How to Make Brittle
Good brittle has a clean snap and releases the nuts without sticking to your teeth. The difference between brittle and burnt candy comes down to watching the color more than the thermometer.
Have everything measured and your workspace cleared
Once the sugar hits 300°F, you're racing the clock. Butter your spatula and baking sheet before you start cooking.
- heavy-bottomed saucepan
- candy thermometer
- wooden spoon
- buttered baking sheet
- buttered offset spatula
What goes in.
- 1 cupgranulated sugar
- 1/2 cuplight corn syrup
- 1/4 cupwater
- 2 tbspunsalted butter
- 1 cuproasted peanuts
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- 1 tspbaking soda
- 1/2 tspsalt
Watch the color, not just the temperature
When the syrup hits 290°F, it starts turning golden. Pull it off heat the moment it reaches deep amber — it will coast to 300°F from residual heat.
The method.
Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in heavy saucepan
Stir once to wet the sugar, then don't stir again. Clip your thermometer to the side.
Cook over medium heat until mixture reaches 240°F
This takes about 10 minutes. The mixture will bubble vigorously, then settle into a rolling boil.
Add butter and peanuts
Stir them in quickly — the temperature will drop momentarily, then climb again.
Continue cooking until deep amber and 300°F
Watch the color more than the thermometer. When it's the shade of dark honey, pull it off heat immediately.
Remove from heat and quickly stir in vanilla, baking soda, and salt
The mixture will foam up when you add the baking soda. Stir just enough to incorporate.
Pour onto buttered baking sheet
Working fast, spread it thin with your buttered spatula. Don't worry about perfect edges — you'll break it anyway.
Cool completely, about 30 minutes
When it's completely cool, it will snap cleanly when you tap it with a knife.
Break into pieces
Use your hands or the back of a knife. Irregular pieces are part of the charm.
Other turns to take.
Cashew Brittle
Replace peanuts with roasted cashews. Add them at 280°F since they're more delicate.
Sesame Brittle
Use toasted sesame seeds instead of nuts. Add 2 tablespoons at 290°F.
Spiced Brittle
Add 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper with the vanilla for heat that builds.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Humidity kills brittle — don't make it on rainy days
If you don't have corn syrup, use 1/4 cup honey but watch for faster browning
Store between parchment layers in an airtight container for up to one week
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my brittle turn out chewy instead of crisp?
Either you didn't reach 300°F or there's too much humidity. The syrup needs to hit hard crack stage to set properly.
Can I make brittle without a candy thermometer?
Drop a bit of syrup into cold water — it should form hard, brittle threads that snap immediately. But a thermometer is more reliable.
My brittle stuck to the pan. What went wrong?
You didn't butter the pan enough or the syrup wasn't hot enough when you poured it. Next time, really coat that pan.