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It only takes 6 ingredients to make this easy Microwave Peanut Brittle. It’s sweet, salty, crunchy, and a great holiday treat or homemade gift. The secret is in the baking soda: it foams up the corn syrup and butter making the candy light, airy, and brittle.
Meggan’s notes
Candy-making can be intimidating, but I’m here to show you fun and easy it can be. As a classically-trained chef with plenty of candy-making experience under my belt, I’ll show you this easy peanut brittle recipe made right in your microwave.
A mixture of corn syrup and granulated sugar gives the perfect amount of sweetness to balance the salty peanuts, while butter adds richness and warmth. The trick to that light, airy, crispy texture? Baking soda. It foams up and infuses the brittle with pockets of air so every bite is crunchy and very brittle.
A touch of vanilla adds extra sweetness, and the whole batch comes together in about 15 minutes (plus cooling time) in your microwave. It’s perfect for homemade gifts, your holiday treats plate, or anytime you’re craving something salty, sweet, and crunchy.
Table of Contents
Easy Peanut Brittle Ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
- Peanuts: For best results, start with raw peanuts. Otherwise, they might overcook and scorch in the microwave.
- Baking soda: Adding baking soda to the hot sugar syrup makes lots of tiny air bubbles that give the candy the porous, honeycomb texture it’s famous for.
How to Make Easy Peanut Brittle
- Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. In a deep microwave-safe bowl, combine sugar and corn syrup.
- Mix thoroughly and microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes.
- Stir in peanuts and microwave on HIGH until the mixture is light brown, about 3 to 5 minutes longer.
- Stir in butter and vanilla until combined. Microwave on HIGH until peanuts are lightly browned, about 1 to 2 minutes longer.
- Stir in baking soda until mixture is light and foamy.
- Pour onto prepared pan and cool 30 minutes.
- Break into pieces to serve and store in an airtight container.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes about 1 pound of peanut brittle.
- Storage: Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 months.
- Grease the pan: Butter a baking sheet or line it with parchment so the brittle doesn’t stick.
- Let it flow: Don’t try to spread it with a spatula; just let it flow like lava.
- Clean-up: Spray the bowl and the spoon or spatula with a non-stick cooking spray before you use them. It will make the hot brittle less sticky and make clean-up a little easier.
- Microwaves: Each appliance is a little different, and your results may vary.
- Chocolate peanut brittle: Sprinkle a layer of semi-sweet chips as soon as you pour the hot brittle onto the pan. Then wait a minute for the chips to melt and gently spread the chocolate over the surface. Amazing!
- Without corn syrup: Unfortunately, there isn’t a good method for microwaving peanut brittle without corn syrup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Adding baking soda when making peanut brittle makes the hot sugar syrup foam, creating lots of tiny air bubbles that give the candy the porous, crispy honeycomb texture it’s known for.
I suggest raw peanuts for peanut brittle since you’re cooking them in the microwave. It’s the same idea as using toasted nuts in homemade granola – you’d be double-toasting the nuts, so you use raw nuts in granola.
If your peanut brittle is light in color and chewy, it was not cooked long enough. If it is too dark and brittle, it was microwaved too long.
More holiday treats
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Christmas Crack
Candy Recipes
Peanut Butter Balls Recipe
Candy Recipes
Peppermint Bark
Candy Recipes
OREO Cookie Balls
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Peanut Brittle (Microwave)
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup raw peanuts (see note 1)
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (see note 2)
Instructions
- Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. In a deep microwave-safe bowl, combine sugar and corn syrup. Mix thoroughly and microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes.
- Stir in peanuts and microwave on HIGH until the mixture is light brown, about 3 to 5 minutes longer.
- Stir in butter and vanilla until combined. Microwave on HIGH until peanuts are lightly browned, about 1 to 2 minutes longer.
- Stir in baking soda until mixture is light and foamy. Pour onto prepared pan and cool 30 minutes. Break into pieces to serve and store in an airtight container.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Peanuts: For best results, start with raw peanuts. Otherwise, they might overcook and scorch in the microwave.
- Baking soda: Adding baking soda to the hot sugar syrup makes lots of tiny air bubbles that give the candy the porous, honeycomb texture it’s famous for.
- Yield: This recipe makes about 1 pound of peanut brittle.
- Storage: Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 months.
Only 1 teaspoon of better or is it 1 tablespoon? I have never made peanut brittle with less than 1 tablespoon – I would be afraid 1 t is not enough! Any thoughts?
Thank you-
Hi Lacey, I’m sure that it’s 1 teaspoon. Hope you enjoy! – Meggan
So easy and the cleanup a breeze. I made it with pistachio and pumpkin seed. Added some cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to the pumpkin could really take it. If nobody eats it, its all mine
That sounds delicious Karen, glad you enjoyed. Thanks! – Meggan
Made this tonight. Was so easy and so good.@ as good as the old fashion kind my mother made as a kid growing up. Was her favorite homemade candy. She would have loved this..Thanks for the recipe.
Is it possible to print the receipt
Hi Linda, if you click “Print Recipe” you can print out a copy of the recipe. Enjoy! – Meggan
My mother used to make this quite often the hard way. It was one of her favorite candy’s. I just did the microwave kind and was so much eiser. Was able to get the hard boil easier. I doubled it and have the Karo syrup works better. Thank you for the recipe. My husband loved it..
I made 4 batches today! It is the BEST recipe for Easy Peanut Brittle I have ever made. My husband had to try every batch! Didn’t change anything. Perfecto!
So glad you both loved it! – Meggan
Just ran across this recipe tonight and it sounds awesome! Think I’m going to use pecans since I don’t have peanuts. BUT I’m placing a grocery order so brittle with peanuts is in my near future. Thanks for the video and your instructions as written are easy to read and comprehend. Hope you have a great Christmas! Blessings to all. I will rate after I’ve made this and taste tested it. Well, how soon depends on whether anyone else is around when it’s done…. LOL
Carol
Thanks Carol, I hope you like it! Merry Christmas to you! – Meggan
I have used this recipe for quite a while . the only thing , Is rule of thumb do not multiple Badges at 1 time
Omgoodness so happy to have found this recipe…Just like momma used to make. So delicious and crunchy
What wattage is your microwave?
Can you use cashews and I was told that it all has to be unsalted is that true
Hi Darrell, I don’t see why you couldn’t use cashews for this. Sounds great! I have tested this with regular salted peanuts and it works great, just watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn. – Meggan
I have used cashews, pecans, and salted peanuts and they are all excellent but I prefer peanuts over all !