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Home » Desserts » Candy » Microwave Peanut Brittle

Microwave Peanut Brittle

December 2, 2020 by Danielle Green 43 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
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Microwave peanut brittle is an easy 15 minute candy recipe perfect for the holidays. It’s a family favorite sweet at every Christmas!

Microwave peanut brittle stack of candy

Easy Homemade Peanut Brittle Recipe

This Microwave Peanut Brittle recipe has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember. My mom makes it every single Christmas and everyone always loves it. It has a light melt in your mouth texture with a sweet and salty flavor that is to die for!

Whether you are making a batch to share with your family at the holidays or looking for an easy homemade gift idea, this microwave peanut brittle is perfection.

Microwave peanut brittle broken up on sheet pan

Peanut Brittle in the Microwave

I had been telling my mom that she needed to get a new microwave since I was a teenager. It took FOREVER to heat things up. I knew it was old and loosing power but she wouldn’t hear it.

Needless to say, 10 years later when she finally moved to a new home and tried to make her microwave peanut brittle recipe in her new microwave it burnt! The cook time was far too much in a fully powered microwave. HAHA!

The old microwave happened to be located in our basement yet seeing we are the ones who bought their old house. After her first failed attempt, she immediately requested her old microwave back. She could gladly have it.

Now every Christmas season, my Dad has to haul the old microwave upstairs from the basement storage room just so Mom can make her amazing Microwave Peanut Brittle!

Microwave peanut brittle pile of candy

Microwave wattage for Peanut Brittle

So this presents an issue that is common with making any sort of desserts in the microwave. Whether you are whipping up a batch of Microwave Caramel Corn or Snack Mix, it is important to have a grasp on the power of your small appliance.

The cooking times for this Microwave Peanut Brittle Recipe are for a 1,000 watt microwave.

If your microwave has a different wattage, keep a close eye and nose during the final steps of cooking. It may take you one or two tries to perfect it depending on the wattage and age of your microwave. As microwaves get older, they tend to loose power.

But once you get the recipe down, tuck it away in a special cookbook and keep it for the life of your microwave, because its that amazing! I promise you it is worth the potential failed attempt, because once you master the cooking times of your microwave, it is such an easy recipe that you can crank out batch after batch with ease.

This may all sound overwhelming, but it really is such an easy recipe. The effort doen’t even compare to how much work it is to make peanut brittle on the stove with a candy thermometer.

Microwave peanut brittle recipe poured on pan

How to Make Peanut Brittle in the Microwave

After testing this Microwave Peanut Brittle recipe for my new KitchenAid 1,000 watt microwave multiple times, I am excited to share it with you!

Everything comes together in a glass casserole or mixing bowl. The first step is to stir the corn syrup and granulated sugar together and microwave for 3.5 minutes. Next, stir in peanuts and microwave for 3 more minutes, until light brown. Add the butter and vanilla to mixture and stir until well combined. Microwave for an additional 1.5 minutes.

Microwave peanut brittle served on pan

How do you make Peanut Brittle 

You will need to work quickly for the next step, so be sure to have your buttered baking sheet already to go. Add the baking soda to the mixture and gently stir until light and foamy. Do NOT over stir. Only stir enough to mix in the baking soda in, in more of a folding motion.

The baking soda adds air to the mixture, which creates more of that melt in your mouth texture. If you stir too hard or too much, it will break down the air bubbles and the brittle will be thin and hard.

Quickly pour the foamy mixture onto the greased cookie sheet. Do NOT use a spoon to spread the mixture around. Instead, gently rotate the pan to spread the mixture around until it is about 1/2 inch thick.

Let the peanut brittle cool for 1/2 hour. When it is cooled, break the candy into small pieces and store in air-tight container.

peanut brittle broken apart on baking pan

Peanut Brittle Candy

I remember the stress of first time I made microwave peanut brittle myself very well. Not only was I worried it wouldn’t turn out like Mom’s, but I stared at the bowl with crusted on caramelized sugar when I was all done and thought “Oh crap, I am never going to get this clean!”

The good news is that you just need to soak your glass bowl with soap and water and it all comes off super easy. Just be sure not to add cold water to a hot glass bowl or you will have broken glass!

peanut brittle stacked on baking pan

More delicious holiday sweets!

If you are looking for more great treats for the holidays, check out some of these fantastic dessert recipes!

