Old-Fashioned Peanut Brittle

An easy recipe for homemade, old-fashioned peanut brittle—this delicious made-from-scratch candy is perfect for holiday treat trays and gift baskets.

Peanut brittle is a constant on our holiday baking list. It’s a family Christmas tradition and one of my favorites to load on goodie trays on Christmas Eve—alongside peanut butter cups, marshmallow krispies, krumkake (and many more treats!).

We love this recipe because it’s so simple, takes only about 15 minutes, requires only 6 ingredients, and stores well for an extended period of time – so you can make it well ahead of time.

This classic peanut brittle also makes an excellent DIY Christmas gift for teachers and neighbors. Give in a festive holiday tin or use a clear bag tied with holiday ribbon to easily include in a gift basket.

Ingredients for Peanut Brittle

• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup white corn syrup
• 1 cup roasted peanuts
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Supplies & Favorite Tools for Candy Making

• Saucepan and mixing spoon
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper – we love the pre-cut sheets.
• Candy thermometer

How to Make Homemade Old-Fashioned Peanut Brittle

A quick note on safety before we start – please be careful when working with the hot candy mixture. Handle it with care! Be sure to use protective equipment (oven mitts when handling hot pans or bowls, etc.) and slow, thoughtful movements.

STEP 1 | Prepare a baking sheet.

First, you’ll want to prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper and then set it aside.

STEP 2 | Mix sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan.

Next, in a saucepan, stir the sugar and corn syrup together until mixed well.

STEP 3 | Cook until sugar is dissolved.

In the same saucepan, turn the heat to medium and cook the sugar and corn syrup until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is bubbling.

STEP 4 | Add peanuts.

Stir in the peanuts and cook until the mixture is light brown in color. Note: this recipe calls for roasted peanuts and not raw peanuts. If you use raw peanuts, you will have to adjust the cooking time for the peanuts accordingly.

STEP 5 | Add butter and vanilla.

Add the butter and vanilla extract. Mix well.

STEP 6 | Continue to cook to temperature.

Cook the mixture until your candy thermometer reaches 295–309ºF. Or until the candy on your mixing spoon hardens, resembling the hard crack stage. (This is the trick to making this recipe without a candy thermometer!)

STEP 7 | Add baking soda.

Add the baking soda and gently stir until foamy. The baking soda makes it light and crispy, so do not be tempted to skip this step.

STEP 8 | Spread mixture on baking sheet.

On the sheet pan you prepared with parchment paper, spread out the candy peanut mixture in a thin layer using a spatula. Do not use wax paper – the peanut brittle will stick to the wax paper.

STEP 9 | Let cool and break apart.

Let the peanut brittle harden and cool completely. Then, you can break the brittle into pieces. 

STEP 10 | Enjoy or store for later.

Voila, your peanut brittle is ready to add to holiday dessert trays or gift baskets.

Storage: Store in a metal tin or airtight container. Freezing peanut brittle is unnecessary, but it can help move it out of the way, off your countertop, or out of the pantry.

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We hope you enjoy this classic recipe & Happy Holidays to you and your family! We want to know – what is your favorite recipe to make at Christmastime?

More Christmas Baking Recipes

• Krumkake, a traditional Norwegian cookie
• Marshmallow caramel krispies
• Traditional lefse
• Homemade peanut butter cups
• Molasses cookies

Homemade Old-Fashioned Peanut Brittle