MICROWAVE PEANUT BRITTLE
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My family loves peanut brittle and I make it often. This is the only way to go. Make it in the microwave! Turns out great every time and is so good. Makes a great Christmas gift, too. This recipe is adapted from a Sharp Carousel Microwave Cookbook that came with my very first microwave many years ago.
1 cup white sugar 1/2 cup light corn syrup Dash of salt 1 to 1 1/2 cups shelled raw peanuts (Could use regular peanuts or pecans, too) 1 tablespoon butter or margarine 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon vanilla Spray a baking sheet generously. Combine sugar, corn syrup and salt in a 3 quart microwave bowl. Stir in peanuts and microwave on high until light brown. (About 9 to 10 minutes.) Microwaves vary so you will have to watch the timing. Stir twice while cooking.(This gets very hot, so be careful not to get burned and I use a glass casserole dish. Don’t use tupperware. It will melt.) Stir in remaining ingredients. Mixture should be light and foamy. Quickly spread as thin as possible on greased baking sheet. Let cool and break into pieces. Makes about 1 pound of peanut brittle. Enjoy! If you like this recipe, you will love my Easy Christmas Divinity, it’s made in the microwave too!
Microwave Peanut Brittle
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
15 mins
This recipe for Microwave Peanut Brittle is delicious!
Course: candy
Cuisine: American, southern
Keyword: easy recipe, microwave peanut brittle, peanut brittle
Servings: 1 pound
Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- Dash of salt
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups shelled raw peanuts Could use regular peanuts or pecans, too
- 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- pray a baking sheet generously. Combine sugar, corn syrup and salt in a 3 quart microwave bowl. Stir in peanuts and microwave on high until light brown. (About 9 to 10 minutes.) Microwaves vary so you will have to watch the timing.
- Stir twice while cooking.(This gets very hot, so be careful not to get burned and I use a glass casserole dish. Don’t use tupperware. It will melt.) Stir in remaining ingredients. Mixture should be light and foamy. Quickly spread as thin as possible on greased baking sheet. Let cool and break into pieces. Makes about 1 pound of peanut brittle
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Thank you so so MUCH for this ❤️ recipe!! I had a awful marriage that I had to leave without talking any belongings and this recipe was a favorite of mine! I lost it in the process of everything and originally had it since my oldest was born. My Sharp Carousel microwave was from the early 80’s and was the only microwave back then with a carousel when it first came out! So, the recipe is about 35 years old! The only part of the microwave cookbook that I got was the first half without a microwave peanut brittle recipe! I always wanted that recipe and didn’t know how to find it again! This is the most awesome peanut brittle recipe on the planet! So, once again thank you for posting this because I have been looking for it for years! Thanks to you I’ve found it again!
Oh my gosh! How wonderful that you found this recipe! I am so glad you stumbled upon our website and can now enjoy this recipe again. I agree it’s definitely one of the best peanut brittle recipes. I loved my Sharp Carousel microwave! Thank you for the comment. Enjoy!
No, thank YOU, so very much! I can now make it again at Christmas time for friends and family. They were in love with this peanut brittle when I had the recipe!
what is light corn syrup. the stuff I bought is a dark colour like brown sugar shade can I still use it?
Hi Nadine, Light and dark corn syrup can be interchanged. Dark corn syrup tastes a little more like molasses but I see no reason why you couldn’t use it in this recipe.
I love PB, but really like the “chewey” brittle better. Do you know of any way to make it less hard and chewey. TIA
I live in Hawaii and I made a dozen batches for Christmas last year, everyone loved it
-This has been my go to recipe for peanut brittle for 35 years. Usually make 12 or more pounds every Christmas as gifts.
-I mix the syrup, sugar and peanuts and cook for 4 mins., stir and cook 4 mins more. Stir and then, add the butter and vanilla. cook for 2 mins. Remove and quickly add baking soda, stir and pour on pan lined with non-stick Reynolds Wrap foil. I do not use the salt.
-Do not try to cook in rainy weather. Good Luck!!
I’ve made this many, many times and I use 3 aluminum pie pans. You just pour it in, no buttering or spraying the pans. When it is cool, it just pops right out of the pie pans in perfect rounds. You can break it up and store the whole thing in a gallon zip-lok bag to give as a gift. My ingredients are the same as yours and I just had to play with the timing because I got a new element in my microwave and it got too hot too quickly the first time I made by my usual cooking times. And I use a pyrex bowl, can take the heat.