  • Peppermint Chocolate Candy Cane Cupcakes
  • Eggnog Fudge
  • Cranberry Orange Custard Pie
  • Salted Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Tart
Continue to Content
peanut brittle stacked on baking pan

Microwave Peanut Brittle

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Microwave peanut brittle is an easy 15 minute candy perfect for the holidays. It's a family favorite recipe at every Christmas!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup + 2 Tbsp
  • 1 1/4 cup roasted salted peanuts
  • 1 1/2 tsp. butter
  • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. baking soda

Instructions

  1. In a glass 1.5 qt casserole or mixing bowl, stir the corn syrup and granulated sugar together and microwave for 3.5 minutes. Stir in the peanuts and microwave for 3 more minutes until light brown. Add the butter and vanilla to the mixture and stir until well combined. Microwave for an additional 1.5 minutes.
  2. You will need to work quickly for the next step, so be sure to have your buttered cookie sheet ready to go. Add the baking soda to the mixture and gently stir until light and foamy. Quickly pour the foamy mixture onto the greased cookie sheet.
  3. Do NOT use a spoon to spread the mixture around. Instead, gently rotate the pan to spread the mixture around until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Work quickly, because it will began hardening very fast.
  4. Let the peanut brittle cool for at least 1/2 hour or until it is hard and smooth to the touch. When it is cooled, break the candy into small pieces and store in an air-tight container.

Notes

Cooking times are for a 1000 watt microwave. If your microwave has a different wattage, keep a close eye and nose during the final steps in cooking. It may take you one or two tries to perfect it depending on the wattage and age of your microwave.

Soak your cooled glass bowl in soap and water and it will come clean very easily.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 8 Servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 122Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 167mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 0gSugar: 29gProtein: 0g

Provided nutrition data is only an estimate. If you are tracking these nutrients for medical purposes, please consult an outside, trusted source.

© The Creative Bite
Cuisine: American / Category: Candy

 

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Filed Under: Candy, Dairy-Free, Desserts, Gift Idea, Gluten-Free, Microwave, Recipe, Recipe Video, Vegetarian


This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Comments

  1. Julie Evink says

    December 10, 2018 at 12:06 pm

    5 stars
    I always make mine in the microwave! We love it and it’s so easy!

    Reply
    • Tom says

      December 24, 2019 at 7:34 pm

      Do you microwave on high?

      Reply
      • Danielle Green says

        December 25, 2019 at 12:14 pm

        yes!

        Reply
  2. Coleen Koehl says

    December 10, 2018 at 12:06 pm

    5 stars
    My daughter does her peanut brittle like this and it’s always so good! Way easier than the old fashioned way!

    Reply
    • Mary says

      April 14, 2020 at 5:46 pm

      Do I need a higher wattage oven for it to work better?

      Reply
  3. Malinda Linnebur says

    December 11, 2018 at 2:20 pm

    5 stars
    My mom always made her peanut brittle this way because it’s so much easier! I have yet to try and I need to change that!!

    Reply
  4. Melissa Howell says

    December 12, 2018 at 12:43 pm

    5 stars
    Honestly, I don’t think I have ever made peanut brittle! I have been too scared to do it! But this recipe looks so easy, I just might give it a try!

    Reply
  5. Judy Cromer says

    November 2, 2019 at 8:07 pm

    I have always used raw peanuts for this recipe but I’m going to try the roasted peanuts…this is so easy but be careful when working with the hot candy as it will burn anywhere it touches immediately…I’m going to try this year, to do this with pecans or cashews…fingers crossed!!

    Reply
  6. Terry says

    December 2, 2019 at 1:35 pm

    Put cookie sheet in the oven about 200° take out just before peanut brittle is ready and then butter it makes it spread out easier when you shake it

    Reply
    • Danielle Green says

      December 3, 2019 at 11:40 am

      Love that tip!

      Reply
    • Rachel says

      December 16, 2019 at 4:17 pm

      Awesome tip! I’m going to try this.

      Reply
  7. Bridget Neal says

    December 8, 2019 at 6:09 pm

    Why does it say aft the end of the directions microwave for an astronautical 15 minutes?

    Reply
    • Danielle Green says

      December 8, 2019 at 10:31 pm

      I’m not sure where you are seeing the extra 15 minutes of microwave time. Perhaps you are seeing the Total Time to make which is 15 minutes.

      Reply
      • Donna says

        December 12, 2019 at 12:50 pm

        I know, I was confused until I read the total cooking and prep times.

        3.5 was surprising, 35 mins seemed alot
        1.5 at the end

        I’m going with 3 to 5 and 1 to 5 mins
        Tks

        Reply
        • Danielle Green says

          December 12, 2019 at 2:38 pm

          3.5 is 3 1/2 and 1.5 is 1 1/2

          Reply
        • C Storey says

          December 11, 2020 at 4:09 pm

          3 . 5
          1 . 5
          there is a period in between
          3.5 meaning =Three and a half min
          As in
          1.5 means = one and a half min
          The period for fractions is hard to see .

          Reply
  8. Sheila says

    December 15, 2019 at 6:38 pm

    So I tried to double the recipe and it is more like crunchy caramel. ? what would you suggest on cooking time for doubling? Or are single batches better?

    Reply
    • Danielle Green says

      December 16, 2019 at 11:58 am

      We never double this recipe. I always just make subsequent batches in the microwave using the same bowl.

      Reply
  9. Sandy Rich says

    December 19, 2019 at 10:42 am

    I have always made this BUT this year it was kind of burned. I followed the same receipt. What advise do you have on that ?

