Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle Recipe (2024)

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4.94 from 15 votes

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Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Published: November 15, 2022

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This Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle Recipe takes a delicious holiday treat and makes it easy by using the microwave. It’ll come out crunchy and with the perfect mixture of sweet and salty. You’ll never to back to stovetop!

If you’re looking for tasty holiday treats, check out my super easy Homemade English Toffee, 3-Ingredient Peppermint Bark, Churro Toffee (Disneyland copycat!), and Pecan Pie Roll-Ups.

Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle Recipe (1)

Why This Recipe Works

Sweet & Savory: One of the reasons why I love peanut brittle is that perfect combination of savory and sweet. The caramel, buttery flavor of the brittle along with the salty, nutty flavor of the peanuts just combines so perfectly. And with this easy microwave peanut brittle, you get all of that flavor made easy.

Simple: Anything that can be made in a microwave is just absolutely simple to make. Have you ever wondered how to make peanut brittle? This easy peanut brittle recipe can literally be made by anyone and it is so delicious and impressive! If you look at peanut brittle recipes and feel intimidated, don’t fret. This no thermometer brittle recipe makes things super easy without sacrificing any flavor.

Shareable: Something beautiful about this recipe is that you can whip up a bunch of it and share with friends and family as little holiday gifts! Wrap it up with a little bow, and they will absolutely love it.

Ingredients

Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle Recipe (2)
  • Dry Roasted Peanuts- Dry Roasted Peanuts are the best for this recipe. They are the perfect balance of salty and nutty!
  • Granulated Sugar– The brittle mixture is made of melted granulated sugar which can be perfectly melted in the microwave.
  • Light Corn Syrup– A little bit of light corn syrup is added for flavor and texture.
  • Salt– A bit of extra salt is good to balance the sweetness.
  • Vanilla Extract– Vanilla is added for extra flavor.
  • Butter– Butter makes the brittle creamier and more like caramel.
  • Baking Soda– A little bit of baking soda is added to make the brittle a bit fluffier. It will still be nice and crunchy!

Here’s How to Make It

Step by Step Instructions

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  1. Grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper and set aside. Pre-measure your ingredients and have them ready to go.
  2. In a microwave safe bowl, combine, sugar, and corn syrup. Microwave for 3 minutes, stirring halfway through.
  3. Stir in peanuts and microwave 3 minutes longer.
  4. Stir in butter, vanilla and salt and then microwave for 1 minute longer until mixture is a deep golden brown. Watch the mixture carefully at this step and make sure not to burn.
  5. Quickly stir in baking soda (just until mixture is foamy). Immediately pour the mixture onto a prepared baking sheet and spread as needed with a greased rubber spatula or spoon.
  6. Allow to cool for 15 minutes or until completely hardened. Break into pieces using a butter knife and enjoy your easy peanut brittle!
  7. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days.
Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle Recipe (4)

Expert Tips

  • Be sure to pre-measure your ingredients before starting the process, as it will go fast and you’ll want everything to be ready!
  • Since every microwave is different, keep an eye on your mixture at each stage to make sure it isn’t burning.
  • This easy microwave peanut brittle recipe is versatile, so make it your own! You can add different nuts besides peanuts like almonds and cashews for a delicious nut brittle!
  • Drizzle the top with a chocolate drizzle for added flavor and sweetness!
Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle Recipe (5)

More Easy Dessert Recipes to Try

  • Scotcheroos
  • Easy No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
  • Sugar Cookie Bars
  • White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
  • Raspberry Crumb Bars

Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle Recipe (6)

Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle

This Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle Recipe takes a delicious holiday treat and makes it easy by using the microwave. It'll come out crunchy and with the perfect mixture of sweet and salty. You'll never to back to stovetop!

4.94 from 15 votes

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Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dry roasted peanuts
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light corn syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

  • Grease a baking sheet and set aside. Pre-measure your ingredients and have them all ready to go.

  • In a microwave safe bowl, sugar, and corn syrup. Microwave for 3 minutes, stirring halfway through.

  • Stir in peanuts. Return to microwave for 3 minutes.

  • Stir in butter, vanilla and salt and then microwave for 1 minute longer until mixture is a deep golden brown. Watch the mixture carefully at this step and make sure not to burn.

  • Quickly stir in baking soda (just until mixture is foamy). Pour immediately onto greased baking sheet and spread as needed with a greased rubber spatula or spoon.

  • Allow cool 15 minutes or until hardened and cooled. Break into pieces (I just use a butter knife to crack it apart), and store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 10 days.

Notes

Microwave tip: newer microwaves tend to have higher wattage and therefore cook faster. Keep an eye on your peanut brittle mixture to be sure it doesn’t burn. Refer to photos for color matching.

