn on the bottom fast. I think I accidentally burned a couple of peanuts, but it still turned out delicious.
Once the temperature reaches 275-degrees, remove it from the stove and add the butter and baking soda.
Stir it fast, because the baking soda will make the mixture fizz a little.
Pour the peanut brittle onto the cookie sheet.
When I poured it on the cookie sheet, it was puffy. I was in a bit of a panic and thought for sure I had messed up the peanut brittle. But when it cools it will be perfect.
Brace yourself for wanting to eat all of it–homemade peanut brittle is so delicious.
How long does it take for peanut brittle to dry?
It takes about thirty minutes for peanut brittle to cool and set up. Once it cools you can break the peanut brittle recipe into small pieces.
Peanut Brittle Recipe
What causes peanut brittle to be too hard?
If you cook the peanut brittle past the hard-crack stage, it will become too brittle. Candy is one of those foods that you must cook it to the right temperature. If you don’t cook it long enough, it will be tacky.
Using a thermometer is always a good plan because you will be able to know exactly when it gets to the hard-crack stage and that it’s time to take the candy off of the stovetop.
How do you store homemade peanut brittle?
I usually put my peanut brittle in a large Ziplock baggie and keep in a cool place. You don’t need to refrigerate the peanut brittle.
If you’re giving the candy away, you can layer the candy with wax paper in the gift container to keep it from sticking.
But seriously, if it sticks, I’m still eating it.
Other holiday desserts you will love:
- Snickerdoodle cookies are always a treat, and they’re easy to make.
- Texas Cowboy cookies are a special treat that include enough ingredients to make everyone happy.
- This list of the best homemade fudge recipes is a great place to find the most delicious treats and gifts.
- These white chocolate macadamia nut cookies have been a huge hit with friends.
Quick and Easy Holiday Peanut Brittle
Easy Old Fashioned Peanut Brittle is a great holiday Christmas treat to make for friends, family, neighbors, and teachers. It's a cinch to make, and is just about the cheapest treat around. The combination of salty and sweet, with a buttery flavor can't be beat.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 2 cups dry roasted peanuts
- 1 Tbsp. baking soda
- 1 Tbsp. butter
Instructions
Butter a 10" x 15" cookie sheet.
- In a medium saucepan, add the corn syrup, sugar, and peanuts. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly.
- Place a candy thermometer into the saucepan and continue boiling until the temperature reaches 275-degrees. Stir occasionally. Watch closely toward the end to keep from burning.
- Remove from the heat and add the butter and baking soda. Stir.
- Pour onto cookie sheet and spread out.
- Cool.
- Break into pieces.
Notes
Do not let the candy thermometer touch the bottom of the pan or it will read incorrectly.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
20 piecesServing Size:
1 pieceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 169Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 196mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 4g
Check out more recipes at:
Southern Plate, Southern Bite, A Southern Soul, Big Bear’s Wife,
and Julia’s Simply Southern
Kelly Lynn’s Sweets and Treats and The Country Cook
