Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle

Meggan Hill

4.98 from 144 votes

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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.

A silicone mat full of shards of peanut 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

  1. Meggan’s notes
  2. Easy Peanut Brittle Ingredients
  3. How to Make Easy Peanut Brittle
  4. Recipe tips and variations
  5. Frequently Asked Questions
  6. Peanut Brittle (Microwave) Recipe

Easy Peanut Brittle Ingredients

Labeled ingredients for microwave peanut brittle.

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

  1. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. In a deep microwave-safe bowl, combine sugar and corn syrup.
A bowl of sugar and corn syrup.
  1. Mix thoroughly and microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes.
A bowl of sugar and corn syrup.
  1. Stir in peanuts and microwave on HIGH until the mixture is light brown, about 3 to 5 minutes longer.
A bowl of sugar and corn syrup with peanuts stirred in.
  1. Stir in butter and vanilla until combined. Microwave on HIGH until peanuts are lightly browned, about 1 to 2 minutes longer.
A bowl of sugar and corn syrup with microwave peanuts.
  1. Stir in baking soda until mixture is light and foamy.
Peanut brittle batter in a bowl.
  1. Pour onto prepared pan and cool 30 minutes.
Peanut brittle batter on a silicone mat before cooling.
  1. Break into pieces to serve and store in an airtight container.
Someone holding a box of pieces of peanut brittle.

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

What does baking soda do for peanut brittle?

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.

Can I use roasted peanuts in my peanut brittle?

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.

Why didn’t my peanut brittle turn out?

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.

Undercooked vs. overcooked peanut brittle.

More holiday treats

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A silicone mat full of shards of peanut brittle.

Peanut Brittle (Microwave)

By Meggan Hill
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.
Cook Time 10 minutes
Cooling time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 8 servings (2 oz each)
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Calories 267
4.98 from 144 votes
ReviewPrint

Ingredients 

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

  1. Peanuts: For best results, start with raw peanuts. Otherwise, they might overcook and scorch in the microwave.
  2. 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.
  3. Yield: This recipe makes about 1 pound of peanut brittle.
  4. Storage: Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 2 ozCalories: 267kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 5gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 159mgPotassium: 136mgFiber: 2gSugar: 41gVitamin A: 16IUCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg
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4.98 from 144 votes (119 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. I’ve tried many microwave recipes over the years and this is the best I’ve ever made. I resisted the urge to spread the brittle to make it thinner and it “honeycombed beautifully.5 stars

    Reply

  3. The instructions in the recipe say it must cook to 140-145 degrees. That is in Celsius. You should note this because it has to get to 300 Fahrenheit fir hard crack stage. Great and easy recipe5 stars

    Reply

    1. Hi Pat, thank you so much for pointing that out! I updated the post. Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks again! – Meggan

  5. This peanut brittle is so easy to make and really delicious! My
    dad loves peanut brittle and absolutely loved this. Make it, you will
    be glad you did!

    Reply

    1. Hi Pamela, thank you so much for the comment! I’m glad you and your father loved it! – Meggan

  7. Ok I tried this and I must have left it in the microwave to long on one of the steps as it tasted burnt, so can you help me and tell me which step it would be? Otherwise than that it was pretty good. Hope you get this and let me know, butbit doesn’t look like it’s going to post.

    Reply

    1. Hi Ruth, sorry your brittle tasted burnt! I would say it likely probably happened somewhere in step 2 or step 3. I would suggest using the lower ranges of time and keeping a close eye on the brittle. Hope this helps! Take care! – Meggan

  8. Ok I tried this and I must have left it in the microwave to long on one of the steps as it tasted burnt, so can you help me and tell me which step it would be? Otherwise than that it was pretty good.

    Reply

  9. This sounds like a life savor for me. I made it the old-fashioned way and it takes forever but worth it in the end. Is this made with raw Spanish peanuts?

    Reply

    1. Hi Vanessa, it absolutely is way quicker and easier! I like to make it with salted peanuts, but another reader has made it with Spanish peanuts, leaving the skins on and loved it. Thank you and take care! – Meggan

  10. Absolutely fantastic recipe! Delivered a crispy and salty sweet bit of decadence.

    My 1100 watt microwave worked best with heating syrup and sugar 5 minutes, add nuts and heat 5 minutes, add vanilla and heat 2 minutes.5 stars

    Reply