I microwave mine 4 mins, stir, cook 4 mins; add vanilla and butter, stir. Cook 2 mins and then stir in baking soda. I also omit the salt. Have been making microwave peanut brittle over 30 years!
Made it Used pecans. 9 mins to long. Almost burned. Will do again and cut down to maybe 7 mins and stir pecans in after taken from microwave.
Take it out as soon as you think it is ready, Diana. Could be a difference in your microwave or weather or several things. You just have to keep trying. There is a photo on the FB page where a man made it for the first time and turned out great…. Don’t give up!
I have a 1200 watt microwave oven will cut the time and do some testing.
mmm..looks yummy..must try
If it’s to humid your peanut brittle will turn out like taffy and very sticky and if your soda is old your brittle will hardly get foamy and your brittle will be hard. I known this is true because this happened to me.
When my sister-in-law makes her peanut brittle she first spreads the raw peanuts evenly out on a cookie sheet lined with foil that is sprayed with Pam first then pours hot mixture over top of peanuts and it comes out great that way. Then you could gently use a spatula to spread it more if you wished but this works fine for her and she’s been making this way for years!! You might want to try that if you’re having trouble spreading it.
Can you use honey instead of corn syrup? If so, should I use the same amount?
I have not tried using honey and don’t know if it would work or not.
I know this is a stupid thing to even say, but for anyone that has not done this do not put bowl in water to wash till it has cooled down
I put my saucepan in really hot water to prepare for another batch asap. Usually make 12 lbs to give as gifts.
My niece and I have used the recipe for years and really love it. The trick is to microwave it for 3 min. stir, 3 min. stir and 3 mins. again, then add the rest of your ingredients. Turns out perfect every time.
Just made it, waiting to cool, notice little thick, will spread thiner nect time, thsnks
Thanks for the recipe. Every year I have been making brittle on stove………NO MORE!!!!!
My dad is diabetic but LOVES peanut brittle – can you substitute splenda or truvia or at least part sugar and then the rest a sugar free ingredient?
I have never tried it that way, Tina.
Can normal syrup be substituted for corn syrup. Not sure we can get corn syrup in SA.
I have never tried doing that. I think there is a way to make your own corn syrup. Try “googling” how to make corn syrup.
When you use the salted peanuts, do you still put the dash of salt in the brittle? Can someone help me .
You can leave it out if you want to Mary.
I make it with pistachios, tastes just great. I am a bachelor now,72, and I haven’t let my family know that I make it. Plus a lot of other deserts that I get from this site.
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Could you use walnuts?
Can I cool it down in the fridge?
Success! My microwave only takes 5 mins to cook this! Sweet.
I had a recipe years ago for microwave brittle that came out perfect each time I made it. Lost that recipe. Since then, every brittle recipe I’ve tried ends up burnt. The cooking time is too long. Now I have a 1200W microwave. Do you suppose if I cut the cooking time in half that it would be enough to cook thoroughly?
You will need to just keep checking it and when it gets kind of light brown take it out. I would cut in half and check it after that to make sure it is not burning and do a couple more minutes.
Can you use Cashews or Pecans in place of raw shelled peanuts?
Yes.
I can’t wait to try this. Can I use dry roasted peanuts instead of raw ones?? 🙂
Yes, you can, Sandra.
What do I spray on the cookie sheet?
Cooking spray like Canola oil that comes in a spray can.
Try Reynolds Release Aluminum Foil. You can reuse the foil several times by removing crumbs with a paper towel.
I use butter
When it is cooler, stretch the brittle to make it thinner. Really makes a difference.
Does this work in a 700 watt or a 1000 watt microwave? Or, does it matter?
I have made this candy for 30 years in the microwave and never had a problem no matter what kind of microwave it was. Someone asked me on Facebook what the wattage was of the microwave I have now and I looked and it is 1000 watts. I don’t know or remember what wattage microwaves I’ve had in the past but always made it in the one I had at the time with no problem.
You can get a time table to cook candies in the microwave on the internet. The first I cooked it I burnt it and there is nothing that smells so bad. I make a lot of hard tack for Christmas.
when do you add the butter baking soda and vanilla.
As soon as you remove from the microwave after cooking for 9 or 10 minutes.
I made this today for the first time today but I don’t care for peanuts so i used pecans chopped in halves. It turned ot great. I cooked it for nine minutes and I think next time I will try 8 because it was a little hard to spred thin. Next time I will heat the pan like Lorelei sugested.
