Grandma's Peanut Brittle (2024)

Making my Grandma’s Peanut Brittle is one of my favorite holiday traditions. This classic treat of salty-sweet perfection is surprisingly easy to make.

Grandma’s Peanut Brittle is one of my favorite holiday classics! It’s super fun and easy to make, and I love giving it as a gift during the holiday season! Cozying up in the kitchen on a cold wintery night and making this recipe is always fun!

I have made my grandma’s recipe for peanut brittle for 8 years now, I have yet to find one that is better than hers.[/caption]

I’ve had my Grandma’s Peanut Brittle for as long as I can remember. I have this vivid memory of a Christmas candy tray, stemming from having Christmas at her house.

That was when I was really young because I come from a large Catholic family with my dad having 7 siblings. Naturally, we outgrew my grandparents’ house and rotated it between my aunts and uncles and, on two occasions, at my parents’ house. But every year, we had the infamous candy tray filled with peanut brittle. My Aunt Patty eventually started to make it as well. But I didn’t want this yummy, tasty tradition to be left to her. I tried to make it as well.

I love the coloring of peanut brittle, it screams fall but tastes like Christmas.[/caption]

I remember calling my grandma up and asking her for the recipe. The first thing she told me was to make sure I wore excellent oven mitts because otherwise, I would burn my hands. She also noted that I should use oven mitts that I don’t care about just in case I need to throw them away. Okay, at this point, I will be honest I was scared. Scared that I was A – going to screw up massively and B – burn myself. Both are ugly situations.

But I let go of the fear and carried on. I went for it, and bam, it turned out amazing. She was right; the first two times I made this, I got the candy all over the gloves – but now I consider myself a pro.

The hardest part of making Grandma’s Peanut Brittle is letting the candy cook at the proper temperature. I am just not patient. I only cook the candy to 280 degrees because I love the brittle color at this point; my grandma cooks it until 290. Either way, this brittle is the best.

I love the pieces that are packed with peanuts.

My grandma made this peanut brittle recipe until last year; she said that at 90, it was the only thing she would ever still make; that’s how much my grandma loves us and peanut brittle.

Making peanut brittle in our homes is not so much a tradition anymore. So today, I share my Grandma’s Peanut Brittle recipe in hopes that you will bring back the homemade peanut brittle to your table and your neighbors.

Ingredients

• Sugar
• Corn syrup
• Water
• Butter
• Baking soda
• Vanilla
• Salt
• Spanish peanuts

How do you make Grandma’s Peanut Brittle?

• Butter a sizeable, high-sided cooking sheet.
• Over medium heat, bring sugar, corn syrup, water, and 2 tablespoons of butter to a boil. Using a candy thermometer, cook until it reaches 240 degrees. Add Spanish peanuts and cook until the thermometer reaches 290 degrees.
• Note: I like to remove mine around 280-285, this is where I want the coloring and the crunch, but my Grandma likes 290.
• Remove from heat and stir in baking soda, salt, and vanilla. Pour immediately into the buttered pan, and tilt the pan so the brittle covers the entire pan from corner to corner. Please DO NOT use a knife to push it around; your brittle will not look as nice.

I’m drooling over this stack of peanut brittle; I can’t wait to make another batch.

I love the holidays because of all the yummy treats made. But my favorite part is making traditional treats for my family and friends that I grew up on.

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