Clean Eating Peanut Brittle Recipe (2024)

ByTiffany McCauley

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Use this recipe to learn how to make peanut brittle without corn syrup! Then, you can enjoy the old-fashioned candy without feeling guilty about the calories, sugar, and processed ingredients. It makes a great holiday food gift!

When I was a little girl, my grandma would make a similar homemade peanut brittle recipe every year for Halloween and Thanksgiving. It was a staple in her house and I looked forward to it all year long. She had an electric skillet she used and I loved digging it out for special occasions because I knew only something good and tasty would come from it.

Clean Eating Peanut Brittle Recipe (1)

While it’s definitely a once-in-a-while treat (it still has lots of sugar, even if it is honey), it’s a tradition I’m keeping alive for Mini Chef.

I just got an electric skillet for $20 off craigslist (don’t you just love craigslist???!!!) and we immediately got to work on this recipe. You don’t have to have an electric skillet for this, but it sure helps because you can set the temperature so easily. But again, totally not necessary.

There is no light corn syrup or processed white sugar to deal with. You can sprinkle on a little salt before putting it in the freezer if you like the sweet/salty thing.

About The Ingredients

Roasted, lightly salted peanuts – Make sure they are not sweetened.

Honey – Any honey will work here. Use what you have on hand or have access to.

Butter – Most recipes call for unsalted butter. But I’ve used salted butter here too, and I actually like it better. The choice is yours.

Baking soda – Make sure it’s on the fresher side. Old baking soda won’t do a very good job on this.

Pure vanilla extract – Do not use vanilla flavoring.

Clean Eating Peanut Brittle Recipe (2)

How To Make Peanut Brittle

  1. Prep your freezer so you have a place to set your cookie sheet. Remember, the bottom will be hot.
  2. Spread the peanuts out over a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet, spreading them out in an even, single layer.
  3. Using an electric skillet, large, stainless-steel pan, or 3-quart saucepan, heat the honey until it reaches 302 F. on a candy thermometer.
  4. Stir in the butter first, melting it completely and letting it come back to a soft boil over medium heat.
  5. Then stir in the baking soda and finally the vanilla (which will sizzle). You want to stir everything in pretty quickly. Don’t dawdle.
  6. Let it cook for about 30-60 more seconds to let everything combine well, stirring constantly.
  7. Pour the boiling syrup over the peanuts on the prepared baking sheet and using oven mitts, transfer the tray to your freezer for about 1 hour. It’s okay if it doesn’t reach the sides of the cookie pan. Just make the whole thing as level as you can.
  8. Make sure you can lift the brittle out of the pan after freezing. Loosen the edges if needed. Break into pieces of an appropriate size and store in a zipper-top bag in the freezer until you are ready to eat.

Recipe Notes And Tips

  1. The first batch we tried didn’t get hard enough and was pretty sticky. But the issue was that I tried to make it without using a candy thermometer and that did not work out so well. I also heated the honey to the temp in the recipe I adapted from (275 F.), and it just didn’t do the trick. Maybe it was my cooking method or a difference in altitude or any other number of things. It’s hard to say. So the second time around, I took the temp up to 302 F. (hard crack stage) using a candy thermometer and it did much better.
  2. Please know that the parchment paper called for is an absolute necessity unless you want to scrape hard candy off your cookie sheet for an hour or two, or waste the whole thing by soaking it off. So don’t skip that!

Recipe Supplies

Clean Eating Peanut Brittle Recipe (3)
Clean Eating Peanut Brittle Recipe (4)
Clean Eating Peanut Brittle Recipe (5)
Clean Eating Peanut Brittle Recipe (6)

More Naturally Sweetened Candy Recipes

  • Naturally Sweetened Peanut Butter Cups
  • Chocolate Turtles
  • Easy Homemade Marzipan
  • Homemade Chocolate Bars

Peanut Brittle Recipe W/Out Corn Syrup

Recipe adapted from The Nerdy Farm Wife.

Clean Eating Peanut Brittle Recipe (8)

Peanut Brittle Recipe without Corn Syrup

I make this once a year, and once a year, I suddenly have long lost friends who track me down. ThisClean Eating Peanut Brittle Recipe is absolutely perfect for the season.

4.56 from 9 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Calories: 6976kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. roasted, lightly salted peanuts
  • 3 cups honey
  • ¾ cup good quality butter
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Prep your freezer so you have a place to set your cookie sheet. Remember, the bottom will be hot.

  • Spread the peanuts out over a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet, spreading them out in an even, single layer.

  • Using an electric skillet, large, stainless-steel pan, or 3-quart saucepan, heat the honey until it reaches 302 F. on a candy thermometer.

  • Stir in the butter first, melting it completely and letting it come back to a soft boil over medium heat.

  • Then stir in the baking soda and finally the vanilla (which will sizzle). You want to stir everything in pretty quickly. Don’t dawdle.

  • Let it cook for about 30-60 more seconds to let everything combine well, stirring constantly.

  • Pour the boiling syrup over the peanuts on the prepared baking sheet and using oven mitts, transfer the tray to your freezer for about 1 hour. It’s okay if it doesn’t reach the sides of the cookie pan. Just make the whole thing as level as you can.

