Homemade peanut brittle is so easy to make! Crunchy peanuts, smothered in peanut flavored caramel, it's deliciously addictive. Perfect for holiday gift giving too.EASY - This is a simple recipe. But you need to be watchful and careful since it involves caramel, which is very hot.US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Common Measurement Conversions. Weight measurements are recommended for accurate results. You can toggle between METRIC and US UNITS using the toggle button below the ingredients list.
Line a half sheet baking pan with parchment paper or a silpat. Set aside. Also keep a spatula, offset spatula, and a whisk ready.
Place the sugar, corn syrup, water, salt, and unsalted butter in a large, heavy bottom pot.
Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot.
Heat the mixture over medium heat, while stirring, to dissolve the sugar.
Once the sugar is dissolved and the mixture has come to a boil, stop stirring. Instead, swirl the pot occasionally to mix the sugar mixture and to ensure even heating.
Heat the mixture until it reaches 300°F / 150°C or the hard crack stage. Please see recipe notes on how to make this without a candy thermometer.
When the caramel mixture reaches the hard crack stage, remove the pot from the heat, and immediately add the baking soda and roasted peanuts.
Use a whisk to whisk in the baking soda well and to coat the peanuts with the caramel. Work quickly at this point because the caramel will start to harden quickly as it cools down.
Once all the baking soda is mixed in, and the peanuts are coated, scrape the caramel mixture onto the lined baking sheet using a spatula.
Spread the mixture using the offset spatula (so that the peanuts are all in one layer).
Allow the peanut brittle to completely cool down and harden at room temperature. This can take a couple of hours at least.
Once the brittle is hardened, break it into smaller pieces.
Place the peanut brittle pieces in an airtight container at room temperature, with parchment paper between layers to prevent the pieces from sticking together.
Store in a cool, dry place (but not the fridge), and it'll be good for about a month.
Notes
How to make peanut brittle without a candy thermometer
When the sugar has been boiling for a few minutes and has darkened in color (this is easier to tell with white sugar), you can perform the water test.Simply drop a little bit of the sugar mixture in a bowl of very cold (preferably iced) water. The sugar droplet will harden into a brittle thread. At this point, you won’t be able to bend the the sugar piece (brittle thread) without breaking it because it will have hardened. This is the hard crack stage.