The BEST Microwave Peanut Brittle Recipe

Microwave peanut brittle is a super easy way to make the golden brown, crunchy, peanuty peanut brittle you know and love for the holidays.

Serves: 30 pieces Time: 20 minutes + cool down Cookbook: HEB Online

When the holiday season comes around, I eagerly anticipate family favorite treats showing up at bake sales, pop-up farmer’s markets, and grocery stores. There’s something about chocolate crinkle cookies, frosted sugar cookies, and peanut brittle showing up at this time of year. It makes me feel all warm and cozy inside.

When we first thought about making peanut brittle, we were a bit intimidated. Words like ‘candy thermometer,’ ‘hard crack stage,’ and ‘crystallization’ came to mind along with a long list of stove top instructions for making the perfect candy. Then we came across a microwave peanut brittle recipe, courtesy of HEB, a grocery store that’s been providing the American south with fantastic food and recipes since 1905.

One look and I knew I had to give the master recipe a try! It’s an incredibly easy recipe but the flavor and texture easily match the more complicated peanut brittle recipes. With a few simple ingredients and a little bit of science, you’ll whip up a batch of golden brown, crunchy, peanuty peanut brittle like your grandma made in no time at all!!

Jump Ahead:

• ❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• 🥜 Ingredients Needed to Make Microwave Peanut Brittle
• 🍴 Equipment You’ll Need in the Kitchen
• 🥄 How to Make Microwave Peanut Brittle
• ♾️ Variations on Microwave Peanut Brittle
• ❓ Microwave Peanut Brittle: Tips, Tricks, and FAQs

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Easy: I never thought I’d make peanut brittle. Then I tried this easy peanut brittle candy recipe for the first time and I was hooked! This has got to be the easiest peanut brittle recipe. Anyone can make this in a matter of minutes, and it comes out just as good as homemade old-fashioned peanut brittle.

Simple: You only need a few simple ingredients to make this one-of-a-kind delicious treat. Homemade candy is finally within reach!

Great for Gifting: Old fashioned peanut brittle candy makes a perfect holiday food gift for the Christmas season. It’s a sweet treat that everyone loves, making this perfect when you need a family or neighbor gift. Another candy recipe that makes for great gift-giving is candied pumpkin!

Delicious: This easy microwave peanut brittle has the classic sweet and salty flavor combination everyone loves. Simply put, it is absolutely delicious.

Ingredients Needed to Make Microwave Peanut Brittle

• Roasted Unsalted Peanuts: You want unshelled, roasted, unsalted peanuts, not raw peanuts. If you’re interested in switching up the flavor profile, you can go with honey roasted peanuts.
• Light Corn Syrup: If you’ve never used it, corn syrup is a sweetener made from corn starch. It is not the same thing as high fructose corn syrup. They are two different things. Light corn syrup is used in candy-making applications and has a mild, sweet taste.
• Cane Sugar: Cane sugar or white sugar will both work in this recipe.
• Vanilla Extract: You want pure vanilla extract, not vanilla flavoring.
• Butter: Just a touch of butter is all you need for this recipe, and it makes a world of difference in the final product.
• Baking Soda: Baking soda is the magic ingredient for our recipe today. Without this, you won’t achieve that classic peanut brittle texture we all know and love.

Equipment Needed In the Kitchen

Microwave

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Oven-Safe Glove

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Mixing Bowls

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Rimmed Sheet Pan

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• Microwave: Most of the magic for this recipe happens in the microwave. A 1000 watt microwave will be plenty strong enough to get the job done, but there’s no need to rush out and get a new microwave if your wattage is less than that. We recommend adding 30 seconds to the cook time for every 100 watts under 1000.
• Oven-Safe Gloves: You’ll be using the microwave, but handling extremely hot contents in a glass bowl. An oven-safe glove is critical to keep you from getting burnt during this process.
• Rimmed Sheet Pan: A smaller rimmed cookie sheet or a jelly roll pan is the perfect size for this project. Line it with parchment paper to avoid the finished product sticking unmercifully.
• Glass Bowl: A medium-sized glass microwave-safe bowl is what you want. It absolutely must be microwave safe and heat safe, as the contents will be piping hot during the whole process.

How to Make Microwave Peanut Brittle

Homemade peanut brittle is just a few minutes (and a bit of waiting time) away thanks to this simple recipe!

Prep

First up, line a rimmed sheet pan with oiled parchment paper. Then, oil a silicon spatula as well.

Note: You can also use a greased baking sheet without parchment paper, but cleanup is far simpler with the addition of parchment paper.

Make the brittle mixture

Pull out a medium-sized microwave safe bowl. Combine sugar and corn syrup to make a sugar mixture.

Microwave on high for 4 minutes.

Pull out the bowl with heat-proof gloves and stir peanuts into the sugar syrup with your oiled silicon spatula.

Microwave on high for 3 minutes.

Pull out the bowl with heat-proof gloves and add butter and vanilla. Stir to incorporate with your oiled spatula.

Microwave on high one final time for 1.5 minutes.

Now the fun part! Remove the hot bowl from the microwave with heat-proof gloves and add the baking soda. Stir gently to incorporate. The mixture will become light and foamy!

Let the brittle harden

Whip out your prepared baking sheet and pour the peanut brittle onto it. Let the brittle spread out and encourage the process as needed.

Now let the brittle cool down to room temperature. It’s starting out at a high temperature that should not be touched with bare hands, so be aware and keep yourself safe.

After it cools, you’ll have a solid sheet of salty peanut goodness with a classic golden brown color. Break it apart with your hands into about 30 pieces and voila! Homemade peanut brittle!

Note: Cooking times may vary slightly depending on your microwave’s wattage. Higher-wattage microwaves might require less time while lower-wattage units could require more. This recipe is based on a 1000-watt to 1300-watt microwave.

Variations on Microwave Peanut Brittle

Classic peanut brittle is to die for all on its own. But if you want to play around with the flavors and make a creation all your own, try these ideas out!

Extra Peanuty Peanut Brittle: In addition to the peanuts, add a 1/4 cup of peanut butter to the sugar and corn syrup mixture. Continue with the recipe as written.

Cinnamon Peanut Brittle: Peanut brittle has a light caramel-like flavor that pairs perfectly with a variety of spices. Add a dash (1/4 teaspoon) of cinnamon to the sugar and corn syrup mixture and continue with the rest of the recipe for a cinnamon undertone.

Pumpkin Spice Peanut Brittle: Give your peanut brittle a uniquely fall twist by adding 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin spice blend to the sugar and corn syrup mixture. Continue with the rest of the recipe as written.

Microwave Peanut Brittle: Tips, Tricks, and FAQs

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