  • Make sure you can lift the brittle out of the pan after freezing. Loosen the edges if needed. Break into pieces of an appropriate size and store in a zipper-top bag in the freezer until you are ready to eat.

Notes

Nutrition data given is for the entire recipe. This recipe makes quite a bit and you’ll be breaking the brittle into small pieces. So don’t panic. Divide the data by the number of pieces you break this into.

Nutrition

Serving: 1entire recipe | Calories: 6976kcal | Carbohydrates: 919g | Protein: 132g | Fat: 361g | Saturated Fat: 122g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 82g | Monounsaturated Fat: 136g | Trans Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 366mg | Sodium: 5289mg | Potassium: 4109mg | Fiber: 42g | Sugar: 837g | Vitamin A: 4255IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 557mg | Iron: 15mg

Recipe from the Gracious Pantry archives, originally posted 12/7/15.

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Clean Eating Peanut Brittle Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is peanut brittle good for health? ›

We call this Healthy Peanut Brittle a treat food. It's a little bit naughty because it's sweet – it uses some 100% maple syrup, but it's also good because it includes good fats from coconut oil and protein from peanut butter. You only need 1-2 pieces and your body will know you don't need anymore.

Why put baking soda in peanut brittle? ›

In theory, it's a good idea, the baking soda adds some air to the caramelized sugar, making the sheets of candy more brittle, but it also introduces a minerally, metallic taste that's off putting to say the least. My version of peanut brittle is ridiculously simple to make, and leaves out the baking soda.

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 does my homemade peanut brittle stick to my teeth? ›

Frequently asked questions. Why does my homemade peanut brittle stick to my teeth? This is because you did not cook it long enough in the microwave. If the texture of the peanut brittle is sticky, and not crunchy, this means that you need to cook the mixture longer, until it reaches 300°F.

Are peanuts inflammatory? ›

Tree nuts and peanuts lower risk factors of cardiometabolic disease, including blood lipids, blood pressure and insulin resistance, among others. Given their strong antioxidant/anti-inflammatory potential, it is plausible that nuts may also exert a favorable effect on inflammation and oxidative stress.

Who should not eat peanuts? ›

Because the high-fat diet will reduce the secretion of uric acid and aggravate the disease, so the gout patients should not eat peanuts. Second, the patients who have taken the cholecystectomy: Bile is very important for the digestion and absorption of fat in the body.

Why do people put co*ke in peanuts? ›

History. The combination is believed to have developed in the South during the 1920s, as a snack for blue-collar workers that did not require them to wash their hands. It quickly became popular as a summer snack, especially in rural areas. The snack became an internet trend in 2018.

How long does homemade peanut brittle last? ›

To store: Once it's completely cooled, store peanut brittle in an airtight container at room temperature. Do not refrigerate as the moisture from the fridge will cause the brittle to soften. Store for 6-8 weeks. To Freeze: Peanut brittle can be frozen and stored up to 3 months.

Why isn t my peanut brittle crunchy? ›

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.

Why is my peanut brittle like taffy? ›

Didn't get it hot enough. You have to hit hard crack stage heat or it's not going to harden. From internet: Hard-Crack Stage is a cooking term meaning that a sugar syrup being heated has reached 149 – 154 C (300 – 310 F.) It is a test of how hot a sugar syrup is, and of how much water is left in it.

Can you freeze homemade peanut brittle? ›

Absolutely! If you want to extend the life of your peanut brittle, you can freeze it. But, make sure it is completely cooled, as moisture is an enemy of peanut brittle. Ensure the brittle pieces are separated by parchment paper to prevent them from sticking together.

Why is my peanut brittle chewy overnight? ›

Why Is My Peanut Brittle Chewy / Sticky / Didn't Harden? This is a temperature issue. Make sure the candy thermometer reaches exactly 300ºF / 149ºC, which is hard crack stage, before pouring onto baking sheet.

Why is peanut brittle bad 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.

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.

What is the purpose of baking soda in peanut nut brittle? ›

Be sure to use a candy thermometer to ensure it reaches 300 degrees F or hard crack stage. What does baking soda do to peanut brittle? Adding a little baking soda aerates the peanut brittle causing it to expand slightly for a crunchy texture that won't break your teeth when you chew it.

Are crunchy peanuts healthy? ›

Peanuts are high in unsaturated fat, mostly monounsaturated fat (the type that is also in olive and rapeseed oil). This means they're high in calories. But they're also a source of fibre, protein and a range of vitamins and minerals.

Is peanut brittle high in sugar? ›

Peanut brittle contains 714 calories per 147 g serving. This serving contains 28 g of fat, 11 g of protein and 105 g of carbohydrate. The latter is 75 g sugar and 3.7 g of dietary fiber, the rest is complex carbohydrate.

Is broken peanuts good for health? ›

Raw broken peanuts can be put in a container and needs refrigeration storage. It has a shelf life of around 5-6 days. l Peanuts, being a legume is rich in nutrients and provides immense health benefits.

Are peanuts an unhealthy snack? ›

Though they might seem high in calories, nuts—including peanuts—are a great snack if you are trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. The combination of protein, fiber and healthy fats found in peanuts can help keep you feeling full and satisfied between meals.

References

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