Sweet, sugary, and full of salty, red-skinned Spanish peanuts, Classic Homemade Peanut Brittle is a very traditional Southern Christmas candy. I’ve been making homemade candies for more than 50 years, and this is still an all-time favorite.
I can’t remember a single Christmas of my childhood that didn’t include peanut brittle. Well, of course it would, since my Daddy was a peanut farmer in South Georgia!
We grew several peanut varieties, but Spanish peanuts are my favorite, and I always use them for my brittle. They’re very small and have a more pronounced taste than most other peanuts.
Of course, that’s just my personal preference, and any roasted peanut will work. I don’t recommend raw peanuts, though. I just don’t think they give brittle the right flavor.
Peanut brittle was one of the first candies Mama always made for Christmas, and so did both of my grandmothers. And all my aunts. Come to think of it, practically every woman I knew back home made peanut brittle. Mama’s also the one who taught me the ice water test for telling when candy is done.
Peanut brittle is one of those homemade Christmas candies that make a great gift. People of all ages just really seem to enjoy it. I’ve never had anyone turn it down.
Recipe Snapshot: Classic Homemade Peanut Brittle
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Cooling Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 12
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Stovetop
Primary Ingredients: Sugar, light corn syrup, peanuts, butter, vanilla, baking soda
Skill Level: Intermediate
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WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I really love peanut brittle and never get to eat it! Now you’ve given me the recipe I can eat it forever! Wow, just fabulous!”
— Jamie
“My mom used to make peanut and sesame brittle when we were growing up. What a great idea for a gift package this season.”
— foodwanderings
What Makes This Recipe Special
This brittle is made with red-skinned Spanish peanuts. Since they’re roasted and salted, the brittle turns out with a nice sweet and salty quality.
The finished brittle is easily broken into pieces and has a slightly lightened texture from the baking soda stirred in at the end of cooking.
The recipe instructions include both the old-fashioned ice water test and the candy thermometer temperature, so you can check the syrup whichever way you trust.
Ingredient Notes
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- Red-skinned Spanish peanuts — I always use Planters Redskin Spanish Peanuts, which come roasted and salted with the skins left on. Any roasted shelled peanut will work.
- Light corn syrup — Corn syrup keeps the sugar from crystallizing as it cooks, so the brittle sets up smooth instead of grainy. Karo corn syrup is always a good choice.
- Baking soda — Stirred in off the heat, it makes the syrup foam up and fills the candy with tiny air bubbles.
- Vanilla — Most heritage recipes for peanut brittle don’t call for vanilla at all. However, I think it gives the brittle a little richer flavor.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Classic Peanut Brittle
STEP 1. If there’s one place where having your mise en place pays off, it’s when making brittle! So, before you start cooking, take time to measure out all your ingredients and have them ready to go. Also, line a large baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil and spray the foil lightly with cooking spray.
Pro Tip
Always use greased foil to line your pan. Parchment can stick to the brittle, and a silicone mat can be hard to clean. With foil, you just throw it away when you’re done.
STEP 2. Put the sugar, light corn syrup, and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
STEP 3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil.
STEP 4. Once it’s boiling, stop stirring. Let it boil for about five minutes, until the syrup reaches hard crack stage. On a candy thermometer, that’s 300 to 310°F.
Pro Tip – Ice Water Test for Candy Stage
I trust the old-fashioned ice water test for a candy’s stage more than a thermometer any day. It’s how I learned from my mama years ago and I still use it today.
Before you start cooking, prep a little bowl with a couple of ice cubes and about 1/4 cup of water. While the sugar syrup cooks, periodically dribble a few drops into the ice water, give them a few seconds to cool completely, and then feel and taste them. The syrup will go through stages starting with a “soft ball,” like a really soft caramel, all the way to the “hard crack” stage, which is what you want for brittle. Keep cooking until the drops are hard and brittle with no give at all.
STEP 5. Once the hard crack stage is reached, add the peanuts and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. The mixture should be golden brown.
STEP 6. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the butter, vanilla, and baking soda. The mixture will foam up when the baking soda goes in, and that’s normal.
Pro Tip – Caution
Be very careful with the boiling sugar. It’s extremely hot and will burn skin on contact.
STEP 7. Pour the mixture onto the foil-lined baking sheet and spread it out with a wooden spoon. I like mine about 1/4 inch thick, but spread it as thick or thin as you like, with whatever spoon or spatula you’re comfortable with.
STEP 8. Let the brittle stand until it’s hardened and completely cool.
