Homemade Peanut
Brittle
By Kids
Cooking Activities
A classic
crunchy peanut brittle made from scratch. This traditional
candy recipe reaches the hard-crack stage and is best prepared
with adult supervision, while kids can help measure, pour, and
break the cooled brittle into pieces.
- Category: Dessert
- Candy Making
- Skill Level:
Intermediate
Prep: 10 minutes | Cook:
20-25 minutes | Cool: 20 minutes | Yield:
About 1½-2 pounds brittle
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups peanuts
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Lightly butter a baking
sheet or large pan and set aside.
- In a large saucepan,
combine sugar, water, and corn syrup.
- Cook over low heat,
stirring constantly (or cover with a lid) until the sugar
dissolves.
- Increase heat and bring
mixture to a boil.
- Continue cooking until
the mixture reaches 260°F on a candy thermometer.
- Add peanuts and salt,
then continue cooking until the temperature reaches 300°F
(hard-crack stage).
- Remove from heat and
immediately stir in butter, vanilla, and baking soda.
- Quickly pour brittle onto
the prepared pan and spread thin.
- Allow to cool completely,
then break into pieces.
Kid-Friendly Tips
- Kids can help measure and pour ingredients before
cooking begins
- Adults should handle all stovetop cooking and
thermometer steps
- Breaking cooled brittle into pieces is a fun kid job
- Explain candy stages as a simple kitchen science lesson
Notes
Work quickly after adding baking soda-
the brittle foams and sets fast. For easy cleanup, soak pans
in warm water to dissolve hardened sugar.
Storage
Store peanut brittle in an airtight
container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Keep away
from humidity to maintain crunch.