Microwave Peanut Brittle

Microwave Peanut Brittle is the easiest way to make peanut brittle, and you still get that sugary, crunchy, light, nutty treat, with less than 10 minutes of work! It’s perfect for a homemade holiday gift!

This easy peanut brittle is perfectly nutty, crunchy, and light. Even though it’s made in the microwave it has a perfect texture, is sweet, and salty, and so delicious. It’s a great first time candy making recipe, and one of my favorite candies to make for the holiday season.

I finally wanted to try my hand at making peanut brittle this year. And of course I decided to go the easy route, and make it in the microwave, because we love our microwave fudge, and microwave caramels, so why not add microwave peanut brittle to the mix. 

Making it in the microwave you can make it with only a few simple steps, and a few minutes in the microwave, and your arms will be a lot less tired from cooking it so long on the stove top. And it’s still the perfect crackly, and crunchy, sweet and salty peanut brittle candy that every one loves. No one will ever know you made it in the microwave.

Of course there are different powered microwaves so there are some risks with making it in the microwave, but if you watch the color closely as it cooks you should be able to tell when it’s done. You can also check the temperature of the mixture with a candy thermometer – you want it to be about 300 degrees Fahrenheit (or when you drop a small amount in very cold water it will solidify, and separate into hard brittle threads).

Hopefully this is a good starting point for you. And the great thing is once you get one batch just right in your microwave you’ll know the exact right cooking times for your set up. 

Peanut Brittle Variations: 

• Instead of peanuts you can also add pecans, cashews, hazelnuts or walnuts.
• Try adding some chocolate chips. Sprinkle them on top of the brittle just a couple minutes after it sets on the pan, they will start to melt from the heat of the brittle and you can spread the melted chocolate over the top.

Tips for making Microwave Peanut Brittle:

• Because heating sugar in the microwave is very tricky this recipe needs to be made as written, and the recipe should not be doubled. But, it’s easy enough to use the same bowl to make multiple batches one after another if you need to make more.
• Make sure to use a thick, high quality microwave safe bowl with a handle. I love my large pyrex measuring cups for this . Thin glass bowls can break easily from how hot the mixture gets in the microwave. It’s not worth attempting it, the clean up will be terrible, I promise.
• To help with clean up, grease the bowl you are using with non stick spray before adding your ingredients. And the spoon or spatula you are stirring with.
• Measure out all your ingredients before hand, so you are ready to add them as soon as they are needed without letting your mixture cool down to much in between.
• Once brittle is poured onto the prepared pan, tilt the pan around quickly to spread the brittle around to your desired thickness. You can also put your pan in the oven beforehand at 200 degrees to get it a little warm to help your brittle stay soft longer, so you can spread it thinner if desired.
• It also helped me to spoon the brittle out in slightly separated areas, not in one big pile as I scooped it out of the bowl. It’s harder to spread if the pile is too high.
• If your brittle sticks to your bowl, fill the bowl with warm water and let it soak. The water should dissolve the mixture.

This easy recipe is made with simple ingredients, and only a few kitchen tools. 

Ingredients Needed:

• granulated sugar
• light corn syrup
• roasted and salted peanuts 
• unsalted butter
• vanilla extract
• baking soda

Tools Needed:

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• cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
• microwavable glass bowl
• candy thermometer (optional)
• measuring cups
• rubber spatula or spoons

How to make Peanut Brittle in the Microwave?

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, or grease it with butter. Measure out all your ingredients so you are ready to add them as soon as you need them, in each step.

Add corn syrup and granulated white sugar to a large microwave safe bowl. Stir them together as much as you can, it will be a bit hard to stir, and sticky. Microwave the mixture for about 4 minutes.

Stir in the peanuts and microwave the mixture about 3 to 4 minutes, until it is a light golden brown color. Stir in the butter and vanilla and microwave another 1 to 2 minutes. If you want to check the temperature with a thermometer check it here, or you can use the ice water test, or you can go with your gut. You don’t want the color to dark, but a nice tannish brown color. 

Stir in the baking soda, the mixture will lighten in color a bit, and should get nice and foamy. Scoop it out onto the prepared pan, and tilt it around to help the brittle spread out. If you like your brittle light and airy you don’t want to spread it with a spatula as that will pop the air bubbles the baking soda formed. If you like it thinner you can spread it more with a spatula.

How to Store Peanut Brittle?

Peanut Brittle is a great make ahead treat because it will stay good for up to 2 months. Store it in layers, with parchment paper in between them in an airtight container at room temperature.

This microwave peanut brittle is a perfect easy holiday treat, without any stove top, or oven involved. It’s a great way to get a golden, crunchy, addictive peanut brittle with less worry, and less time at the stove! 

It’s the perfect delicate, easy to chew peanut brittle, that is a little salty, a lot sweet, and so addictive! The hardest part is not eating it all yourself!

More Easy No Bake Holiday Recipes:

• Microwave Peanut Butter Fudge
• Nutter Butter Truffles
• Buckeye Balls
• Rolo Pretzel Turtles
• Microwave Caramels
  

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