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Making Peanut Brittle at Home
Peanut brittle is always a nostalgic treat. Something my mom always makes on Christmas mornings.
As kids, we would wake up on Christmas to many aromas such as pies, hot chocolates, and so many other things. But one thing I always look forward to is helping wrap peanut brittle for neighbors and friends. I wish I knew how to make peanut brittle in the microwave back then, I’d have made it all the time when mom wasn’t around!
When I got old enough to think of gifts, I always thought edible ones are one of the best. Since my grandma, aunts, and mom are all kitchen ladies, I’ve grown to love the kitchen as well. So peanut brittle on Christmas mornings were always a good idea.
But I really didn’t think of it much then until I saw how expensive store-bought peanut brittle can be. A small pack is around $8, the ones in tin cans can cost about $20, and the gourmet ones are $30 or more.
I had no idea they can be this expensive. No wonder mom makes her own instead.
My mom’s version is the classic, the one you normally cook on the stove. But it can be pretty messy. One of the things I don’t look forward to in making stovetop peanut brittle is cleaning up the mess.
For a while I didn’t try making it on my own. Whenever I have cravings, I call mom to make some for me. Until I saw a baker’s post about how to make peanut brittle in the microwave. Just what I need!
I just started making treats on my own then, so that post was like heaven-sent to me. With all the ingredients that are readily available in my kitchen, I was on a roll.
I wanted to make my own version that I can share with my mom so she won’t have to go through all the trouble of using a candy thermometer and all that jazz.
But my first try was a flop. Yes, I burned the caramel.
Apparently, the heating powers of my modern microwave is too strong for caramel making. I had to revamp the cooking time to match what is required for making the brittle without burning it.
After a few tries (honestly, it was a little more than a few, LOL!), I figured out the best method and finally made it taste like my mom’s classic.
So, I proudly present to you my version of how to make peanut brittle in the microwave with little to no mess. There’s also a fun twist with chocolate if you want to try making brownie brittle!
How to Make Peanut Brittle in the Microwave
One of the things I always thank modern technology for is the microwave. It makes my life so much easier in so many ways.
And since I am a home baker, there are times I want to do things the easier way when I’m too lazy to take the traditional way or I’m running out of time for some reason.
Stumbling across the idea of microwave peanut brittles is something I’m very happy about. And while I try to avoid as much corn syrup as possible, I haven’t experimented with its substitute in this recipe yet.
So I’ll take mom’s recipe for now, make it in the microwave, and I’ll work on testing another recipe without corn syrup sometime later.
Making peanut brittle in the microwave only takes at least 15 minutes. You mix the corn syrup and sugar in a bowl, put it in the microwave for a few minutes, stir in the peanuts, and return to the microwave for a few minutes more.
Once that’s done, you add in the vanilla and butter and mix until well combined, then place it back in the microwave for a minute or so. Add in the baking soda and stir until the mixture becomes light and foamy.
Now, the critical part here is that you need to quickly pour the mixture onto the baking sheet before your candy starts to cool. This is because the peanut brittle hardens quickly so this step must be done fast.
Also, there’s no need to use a spoon or spatula to spread it around. Because the peanut brittle hardens fast, then it’s better to spread it around the baking sheet and let it even out by itself. The peanut brittle will stick to the spoon or spatula so it’s best not to use one to avoid unnecessary mess.
And that’s it. You now have your peanut brittle ready for cooling.
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Peanut Brittle in the Microwave
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
As kids, we would wake up on Christmas to many aromas such as pies, hot chocolates, and so many other things. But one thing I always look forward to is helping wrap peanut brittle for neighbors and friends. This is my fave peanut brittle recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup salted peanuts
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Kitchen equipment you’ll need:
Instructions
- Before starting to cook, prepare the baking sheet and spray with cooking spray.
- Mix the white sugar and corn syrup in a mixing bowl and place it on high temperature in the microwave for 3.5 minutes.
- Take out the bowl and add in the peanuts and stir before returning to the microwave for another 3 minutes. The sugar mixture should turn light brown at this point.
- Take out the bowl again and add in the butter and vanilla. Stir until well combined and place back in the microwave for another 1.5 minutes.
- Add the baking soda to the soft mixture and stir gently until it becomes light and airy or foamy.
- Quickly pour the mixture over the baking sheet and spread thin by rotating the baking sheet around until the brittle has evened out. This has to be done quickly before the caramel starts to harden.
- Let the peanut brittle rest for about 30 minutes.
- Break the peanut brittle into pieces and store in an air-tight container. For gift purposes, place the peanut brittle in plastic bags and tie with a ribbon tightly or store in cute tin cans.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Candy