    Reply
    • Danielle Green says

      December 19, 2019 at 3:19 pm

      Did you use a different microwave? Honestly each microwave will vary a little bit in their power. I just made a batch at my mom’s house and it was a little more done than when I make it at my house. Reduce the cooking time by a couple minutes if you end up with burnt brittle. I know that doesn’t help the burnt batch, but you will know how to cook it in your microwave from now on.

      Reply
  10. Pam says

    December 22, 2019 at 1:21 pm

    I have made 2 batches . They turned out great. I followed instruction exactly. I have a 1100 watt microwave. I love Peanut Brittle but most of the ones you buy are so hard. This is crispy , crunchy. Perfect.

    Reply
    • Danielle Green says

      December 22, 2019 at 10:09 pm

      So glad you loved it! My Dad always says its the best because it almost melts in your mouth.

      Reply
  11. Susie says

    December 22, 2019 at 5:45 pm

    Just made a batch, it tastes great, but it is kind of sticky! It sticks to your teeth! Where do you think I went wrong ? Thank you

    Reply
    • Danielle Green says

      December 22, 2019 at 10:09 pm

      Sounds to me like it might have been a bit undercooked. Perhaps your microwave is a bit older or just a little lower power. In that case, just add a minute or two in the beginning of the cooking time.

      Reply
      • Susie says

        December 23, 2019 at 1:25 pm

        Thanks so. Much !! I will try that. Peanut Brittle is one of my favorites! This is so easy that I can whip up a batch anytime ?

        Reply
  12. Rhonda Wilson says

    December 23, 2019 at 2:36 pm

    1 point 5 minutes. Just like the first time is 3 point 5 minutes. her font used it is hard to see the” points”.

    Reply
  13. Patsy says

    December 23, 2019 at 6:16 pm

    Its 1.5. There’s a decimal point between 1 and 5

    Reply
  14. Yvonne says

    December 23, 2019 at 8:22 pm

    Can it be done on the stove??

    Reply
    • Danielle Green says

      December 24, 2019 at 5:18 pm

      I have never made this recipe on the stove.

      Reply
  15. Robert Jarvis says

    August 30, 2020 at 11:17 am

    Yes it can be done on the stove but you need a candy thermometer or know how to do the crackle test in water

    Reply
  16. Baker B says

    November 29, 2020 at 10:09 pm

    Why don’t you post the wattage of the microwave you used. Terms old and new/modern whatever aren’t helpful.
    If we know your wattage we can guesstimate better our changes needed.

    Please everyone post your wattageand changes to help us all.

    @Pam who posted her trial at 1100 watts — thank you!!!

    Reply
    • Danielle Green says

      December 2, 2020 at 7:17 pm

      You are absolutely right and thank you for pointing that out. Sorry I didn’t include this before. I made this recipe in a 1,000 watt microwave.

      Reply
  17. Donna Darsey says

    December 13, 2020 at 1:28 pm

    I cooked it on a 700 watt and times were 4 minutes 3mins, and 3 minutes, came out sticky and chewy? Do I add minutes to all three steps? Or just step one? Thanks

    Reply
    • Danielle Green says

      December 15, 2020 at 2:53 pm

      700 watts will definitely need a couple extra minutes. I’d add the extra time to the second round and watch closely to the color. Just make sure it doesn’t get dark.

      Reply
  18. Vicky Jones says

    December 13, 2020 at 5:50 pm

    What size cookie sheet are you pouring in onto?

    Reply
    • Danielle Green says

      December 15, 2020 at 2:52 pm

      I’ve used larger and smaller ones. Heck I even used a pizza pan the other day for my 3rd batch. lol Any pan larger than 9×13 will work.

      Reply
  19. Jackie Mcfadyen says

    December 19, 2020 at 7:07 pm

    If I omit the salt could I use salted cashews?

    Reply
    • Danielle Green says

      December 20, 2020 at 3:21 pm

      The peanuts are salted, so no need to omit salt unless you just prefer less salt.

      Reply
  20. Ann winning says

    December 21, 2020 at 8:04 pm

    Hi there my microwave is a 900 watt can ŷou tell me time scale for that and is there any chance of recipe in grams please

    Reply
    • Danielle Green says

      December 23, 2020 at 11:39 am

      Sorry, I don’t have a 900 watt microwave to test the recipe with, but most likely you will need to add an extra minute. Just keep a close eye on it and make sure it is a nice golden brown before adding the baking soda in the last step.

      Reply
  21. Deb says

    December 31, 2020 at 8:15 pm

    Just want to add– don’t stir too much or too hard after adding the baking soda. The soda adds air to the mixture, which makes it lighter, less solid to bite, and more “melt-in-your-mouth” as the cell walls are thinner. If you stir TOO much after the soda, you will break down the wonderful air bubbles and your brittle will be more solid and hard to bite.

    Reply
    • Danielle Green says

      January 6, 2021 at 2:28 pm

      Yes, absolutely! I didn’t think to add this comment as it was just second nature to me, but thanks for pointing that out. I will definitely add it to the post!

      Reply

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