Microwave peanut brittle was the first candy I ever made and is by far the easiest one to make. This is an easy and delicious candy to make in right in the microwave. I make batches of this every year around the holidays – it makes a great gift for neighbors and coworkers. I often bag these in cute cellophane bags and tie with a ribbon or put in a cookie tin for gift giving.
While I’ll also make this same brittle on the stove using a candy thermometer, I find this so much easier and I don’t have to fuss at the stove. This brittle comes out perfect every time. This recipe also works using all types of nuts. So be sure to experiment and try making the brittle with substitutions for the peanuts such as:
. cashews
. pistachios
. pecans
. macadamia nuts
I also enjoy using seeds when making brittle and my sunflower seed brittle is a favorite around here. So consider mixing seeds in with your nuts for some fun combinations.
To get started on the recipe, pull together all your ingredients. You’ll also need a large measuring cup (I use a glass cup with a handle which makes it easier and safer to handle and remove the hot mixture), measuring spoons and a baking sheet covered in foil (for easy cleanup).
Put the sugar and corn syrup in a large measuring cup and microwave on high for 5 minutes.
Add the peanuts, or another nut you might be trying, and continue in the microwave for a minute. Stir. Microwave again for another minute and stir. Do this for a total of 3 1/2 minutes stirring in one minute intervals.
Remove the measuring cup from the microwave and add the butter, baking soda and salt. It will start bubbling rapidly. Stir and quickly spread on the foil covered cookie sheet. See my tip below on preheating the baking sheet. You’ll use a spatula to spread out the mixture as thin as possible.
Be very careful as this mixture is extremely hot and you can burn yourself if you aren’t careful. Let the brittle cool and harden.
TIP: Warming the cookie sheet before pouring the caramel and spreading it out, makes it easier to spread the mixture and get it thin. It gives you an extra minute to work and spread the caramel mix before it begins to harden. This makes the whole process even easier. If you want to try this, preheat your oven and the foil lined baking sheet to 200 degrees F. before you start making the brittle. Then, take the pan out of the oven and place on a cutting board covered with a kitchen towel to keep it from slipping. Remove from the oven right before you are ready to pour and spread the mixture.
Once the brittle has cooled and hardened, you can peel the candy from the foil and break into small pieces and store in a covered container at room temperature until ready to serve.
How to package your peanut brittle for gift giving
If you decide to wrap your candy for gift giving, there are several ways to do it. I’ll give individual bags of the treats to neighbors and coworkers, or put out a platter of them in bags for kids at Halloween. You can also put them in a basket or tin and add a bit bow.
Pistachio Brittle
Be sure to check out the many ways I package and wrap the candy for gift giving in my post wrapping candy, nuts & baked goods.
If you enjoyed the recipe or tried other nuts, let me know in the comments. Looking for other easy candy recipes? Try some of these:
Homemade Dark Chocolate Macadamia Nuts
Dave’s Salted Black Licorice Caramels
Microwave Peanut Brittle
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 Cup of Sugar
- ½ Cup of Light corn syrup
- 1 Cup of Peanuts
- 1 Tbsp. Butter
- 1 Tsp. Baking soda
- 1 Tsp. Salt
- Flakey salt (Maldon is my salt of choice)
Instructions
- Warm a cookie sheet covered with foil in a 200 degree oven for five minutes.
- Put the sugar and corn syrup in a large measuring cup and microwave on high for 5 minutes.
- Stir in peanuts and continue to microwave for a total of 3-3 ½ minutes. (You’ll need to stir the mixture several times during that time.)
- Add the butter, baking soda and salt. It will bubble up furiously. Stir and quickly spread on the warmed, prepared cookie sheet. (I line mine with tin foil for easy cleanup but it is not necessary.)
- Immediately sprinkle with the flakey salt and let it cook completely. Then break into pieces and serve or package as gifts.
