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Microwave Peanut Brittle

See how to make crunchy peanut brittle the super-quick way. See more

READY IN 30 mins

Microwave Peanut Brittle

Read Reviews (317)

"This is a wonderful recipe but you should only make it once a year, because you can't stop eating it." — Joyce

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Baking Powder vs Baking Soda

Original recipe makes 1.5 pounds Change Servings

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup salted peanuts

1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda

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Directions

Butter a cookie sheet. Combine sugar and corn syrup in a 2 quart glass bowl and microwave on high 4 minutes. Stir in peanuts and microwave on high 3 1/2 minutes more, then stir in butter and vanilla and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes.
Stir in baking soda until light and foamy. Pour onto cookie sheet and spread thin. Cool completely and break into pieces and serve.

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PREP 20 mins
COOK 10 mins
READY IN 30 mins

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People rave about this, and it is so simple. To help with cleanup, soak the measuring cup or bowl in very hot soapy water. Easy! DO NOT spread the peanut brittle--just tip the cookie sheet back and forth. You do not want to break the "bubbles" made by the baking soda. That is what makes it "tender." The thinner the better, so I heat my cookie sheet in a warm oven so the candy spreads more quickly.

—Carolyn

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Dec 23, 2003

Definitely be careful with this recipe! It did NOT work in my too-powerful-for-this-recipe microwave. After the first four minutes, the whole concotion was a burnt mess and was difficult to clean up. My microwave is a Kenmore and it says 1000 watts on the label. Since we don't know what wattage the submitter used, I'd say keep a close eye on this. I ended up making traditional stove-top brittle once I ruined all my cashews in this one.

—DANDK1997

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351 Ratings

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Dec 23, 2003

This is a great recipe, fast, fun, easy and delicious. The first time I made it I followed the cooking time exactly and it burned. Next time I cut the first cooking time to 3.5 minutes the second to 3 minutes and the last cooking time to 1 minute, and it turned out perfect. My microwave is 1000 watts. This has become a family favorite.

—Rebecca

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Dec 01, 2008

This really was delicious. The only thing is that the baking soda needs to be stirred in very quickly. Then the mixture needs to be poured out AS SOON AS the baking soda is stirred in. The directions "stir until light and foamy" are a little misleading. It doesn't become light and foamy as you stir. . . it becomes less light and foamy. It was hard to pour out, but ended tasting very good. *update: I have now made this recipe numerous times. At first I gave it 4 stars; however, if you follow the hint I gave above, the recipe is 5 stars. The Peanut Brittle is fantastic. My grandmother is THE candy-maker, and my mom says that she cannot tell the difference between mine and my grandmother's (she slaves away all day on her's). Also, this recipe is delicious topped with chocolate. All you have to do is put a layer of semi-sweet chocolate chips (or whatever kind of chocolate you prefer) on top of the brittle as soon as you pour the mixture out onto the cookie sheet. The chocolate will start to melt; simply spread the chocolate over the peanut brittle with a spatula. Absolutely delish!

—C.C.

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Dec 23, 2004

This recipe is awesome. I have been reading all the reviews on microwave peanut brittle, and I took the best ideas from all of them and tried it out. My brittle came out perfect. I used the exacts ingredients of this recipe and then this is what I did. I put parchment paper on my cookie sheet. Then I microwaved (800watts) the sugar, corn syrup and salt for 4 minutes in a 4 cup glass measure. I added the peanuts and microwaved for 3 1/2 minutes. Then added the butter and vanilla and microwaved for 1 1/2 minutes. I stirred in the baking soda real quick and and spread it out on the parchment paper with a spatula sprayed with Pam. It was a perfect outcome first try! Going to go make some with cashews now :)

—TRACYPEACH1

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Sep 24, 2007

At work they call this "Crack Candy" - it's addictive, insanely good, and takes maybe 15 minutes total to do. Tricks: Don't add nuts until after about 3.5 minutes. Don't need to add salt if your nuts are salted already. Use 2 TEASPOONS of Baking Soda- makes it so perfect, easy to chew & it won't stick in your teeth at all. I make this with cashews, a mix of cashews and peanuts- follow the directions and it is perfect every time. I put all my ingredients out to have ready- the candy is like LAVA and you gotta work fast or get pulled under... Oh- spray foil with PAM and spread the candy down to cool, then it lifts right off after about 15-20 minutes resting.

—GUIDOSWIFE

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Dec 17, 2003

A++++. This recipe is wonderful. Although I did make a few changes. I used raw spanish peanuts which are commenly called for in peanut brittle, used a glass 2qt casserole dish (no breakedge), and I used parchment paper on top of the cookie sheet (no mess). Microwave times were dead on. I made 3 batches. The key was to let the microwave set for a bit to cool down between batches. Thank you for a fun, easy, and tasty recipe. Will make this one every year!

—LITTLEDARLING

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Nov 19, 2007

I've tried this recipe twice and it burnt both times before I even added the butter & vanilla. Any ideas?

—LYNNESKITCHEN

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Nutrition

Calories
61 kcal
3%

Carbohydrates
10.2 g
3%

Cholesterol
< 1 mg
< 1%

Fat
2.2 g
3%

Fiber
0.3 g
1%

Protein
1 g
2%

Sodium
74 mg
3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Microwave Peanut Brittle

Serving Size: 1/35 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 35
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 61
Calories from Fat: 20

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 2.2g 3 %
Saturated Fat 0.4g 2 %
Cholesterol < 1mg < 1 %
Sodium 74mg 3 %
Potassium 28mg < 1 %
Total Carbohydrates 10.2g 3 %
Dietary Fiber 0.3g 1 %
Protein 1g 2 %
Sugars 7.2g
Vitamin A < 1 %
Vitamin C 0 %
Calcium < 1 %
Iron < 1 %
Thiamin 2 %
Niacin 6 %
Vitamin B6 < 1 %
Magnesium 3 %
Folate 3 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.