Southern Homemade Peanut Brittle Recipe (2024)

ByLynda SelfPublishedJanuary 7, 2022April 14, 2023Updated onApril 14, 2023

Homemade peanut brittle is an easy, peanutty sweet treat that satisfies your sweet tooth and crunchy cravings. Bite-sized golden pieces of brittle with peanuts will have coming back for more!

You don’t need a candy thermometer to make this old-fashioned peanut brittle. I’ll show you how to make it without one along with a special “pulling” technique. It’s the only recipe that I use for making Homemade Peanut Brittle.

Don’t worry if you are not an experienced candy maker or know anything about “crack stage” orhow to temper chocolate. (By the way, there is no chocolate in this recipe.)

This recipe came from my Southern mother-in-law. To make her peanut brittle, you need two cups of raw or parched peanuts. (I used the entire contents of a 16-ounce bag of parched peanuts. The more nuts the merrier, in my opinion.)

Let’s look at how to make this Southern treat.

Ingredients

To make this peanut brittle recipe, you need the following ingredients:

• ⅔ cup light corn syrup
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups raw peanuts
• 1 tablespoon baking soda

How To Make Peanut Brittle

In a large saucepan, combine the nuts with corn syrup and sugar and cook over medium-high heat until it turns honey-colored. It takes me about 15 minutes.

Stir the sugar mixture often, but not constantly.

Once the color becomes rich, golden brown, add baking soda.

A chemical reaction will occur and the mixture will foam and lighten in color.

Spread the candy mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or one that has been well-greased. (A couple of tablespoons of butter should do the trick.) Or you can go all Alton Brown and use a Silpat liner (silicone baking mat).

Spread the mixture out a bit using a wooden spoon or spatula.

Store peanut brittle in an airtight container at room temperature for 6 to 8 weeks.

Tips

Before it has cooled completely, take two forks and “pull” the brittle apart. This technique set my mother-in-law’s brittle apart from others. The pulled brittle is easier to eat than the thick brittle typically sold in stores.

Be careful because the brittle is really hot.

Do not attempt to make peanut brittle when it is humid outside or while it is raining. It’s very similar to making divinity. Humidity and peanut brittle are not friends.

Peanut brittle makes a great edible gift during the holiday season. Layer it in a glass jar and tie a festive ribbon. Your gift recipients will thank you for this family favorite delicious treat.

The nice thing about this peanut brittle recipe is that you don’t need a candy thermometer to make it. Once you have made it a few times, you learn how to judge the process by the colors of the mixture.

Be sure to come back and tell us how your homemade peanut brittle turned out!

Hungry for more Southern favorites? Be sure to check out these other delicious recipes:

• Easy Chicken and Dumplings – Both a family and reader favorite, this recipe is easy to make and is Southern comfort food at its finest.
• Buttermilk Biscuits – You only need three simple ingredients to make these light and fluffy biscuits. They’re perfect for serving alongside a meal or stuffed with meat, egg, and cheese for the main course.
• Old Fashioned Tea Cakes – This recipe is an authentic Southern recipe – it was transcribed while my mother-in-law made them by heart.
• Classic Pound Cake – This recipe comes from Lulu Buffet, the sister of singer Jimmy Buffet. It’s a great treat to enjoy with company.