How to Make Peanut Brittle Without Corn Syrup
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on this site, I may earn a commission.
Read my Privacy Policy.
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.
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.
How To Make Peanut Brittle
- 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.
Recipe Notes And Tips
- 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.
- 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
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.
Peanut Brittle Recipe without Corn Syrup
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
Recipe from the Gracious Pantry archives, originally posted 12/7/15.
This looks delicious! I love peanut brittle. Thanks for sharing your recipe. Have a great week!
Cascia – Thank you! I hope you’ll enjoy it! We still have a big bag in the freezer. It’s delicious!
What does corn syrup do?? I can never find corn syrup in stores.ive never used honey in my peanut brittle recipe…
Sarah – Corn syrup gives candy that hard texture. It’s in the baking aisle in a bottle. In this case, the honey caramelizes enough to harden the brittle. Hope that helps.
I love how simple this recipe is. I’m going to make batches of this brittle for Christmas treats. Thanks for sharing! ????
Paul – Thanks so much! I try really hard to keep my recipes simple. I hope you enjoy it!
So uh… how did you heat up the honey to that high without it boiling over and making a mess?? I couldn’t get my honey up to 302 at all without losing about a quarter of it, even when I turned down the heat. I guess I will try it again later, in a tall POT instead of a pan…..
Kit – Did you use a regular skillet or an electric pan?
Can I freeze peanut brittle. If yes, how to wrap for freezing.
Cherie – Most definitely! I just put mine into a 1-gallon zipper top bag. It freezes super well.
I made this but once I ate it it turned to toffee in my mouth and stuck to my teeth. Could it be it didn’t get high enough in temp? Or is that supposed to happen?
Raquel – It’s possible the temp wasn’t high enough. It’s slightly sticky, but not like you’re describing.
Wonder if you could use a vegan butter for this…..think it would work? I’m scared to try it with 3 cups of honey. LOL
But I might…….
D’Neida King – I’ve honestly never tried, so I can’t be sure. You could cut the recipe in half (or smaller) and do a test batch. That would be my best recommendation. But I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. The important part is to get the honey to the right temperature.
I love the idea. However, the final product isn’t “brittle.” It’s too chewy. The piece I left out of the freezer hardened better than the batch in the freezer, which softens up after only 20-30 minutes on the counter. It also has a burnt taste and I was very careful while heating to 302 as instructed. We’ll see how my guests like it tomorrow.
Lorna – Hmmm. It’s possible your appliance cooked hotter than mine. That’s the only thing I can think of. As for the brittleness, if it stay more brittle for you out of the freezer, then by all means, keep it out of the freezer. You don’t have to store it there. I hope everyone enjoys it!