Nutrition

Calories: 324 kcal, Carbohydrates: 48 g, Protein: 7 g, Fat: 14 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 1 mg, Sodium: 380 mg, Potassium: 189 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 43 g, Vitamin A: 3 IU, Calcium: 20 mg, Iron: 1 mg

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Tiffany

Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @cremedelacrumb1 on Instagram and hashtag it #cremedelacrumb!

Original recipe from here.

Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to make peanut in the microwave? ›

Pour into small microwave safe casserole or pie plate. Microwave for 2 1/2 minutes; stir, microwave 2 1/2 minutes longer. Peanuts will be crisp when cool. CAUTION: Cooking time necessary may vary with ovens; remember, peanuts continue to cook as they cool.

Why is my microwave peanut brittle chewy? ›

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. Why didn't my peanut brittle turn out? If your peanut brittle is light in color and chewy, it was not cooked long enough.

Why didn't my homemade peanut brittle get hard? ›

The main reason why peanut brittle doesn't get hard and have the crunch we expect is because the sugar was not cooked long enough. The sugar needs to be cooked to what is called the hard crack stage, 300ºF.

What does baking soda do for peanut brittle? ›

Baking soda is also very important at this stage since it reacts to the heat, creating carbon dioxide that aerates the caramel, enabling it to snap when someone bites into it rather than requiring them to gnaw at it until it breaks or pulls apart.

How long do you microwave peanuts? ›

For a light roast, microwave on HIGH for 2-1/2 minutes; stir, microwave 2-1/2 minutes longer. For a darker roast, stir and microwave 1 minute longer, in 30 second increments. Season to taste. Peanuts will be crisp when cool.

What happens to peanuts in the microwave? ›

From the results obtained in Table 5, it can be concluded that microwave heating of peanuts is not recommended, even for short periods. This is due to the formation of oxygenated compounds (epoxy and hydroperoxides), as well as conjugated fatty acids.

What makes peanut brittle too hard? ›

Why is it too hard? Using baking soda usually prevents peanut brittle from being too, well, brittle. However, if you cook the candy past the set temperature or overwork the candy once you spread it out onto the cookie sheet, that can cause it to become very hard and difficult to bite through.

Why is my peanut brittle too thick? ›

As mentioned in “how to make peanut brittle”, it's very important to move fast after the peanuts and baking soda are mixed in. If not, the peanut brittle will turn out too thick and clumpy. Don't play the guessing game and use a candy thermometer instead. This will ensure your peanut brittle turns out perfectly golden.

Why is my peanut brittle not fluffy? ›

It is important to coat cookie sheets with butter and put in the freezer to get them really cold before you need to pour the brittle. After you pour the candy you should put the pans in the fridge or outside if it is cold, so the brittle will set up quickly and stay fluffy.

Can you use parchment paper when making peanut brittle? ›

You will want the cookie sheet to be non-stick. Use parchment paper, a silicone baking sheet or a greased cookie sheet. Spread the peanut brittle as thin as you can. Immediately add your sea salt.

Is peanut brittle good for you? ›

Peanut brittle has one redeeming quality: peanuts. Outside of that single ingredient, peanut brittle is painfully unhealthy. It contains: sugar, corn syrup, and butter, all of which are unhealthy for your body in different ways.

How Long Will homemade peanut brittle keep? ›

How Long Does Peanut Brittle Last? Properly stored (in an airtight container at room temperature), peanut brittle will last one to two months.

Why did my peanut brittle crystallize? ›

When candy cools slowly on a stone slab, more crystals have a chance to form. With a higher number of micro-crystals, the sugar has more sites on which to crystallize, and so crystallization ultimately happens faster.

How do you break peanut brittle? ›

Using buttered metal spatula or 2 forks, gently spread and stretch brittle to thin layer. Allow to cool completely. Break brittle into pieces and store in airtight container.

Can I dry peanuts in microwave? ›

For a 1200W microwave: microwave the peanuts for the following times, mixing after each time: 2:30 minutes, 2 minutes, 1:30 minutes, 30 seconds. At the end, the peanuts should be toasted and fragrant.

Can you boil peanuts in the microwave? ›

Just pour the entire contents into a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 60-90 seconds, depending on the weight of your can or pouch. You can also heat your peanuts on the stovetop by bringing them to a boil, and then reducing the heat and simmering.

Should I microwave peanuts? ›

Stir peanuts, microwave 2 minutes. Stir peanuts, microwave 30 seconds. Check to see if peanuts roasted (golden brown), if peanuts pale in color, continue in 30 second increments until roasted. Cool on baking sheet until completely cool, about 20 minutes - the peanuts will become crunchy as it cools.

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