Making my Grandma’s Peanut Brittle is one of my favorite holiday traditions. This classic treat of salty-sweet perfection is surprisingly easy to make.
Grandma’s Peanut Brittle is one of my favorite holiday classics! It’s super fun and easy to make, and I love giving it as a gift during the holiday season! Cozying up in the kitchen on a cold wintery night and making this recipe is always fun!
I have made my grandma’s recipe for peanut brittle for 8 years now, I have yet to find one that is better.
My Favorite Kitchen Tools To Make This Recipe
From trusty pots and pans to handy gadgets, I’ve curated a list of products I use and love.
I’ve had my Grandma’s Peanut Brittle for as long as I can remember. I vividly remember a Christmas candy tray stemming from having Christmas at her house.
That was when I was young because I come from a large Catholic family with my dad having 7 siblings. Naturally, we outgrew my grandparents’ house and rotated it between my aunts and uncles and, on two occasions, at my parents’ house. But every year, we had the infamous candy tray filled with peanut brittle. My Aunt Patty eventually started to make it as well. But I didn’t want this yummy, tasty tradition to be left to her. So I started making it as well.
Peanut Brittle Baking Tip
I remember calling my grandma up and asking her for the recipe. She first told me to make sure I wore excellent oven mitts because otherwise, I would burn my hands. She also noted that I should use oven mitts that I don’t care about just in case I need to throw them away. Okay, at this point, I will be honest, but I was scared. Scared that I was A – going to screw up massively and B – burn myself. Both are ugly situations.
But I let go of the fear and carried on. I went for it, and bam, it turned out amazing. She was right; the first two times I made this, I got the candy all over the gloves, but now I consider myself a pro.
The hardest part of making Grandma’s Peanut Brittle is letting the candy cook at the proper temperature. I am just not patient. I only cook the candy to 280 degrees because I love the brittle color at this point; my grandma cooks it until 290. Either way, this brittle is the best.
My grandma made this peanut brittle recipe until last year; she said that at 90, it was the only thing she would ever still make; that’s how much my grandma loves us and peanut brittle.
Making peanut brittle in our homes is no longer a tradition. So today, I share my Grandma’s Peanut Brittle recipe, hoping you will return the homemade peanut brittle to your table and your neighbors.
How do you store Peanut Brittle?
I’m drooling over this stack of peanut brittle; I can’t wait to make another batch.
I love the holidays because of all the yummy treats made. But my favorite part is making traditional treats for my family and friends, whom I grew up with.
More holiday favorites
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Grandma’s Peanut Brittle
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup corn syrup
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons butter + more for pan
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cup Spanish peanuts
Instructions
- Butter a large high sided cooking sheet.
- Over medium heat bring to a boil sugar, corn syrup, water, and 2 tablespoons of butter. Using a candy thermometer cook until it reaches 240 degrees. Add Spanish peanuts and cook until thermometer reaches 290 degrees.
- Note: I like to remove mine around 290, this is where I like the coloring and the crunch but my Grandma likes 300.
- Remove from heat and quickly stir in baking soda, salt, and vanilla. Pour immediately into the buttered pan, and tilt the pan so that the brittle covers the entire pan corner to corner. DO NOT use a knife to push it around, your brittle will not look as nice.
- Let the brittle cool and harden completely before breaking up and serving.
Wow, looks so delicious! Pinning, so I can make it one day:)
Thanks for sharing at Foodies & Crafties Soirée!
Gosia | Kiddie Foodies
I love peant brittle, but i dont know why i only make this time of year. Thanks for sharing at the create it or bake it, come back tomorrow and link up!
I forgot the vanilla!!!!
I’ve always wondered about Peanut Brittle. Thanks for sharing! Pinned and featuring at Family Fun Friday. http://www.happyandblessedhome.com/category/family-fun
Monica
This is a tradition around the holidays. We will be trying your recipe this year!
Enjoy!
Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
We usually use salted in all our recipes unless specified otherwise. I hope you enjoy!
What if I have forgotten the baking soda? Eek!
Oh gosh, so sorry; try again. xoxo
What a sweet post! Please thank your Grandma for sharing her special holiday recipe ~ it looks wonderful!!!
I just tried this brittle recipe I hope it’s good
My Grandma has passed away, her Peanut Brittle is always in my mind, she left no recipe card, but I do remember making it with her adding the baking soda…and the fizz it would make! I can’t wait to try your recipe! I’m thinking it is the same as Goggy’s! Thanks!
Awe sorry your grandma passed away but what sweet memories. Do you use raw peanuts or regular ?
Super excited about this–I love peanut brittle! (Okay, I love the brittle and I love peanuts…I could honestly eat the brittle by itself, though…and I might just do it!)
Thanks for linking this up to Twirl & Take a Bow, too! 🙂
– Brooke –
You were featured on All Things Christmas! We hope that you will come back and link up again! Check it out at http://craftdictator.com/2013/12/09/all-things-christmas-4/!
I just made this, and already love it. Its going in the family recipe vault. Thanks for sharing!
Bethany that made my night. So happy you like it! xoxo San
The only Spanish peanuts I could find have the skins on them. Do I need to remove the skins or is it alright to leave them on?
I leave them on, I kind of like it like that.
All I can find are cooked Spanish peanuts. Are they supposed to be raw?
We use cooked Spanish peanuts, you’ll be fine using them. Enjoy!
Is there a pecan brittle or walnut brittle? How do you think brittle would taste with different nuts?
I would love to make a pecan brittle. I don’t think you can go wrong with any nut in a brittle. xo San
Almonds also make a lovely brittle.
Awasome recipe the only thing is if you leave it at 290 the peanuts start to burn.
Oh, God, … . … I’m going to try it right now……..I have all the stuff………….I like the little bubbles in it, it manes it so light. Oh well, Here goes……………… Thanks
How did it go?
What did I do wrong, mines want get hard it’s still soft, what I do!
Did you use a candy thermometer?
Not the same Bethany but had the same result. Used a candy thermometer and it never fully set up. Just had to throw it out. I could roll it into a tube because it was so soft. Thermometer actually recommends taking it to 302 so I’m wondering if that’s where it went wrong?
What was your heat on for your burner?
My grandmother just taught me how to make her peanut brittle and I remember her saying that you cook on the stove until it reaches a softball stage which is to drop it in a bowl of water and push down on it to see if it feels like a softball that is when you take it off and put the rest of the ingredients in
Before you do any candy cooking check your thermometer by boiling water and testing to make sure the thermometer reads 212F. If it reads differently you need to add or subtract the degrees from the finished temp. IE therm reads 209 in boiling water you need to cook candy -3 degrees of candy recipe temp.
Is cause a hard crack is actually 380 /390 then it won’t be chewy
Don’t you mean280 & 290 ?
Scott mine was soft too, it just rolled. I put mine in the freezer, then broke it into big pieces. Then put the pieces in a zip lock to keep it in the freezer. It is way to soft at room temp. The ratios in her recipe did not work for me.
I’ll have to dig through boxes to find my mom’s old recipe. There are many recipes, all very similar. Try a few and you’ll find one that works for you.
Butter, nuts and baking soda are to be added at end of cook…that’s why it won’t hit the crack stage
Do you use raw or roasted Spanish peanuts? Thank you!
Raw – enjoy! I am making it tomorrow 🙂 San
i dont see peanuts listed in ingredients how much do i add
2 1/2 cups of Spanish peanuts
There are no peanuts listed in the above recipe?
It’s 2 1/2 cups of Spanish peanuts, it is the last ingredient listed. I hope you enjoy! xo San
The peanut brittle looks so good! I love the color so much~ Thank you for sharing the recipe!