Peanut brittle is a crisp cooked-sugar candy with peanuts suspended in an amber sheet. A candy thermometer helps identify the hard-crack stage; cooling makes the sheet firm enough to break into pieces.
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Recipe note: This is an untested recipe formulation. Times and yields are estimates; use the texture and temperature cues below.
Ingredients and equipment notes
Measure the baking soda before turning on the heat, and use a deep, heavy saucepan with space for foaming. Use roasted unsalted peanuts for this formulation. The baking soda is added off the heat, so have the prepared tray within reach before the syrup finishes. Hot sugar sticks to skin: keep children away from the saucepan and do not touch or sample the candy until cold.
Classic Peanut Brittle recipe
Estimated yield: About 24 pieces
Estimated timing: 10 min prep + roughly 20 min cooking + 45 min cooling
Equipment: Heavy saucepan; candy thermometer; tray
Measured ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (170 g) light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
- 1 cup (145 g) roasted unsalted peanuts
- 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
Step-by-step method
- Prepare a parchment-lined rimmed sheet pan and measure all ingredients before starting. Use a heavy saucepan with room for foaming.
- Combine sugar, corn syrup and water. Heat, stirring initially to dissolve the sugar. Once boiling, monitor with a candy thermometer.
- At about 250°F / 121°C, stir in peanuts and butter. Continue cooking, stirring carefully to prevent scorching, to 300°F / 149°C at sea level.
- Remove from heat; stir in baking soda and salt. It will foam. Pour onto the prepared tray and spread cautiously without touching the syrup. Cool completely before breaking.
Understand the hard-crack stage
As a sugar syrup cooks, water evaporates and the remaining mixture becomes more concentrated. The finishing temperature is therefore a clue to the texture after cooling, not a serving temperature. This brittle is written for about 300°F at sea level. Removing it substantially earlier can leave a candy that bends or sticks to the teeth instead of breaking crisply.
Color is useful alongside the thermometer, but is not an exact substitute for it. Pan color, lighting and the peanuts can make the syrup look darker or lighter. If you see scorching or smell burning before the expected reading, check the probe position and heat rather than continuing blindly. Burnt sugar cannot be made mild again by adding baking soda.
Check the thermometer and saucepan
Use a candy thermometer suitable for the depth of the syrup. Position it according to its instructions, with the sensing area in the mixture and clear of the pan bottom. A probe touching hot metal can give a misleading reading. If the batch is too shallow for the thermometer to read correctly, choose a more suitable saucepan rather than guessing the temperature.
Check thermometer accuracy in boiling water using the expected boiling point for your location. At elevation, water boils below the sea-level reference of 212°F. Separate the instrument's error from the local boiling-point difference so you do not subtract the same adjustment twice. Colorado State University's elevation guidance is linked below for that reason.
A heavy pan distributes heat more evenly than a very thin one. It also needs enough empty space for the baking soda to foam the syrup at the end. Do not choose a tiny saucepan merely because the uncooked ingredients fit. Clip the thermometer securely before the syrup becomes too hot to reposition comfortably.
What corn syrup and baking soda contribute
Light corn syrup is included in the measured syrup mixture. It is not the same ingredient as a flavored pancake syrup, and this version does not establish honey or maple syrup as direct substitutes. Those changes alter flavor and sugar composition. Keep the named ingredients together when learning the method so troubleshooting remains useful.
Baking soda is added off the heat and creates the characteristic foamy expansion. Have the measured teaspoon ready in a small dry dish; searching for it after reaching the finishing temperature delays a time-sensitive step. Mix it through promptly and pour as directed. The foam is expected, but the pan must be large enough to contain it.
Pouring and cooling without flattening the texture
Place the prepared rimmed tray on a stable heat-resistant surface before the syrup finishes. Pour away from yourself and keep hands clear of the stream. Spread cautiously with a heatproof utensil. This is not a dough to press flat with fingers, and baking parchment does not make the sugar safe to touch.
Avoid working the poured sheet repeatedly as it starts to set. You need an even, manageable layer, not a perfectly polished rectangle. Let it become completely cold before lifting or breaking it. A warm edge can seem firm while a thicker part remains hot or flexible, so do not use an early taste test to judge the finished texture.
More brittle questions
Why is my brittle sandy instead of glassy?
Sugar crystallization can produce a grainy texture. Check that the sugar dissolved at the beginning and that dry sugar from the saucepan sides was not scraped into the finishing syrup. Follow this recipe's stirring directions, including careful stirring after adding peanuts; a blanket no-stir rule from another candy is not interchangeable with this method.
Can I use raw peanuts instead?
This formula uses roasted peanuts added at the stated stage. Raw peanuts would need a method that cooks them sufficiently while controlling the syrup. Do not assume the same timing gives the same result. Use the specified roasted product for the first batch instead of combining steps from two brittle recipes.
Why did a crisp batch become sticky later?
Moisture in the air or in the package can affect the sugar surface. Let the brittle cool fully before sealing it, keep it away from steam, and package it separately from soft cookies. Refrigeration is not an automatic fix for hard candy: condensation after opening a cold container can introduce more moisture.
Make a repeatable batch record
Write down your location, thermometer adjustment, saucepan and finishing reading. Note whether the cooled sheet snapped cleanly and whether it remained crisp after packing. Those observations are more useful than simply adding several minutes next time. A cooking-time estimate varies with burner power and pan size; a calibrated temperature target is the better point of comparison.
For gifts, break the sheet into pieces that fit the container without forcing the lid closed. Peanut brittle has hard, sharp edges, so avoid very large shards and tell the recipient what is in the box. Pair it with soft fudge in a separate compartment for texture contrast rather than mixing loose brittle fragments through the fudge.
Troubleshooting and common questions
Why is my peanut brittle chewy?
The syrup may not have reached the correct finishing concentration, or humid storage may have softened it. Check the thermometer and local altitude rather than extending the cooking by an arbitrary number of minutes.
What does baking soda do in brittle?
It foams the hot mixture and creates small bubbles, making the finished candy less dense. Add the measured amount off the heat and allow room in the pan for expansion.
Can I make this without a thermometer?
This recipe is written for a thermometer. A cold-water test requires practice; choose a no-thermometer candy from the collection if you want a simpler first project.
Temperature and elevation
The listed finishing temperature is for sea level. Colorado State University Extension advises reducing candy temperatures by about 2°F per 1,000 feet of elevation. Check your thermometer in boiling water and use the local boiling-point difference when adjusting. Do not apply the adjustment twice. See CSU’s candy-making guidance.
Storage and gift-box planning
Let the candy cool and set fully before sealing it in a clean container. Use parchment between layers and keep it away from heat, moisture and strong odors. Chocolate-based candies may need refrigeration in a warm kitchen; hard brittle loses its crunch in humidity. A recipe-specific shelf life has not been established for this formulation, so do not promise weeks of storage or unrefrigerated shipping.
Pack this candy separately from moist cookies and strongly flavored peppermint treats. Label the actual ingredients and allergens from the products you use. Nutrition has not been calculated; do not transfer calorie or protein numbers from a similar recipe.