I learned a lesson this week about peanut brittle, you cant make it if it is not cold outside!!! It was too stickey and I could not get it off my pan , had to throw the whole thing away!! my friend had a good laugh like I was suppose to know that, here in Ga, we had warm weather earlier this week.. things we learn.. will try again b/c it looks easy. thanks
Use the greatest thing ever invented Anita, Reynolds Parchment Paper! Slide right off that stuff! I made the brittle two weeks ago in Dawsonville ,Ga! Only problem I had was cleaning the pot I cook it in. Solve that with filling it with hot water and Dawn liquid, let it sit then it washed right out! Delicious !
My mama always told me to not make candy or fondants on a rainy or cloudy day that the moisture in the air would keep them from doing as good. Was it cloudy or rainy when you made yours. I also like to use parchment paper.
Anita, it is not the temp, it is humidity,
Try cooking it less time. My microwave is 1,000 watts. Your may be different or something.
The microwave cooking time depends very much on the wattage of the microwave oven! My oven is rated at 1000 watts and the two cooking times for the two segments are 4:30 and 2:15.
I want to try this! And, thanks for the tupperware warning. I had a friend who was badly burned doing that.
I’ve tried twice to ‘double’ this recipe and both times wound up with a soft toffee like consistency….. All I can think is that maybe doubling the baking soda is to blame. Anyone else have success/failure with this?
You can’t double candy recipes!
I have used this recipe numerous times as well, and has always turned out wonderfully. I also like to make a spicy peanut brittle, the recipe is the same up until the vanilla. Instead of 1tsp., you add 1/2 tsp. vanilla, 1/2tsp rum flavoring, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper. It is so good, the cayenne gives it a little kick, I have had more people want this spicy brittle than the regular.
We used this when making our Christmas baskets this year. I haven’t found a person that hasn’t liked it yet. At our apartment’s Christmas party this past week, people came up and asked how I made it. They were quite convinced I was some kind of genius. I’ve sent them here!
Thank you Crystal! Merry Christmas.
Peanut brittle in a micowave? That’s just pure genius! I’m going to have to give this a try. Plus I had no idea you used green peanuts.
Great brittle! I used walnuts, and next batch will cook for 8 minutes. Turned out ok but a little dark. I did not spray my 4 cup Pyrex bowl any ideas on cleaning it?
I just let it soak for a while with hot water and it was no problem to clean.
Thanks that did the trick! I did heat in the oven on 425 for 15 minutes then soak in water. Washed right out! Won’t make that mistake again!
Just let your Pyrex cool and use hot water, let it sit for awhile and it cleans up real easy.
I have made this for years. Recipe was on the back of bag of peanuts I bought that the band was selling. I make it now with broken pieces of pecans. My family prefers this instead of peanuts.
Does anyone know if this travels well through mail and if so how to pack it?…my kids love this!
I mail this often to my sisters. I usually put it in tins which I fill as full as possible. I have also put it in ziploc bags and packed with styrofoam packing.
We are trying to stay away from corn syrup. Is there anything else you can use instead of corn syrup???
Try HONEY – I’ve been staying away from corn syrup too.
I love this recipes so good mmm.
I make lots of this each year, especially at Christmas. The neatest trick I have learned is to butter a pizza pan and put it in a 200 degree oven while the brittle cooks. When I pour the candy onto the pan, it spreads very easily with a little shaking. I also cook several batches in a row without washing my two quart Pyrex mixing bowl, which I spray before cooking.
great idea…thanks for the tip
That was my Question Lorelei! Made a mess in our Pyrex! Any ideas on how to clean now I screwed up?
Soak the bowl in hot water, or the dishwasher will clean it right up.
For years, I did not spray and cleaned the bowl after every cooking. Now I sometime do as many as five cookings before cleaning the bowl.
Thanks!
Sounds easy and awesome! I will definitely have to give this a try.
As soon as I read this I unplugged my laptop and went to my kitchen to make it. Luckily I had everything. I did do one thing different. I had a hard time spreading it thin in the pan. I grabbed a piece of foil sprayed with cooking and used that to press it thin . It worked great for me. I did have to use a towel on top of the foil since it is really hot.. It looks really good. I am now waiting for it to cool.
This looks like what my Mom use to make but, she didn’t have a microwave.
Thank you for this recipe. I love peanut brittle but have never made it. I’m gonna try it,maybe I won’t mess it up.
We do this but use 1/2 salted canned peanuts and 1/2 salted canned cashews. Delish!!!
i’ve made this many times…the baking soda is what makes it so good
Thanks so much for sharing this easy recipe. I’ve not ever made peanut brittle before, but do think I’ll have to try this. Pinning!