Mom's Best Peanut Brittle Recipe - Real Life Dinner (2024)

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Mom's Best Peanut Brittle Recipe - Real Life Dinner (1)My Mom’s Best Peanut Brittle Recipe is my dad’s favorite Christmas Candy. My mom made it every year growing up, and even though I wasn’t a huge fan back then, I can sure appreciate it as an adult. Speaking of appreciation and favorite candy, Old Fashioned Cherry Mash Chocolates is my recipe for my mom’s favorite candy, a Cherry Mash.

I like the crisp crunch and the peanut flavor throughout my Mom’s Best Peanut Brittle Recipe. It’s tasty! After trying a few different recipes, I’ve come to the conclusion that my mom’s recipe really is THE BEST!

step-by-step video for perfect peanut brittle

HOW TO MAKE MOM’S BEST PEANUT BRITTLE

  • Grease a cookie sheet with butter. Set aside.
  • Combine butter, baking soda, and vanilla in a bowl. Set aside.
  • Combine sugar, Karo Syrup, and water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly and bring to a boil until mixture spins a thread when drizzled from your spoon. See the step-by-step video for an example.
  • Add peanuts and continue stirring the boiling mixture until it turns light brown (approx. same color as a paper bag).
  • Add the bowl of butter, baking soda, and vanilla. Mix until butter is melted and mixture is foamy from the baking soda.
  • Pour out onto prepared cookie sheet and spread mixture out with two forks as thinly as you can (approx. 1/4″).
  • Cool completely.
  • Use a butter knife to break it into pieces. (See picture at bottom of post.)

Mom's Best Peanut Brittle Recipe - Real Life Dinner (2)

MORE CHRISTMAS RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

  • Crazy Good Mint Fudge
  • White Chocolate Peppermint Pretzel Crisps
  • Golden Oreo Peanut Butter Truffles
  • Holiday Snowball Cookies
  • Old Fashioned Cherry Mash Chocolates

Mom’s Best Peanut Brittle Recipe is made from very basic ingredients, and you don’t have to have a candy thermometer to make it. Sure, you can use a thermometer. If you don’t have one, you don’t need to feel stressed about messing this up. Just follow the instructions and watch the step-by-step video, and it will turn out great.

Mom’s Best Peanut Brittle Recipe is relatively inexpensive to make and is a great gift for teachers or neighbors. Package it up in a cute bag with a ribbon or add a few pieces to a treat plate.

Frequently Asked Questions about making Mom’s Best Peanut Brittle

where can i buy raw peanuts?

At the local grocery store and online. I have found them in the baking section at my grocery store. Others have bought them from Trader Joe’s, from the produce department of their grocery store, a farmer’s market, and even from a peanut farm.

when using a candy thermometer, what temperature do you bring the boiling mixture to?

Hard crack stage, which is between 300-310 degrees. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, stir the boiling mixture until it spins a thread when drizzled from the spoon. It sounds crazy, but you’ll know what I’m talking about when it happens. See the step-by-step video towards the beginning of the post for an example of what it looks like.

can you use other types of nuts in this recipe?

I have only used raw peanuts, but I don’t know of any reason why other nuts would not work. A couple of readers used almonds, and it turned out good for them.

Mom's Best Peanut Brittle Recipe - Real Life Dinner (3)

CHEF’S TOOLS:

Favorite Christmas Recipes

Layered Christmas Jello Salad {TMH}Cranberry Fluff Salad with Apples and WalnutsLion House Rolls


Mom's Best Peanut Brittle Recipe

Mom's Best Peanut Brittle Recipe - Real Life Dinner (7)

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Sweet, Crunchy Candy filled with peanuts. Satisfying treat that is sure to bring a smile during the Holidays.

Recipe type: Candy

Cuisine: Christmas

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup Karo Syrup (light)
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cups raw peanuts
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 1½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • extra butter for greasing cookie sheet

Instructions

  1. Grease a cookie sheet with butter. Set aside.
  2. Combine butter, baking soda, and vanilla in a bowl. Set aside.
  3. Combine sugar, Karo Syrup, and water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly and bring to a boil until mixture spins a thread when drizzled from your spoon. Sounds crazy, but you'll know what I am talking about when it happens. See the step-by-step video for an example.
  4. Add peanuts and continue stirring the boiling mixture until it turns brown, like in the pictures, (approx. same color as a paper bag).
  5. Add the bowl of butter, baking soda, and vanilla. Mix until butter is melted and mixture is foamy from the baking soda.
  6. Pour out onto prepared cookie sheet and spread mixture out with two forks as thinly as you can (approx. ¼").
  7. Cool completely.
  8. Use a butter knife to break it into pieces. (See picture below.)

Don’t Forget to pin this amazing recipe to your favorite pinterest board!

More tried and true candy recipes

Merry Widow CaramelsHomemade Toffee with Chocolate and AlmondsPeanut Butter Cup Bars {No Bake}

Mom's Best Peanut Brittle Recipe - Real Life Dinner (11)

Mom's Best Peanut Brittle Recipe - Real Life Dinner (2024)

FAQs

Is peanut brittle good or bad for you? ›

Outside of that single ingredient, peanut brittle is painfully unhealthy. It contains: sugar, corn syrup, and butter, all of which are unhealthy for your body in different ways. But, peanut brittle becomes terrible for your teeth once all of those ingredients are combined into the final product.

