Peanut Brittle (Easiest Microwave Recipe!) - Cooking Classy (2024)

FAQs

Why didn't my homemade peanut brittle get hard? ›

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.

Baking soda is also very important at this stage since it reacts to the heat, creating carbon dioxide that aerates the caramel, enabling it to snap when someone bites into it rather than requiring them to gnaw at it until it breaks or pulls apart.

Why did my peanut brittle turn out chewy? The likely cause is that the sugar mixture didn't reach the proper hard crack stage temperature. Ensuring it reaches 300˚F is key to getting that classic brittle texture.

Why is my peanut brittle too hard? Peanut brittle can end up too hard when the temperature gets too high during the cooking process. With a microwave peanut brittle recipe like this one, you may need to adjust the cooking times based on your microwave.

You'll also want to prepare a baking sheet, with either a silicone mat or parchment paper. The mat/paper will help ensure the peanut brittle doesn't stick directly to pan once it has cooled.

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.

Grittiness can happen when a stray sugar crystal doesn't melt properly or is introduced while the caramel is cooking. The stray crystal causes the surrounding sugar to crystallize, resulting in that gritty texture once the caramel has cooled.

To store: Store peanut brittle (once it's completely cooled) 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.

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.

Why does my peanut brittle have bubbles? ›

The secret is in the baking soda. As the sugar is cooking and begins turning amber in color it accumulates small amounts of acid, and that acid reacts chemically with the alkaline baking soda releasing about a zillion minuscule bubbles of CO₂ that get trapped, making the sugar porous and, well… brittle.

So, I Googled Salvaging Undercooked Peanut Brittle and followed Tiffany's helpful instructions to throw the pieces back in the pan, turn the heat up and stir, stir, and stir to a raging boil and wait to pour it in the pan until it reaches 300 degrees.

How do you keep peanut brittle from sticking? Grease the pan that you pour peanut brittle on with butter. Let the brittle cool before you try to break it up. It won't be stuck.

How Long Does Peanut Brittle Last? Properly stored (in an airtight container at room temperature), peanut brittle will last one to two months.

Many recipes call for buttering a foil-lined baking sheet, which can result in a tasty but greasy brittle. That is, unless you missed a spot while buttering. In which case you have peanut-and-foil brittle.

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.

I started on medium heat, but turned it down to a bit below medium. KEEP STIRRING. While it's still semi solid you MUST keep stirring or it WILL burn. I thought it was never going to turn into a liquid, but of course it did.

After softening in the microwave, I would recommend mixing in some oil that isn't too flavorful. I found mixing in a bit of water works fine though. You could even make your own mixes to make that last little portion of nut butter count by mixing in honey, unrefined coconut oil, or even Nutella if you so desire!

Carefully pour the hot mixture onto the prepared pan and use a knife or spoon to quickly (and carefully!) spread the mixture into an even layer. Allow to cool completely (at least 30 minute) before breaking apart and eating. Store the completely cooled peanut brittle in an airtight container.