STEP 9. Lift the foil to break the brittle into pieces.
STEP 10. Store the pieces at room temperature in an airtight container.
Pro Tip
To clean the pot, fill it with water and bring it to a boil. The hardened sugar will melt right off.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t double the batch. I wouldn’t make a double batch without commercial kitchen equipment. It’s too dangerous to try handling that much boiling sugar syrup, so if you need more, make a second batch.
- Stop stirring once it boils. Stirring the syrup after it comes to a boil can make the sugar crystallize and turn grainy.
- Chewy or sticky brittle didn’t get hot enough. The syrup didn’t reach hard crack before the peanuts were added. Next time, cook it a little longer and test again.
- Pick a dry day. Humid weather can leave brittle sticky and keep it from setting up crisp.
- Check your thermometer first. If you’re using one, set it in a pot of boiling water. At sea level it should read 212°F, and if it’s off, adjust your target temperature by the same amount.
How to Serve
Peanut brittle is right at home on a Christmas candy tray alongside no-bake haystacks, 5-minute microwave fudge, and old-fashioned Southern divinity. For a tray full of Southern classics, add some homemade Southern pecan pralines and a few pieces of saltine cracker toffee.
It also makes a great homemade gift. Pack it in a tin with a tight-fitting lid once it’s completely cool.
When company drops by during the holidays, offer it with a cup of Southern spiced tea or homemade spiced hot chocolate.
How to Store
Store peanut brittle in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Keep it in the pantry, not the refrigerator, because moisture can make brittle sticky.
There’s no need to freeze it because it keeps so well in the pantry. That also means you can make it well ahead of the holiday rush.
More Homemade Candy Recipes You’ll Like
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Recipe
Classic Homemade Peanut Brittle
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup redskin Spanish peanuts or other roasted shelled peanuts
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Before beginning, measure all ingredients.
- Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil and spray the foil lightly with cooking spray.
- Combine sugar, light corn syrup and salt in a heavy bottomed saucepan.1 cup sugar, ½ cup light corn syrup, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture starts to boil.
- Cook at a boil, without stirring, for five minutes or until a candy thermometer registers 310°F (or syrup tests for hard crack stage).
- Add the peanuts and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Mixture should be golden brown.1 cup redskin Spanish peanuts
- Remove from heat and stir in the butter, vanilla and baking soda.2 tablespoons butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Pour the mixture onto the foil-lined baking sheet, spreading it out with a wooden spoon.
- Let stand until hardened and cool.
- Lift the foil to break the brittle into pieces.
- Store in an air tight container.
Notes
- Measure everything and line the pan with foil before you start. Once the sugar starts cooking, things move quickly.
- No thermometer? Drop a couple of drops of syrup into a small bowl of ice water. It’s ready when the cooled drops are hard and brittle with no give at all (hard crack).
- With a thermometer, cook the syrup to 300 to 310°F (hard crack stage) before adding the peanuts.
- Use roasted shelled peanuts. I prefer red-skinned Spanish peanuts.
- The boiling sugar is extremely hot and will burn skin on contact.
- Don’t double the recipe. That much boiling sugar syrup is too hard and dangerous to handle in a home kitchen.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Don’t refrigerate.
- To clean the pot, fill it with water and bring it to a boil. The hardened sugar melts right off.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
I really love peanut brittle and never get to eat it! Now you’ve given me the recipe I can eat it forever! Wow, just fabulous! And a gift? What? I’d have to give some of it away?
I love peanut brittle, and yours looks so very good!
Oh Lana, My mom used to make peanut and sesame brittle when we were growing up. What a great idea for a gift package this season. Happy Holidays!
One of my all time favorite holiday treats!
wow i need to make this
I 100% understand your predicament with cooking and taking photos! It’s tough!
I’ve never made peanut brittle, but now I’m craving it! I will definitely add your recipe to my holiday baking list!
Most of the time it’s not a problem to manage the camera with the cooking. However, with boiling hot sugar – that’s a different story completely :-)
always perfect for the holidays and for small gifts!
Yes, Angie, it makes great gifts for any occasion all through the year.
These are the kind of treats I don’t eat, but love to make for holiday gifts.
I love homemade peanut brittle, it is a classic to me as well!
I’ve never made peanut brittle before, but I have fond memories of my grandfather making it every year when I was a child. Maybe it’s time for me to give it a try.
It’s easy, Christin! Just watch your thermometer carefully because it’s easy to get distracted and let it burn :-)
Great one to start off with – love these things!
It’s one of our favorites, too!