Why didn't my peanut brittle get hard? ›

The main reason why peanut brittle doesn't get hard and have the crunch we expect is because the sugar was not cooked long enough. The sugar needs to be cooked to what is called the hard crack stage, 300ºF.

Is peanut brittle a southern thing? ›

The general origin story of peanut brittle is that it came from the South, and that a Southern woman in the second half of the 19th century came up with peanut brittle by accidentally putting baking soda into her taffy instead of cream of tartar.

Should you refrigerate peanut brittle? ›

To store: Store peanut brittle (once it's completely cooled) in an airtight container at room temperature. Do not refrigerate as the moisture from the fridge will cause the brittle to soften. Store for 6-8 weeks. To freeze: Peanut brittle can be frozen and stored up to 3 months.

Why put baking soda in peanut brittle? ›

Baking soda is also very important at this stage since it reacts to the heat, creating carbon dioxide that aerates the caramel, enabling it to snap when someone bites into it rather than requiring them to gnaw at it until it breaks or pulls apart.

How do you keep peanut brittle crispy? ›

5 Tips on How to Store Peanut Brittle
  1. #1 - Store in an airtight container. ...
  2. #2 - Separate your brittle. ...
  3. #3 - Avoid using the refrigerator. ...
  4. #4 - But, if needed, use the freezer. ...
  5. #5 - Overall, eliminate opportunities for moisture.
Nov 10, 2022

Why is my homemade peanut brittle chewy? ›

Why did my peanut brittle turn out chewy? The likely cause is that the sugar mixture didn't reach the proper hard crack stage temperature. Ensuring it reaches 300˚F is key to getting that classic brittle texture.

Can you salvage undercooked peanut brittle? ›

So, I Googled Salvaging Undercooked Peanut Brittle and followed Tiffany's helpful instructions to throw the pieces back in the pan, turn the heat up and stir, stir, and stir to a raging boil and wait to pour it in the pan until it reaches 300 degrees.

Why did my peanut brittle crystallize? ›

Grittiness can happen when a stray sugar crystal doesn't melt properly or is introduced while the caramel is cooking. The stray crystal causes the surrounding sugar to crystallize, resulting in that gritty texture once the caramel has cooled.

What do Southerners call peanuts? ›

A Legume With Many Names: The Story Of 'Goober' : Code Switch Today, everyone calls it a peanut. Southerners might also say 'goober. ' But before the Civil War, there were a dozen names for that humble legume, and it wasn't at all clear which one would win out.

Is peanut brittle an American thing? ›

But did you know that this popular treat may very well be an American invention? That's right. And an American folk hero of yore may have helped garner its fame. In fact, peanut brittle's place in American pop culture is certainly an established one.

What are some fun facts about peanut brittle? ›

In parts of the Middle East, brittle is made with pistachios, while many Asian countries use sesame seeds and peanuts. “Brittle,” a flat hardened sugar candy, is thought to be one of the first candies ever made. Peanut brittle made with corn syrups and nuts began appearing in cookbooks around the 19th century.

Why is my peanut brittle not airy? ›

The mixture will foam and grow so make sure to stir constantly to completely incorporate. Working quickly, pour into prepared 10×15 pan. To keep the brittle light and airy, do not spread or flatten the mixture. Instead, let it flow freely.

Can peanut brittle go bad? ›

How Long Does Peanut Brittle Last? Properly stored (in an airtight container at room temperature), peanut brittle will last one to two months.

Why is my peanut brittle greasy? ›

Many recipes call for buttering a foil-lined baking sheet, which can result in a tasty but greasy brittle. That is, unless you missed a spot while buttering. In which case you have peanut-and-foil brittle.

Is peanut brittle fattening? ›

Peanut brittle contains 130 calories per 28 g serving. This serving contains 4.5 g of fat, 2 g of protein and 20 g of carbohydrate. The latter is 15 g sugar and 0 g of dietary fiber, the rest is complex carbohydrate. Peanut brittle contains 1 g of saturated fat and 0 mg of cholesterol per serving.

Which type of peanut is healthiest? ›

For their optimal health benefits, choose raw peanuts with the skin on. Raw peanuts with their skin on are high in cell-defending antioxidants. Roasted, salted peanuts are high in sodium, which health professionals link to heart disease. That said, eating roasted, salted peanuts as part of a balanced diet is okay.

Is broken peanuts good for health? ›

Raw broken peanuts can be put in a container and needs refrigeration storage. It has a shelf life of around 5-6 days. l Peanuts, being a legume is rich in nutrients and provides immense health benefits.

Are peanuts an unhealthy snack? ›

Peanuts are full of nutrition and make for a healthy snack. They're full of fiber, protein, and healthy fats, which can aid weight management by keeping you full longer. For best results, choose raw, roasted, or boiled peanuts free of added salt and flavoring, and be mindful of your serving size.

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