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By Lynette Rice | Published | 25 Comments
Easy microwave peanut brittle recipe that makes a crispy airy peanut brittle perfect for Christmas treats or a gift idea. This old fashioned homemade recipe is made in an 1100 watt microwave.
Peanut brittle! If you’ve never had it, you’re missing out. The sweetness, the crunch – the peanuts! This old fashioned peanut brittle recipe that you can make in the microwave is a family favorite! And it is so easy to make. You can wow your family – your friends – your kid’s teachers with a batch of this goodness.
This recipe has been made by my mom for decades. And this year I told her I wanted to make it as well. I don’t know why I thought that peanut brittle would be intimidating to make. With the microwave – it could not be easier! Using raw peanuts this recipe gives you the right amount of salty and sweet. Yum!
Table of Contents
How to Make Peanut Brittle In the Microwave
First, you need a 1100 watt microwave to have success with this recipe. If your microwave is not 1100 watts I can’t guarantee the results. So if your microwave is not 1100 watts go out and buy a new microwave. It will be worth it. Just kidding. Sort of. 🙂
In a 1.5 quart baking dish combine raw peanuts, sugar and light corn syrup. So many recipes out there say to use regular peanuts. Don’t do it. You need raw peanuts that will cook naturally as you make this recipe. You can find raw peanuts with skins in the produce section of your grocery store. They’re not with all the other peanuts. Why? Why!
Microwave at 70% power for 4 minutes and 25 seconds.
Stir like crazy.
Put it back in the microwave at 70% power and microwave for another four minutes.
Stir in the butter and vanilla.
Microwave for the last time at 70% power for two minutes.
Immediately add the baking soda and stir until the peanut brittle is foamy and light.
Pour onto a greased baking sheet. The brittle will naturally spread to about 1/4 inch thickness.
Let cool and break apart.
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How long does it take peanut brittle to cool?
It takes about 30 to 45 minutes to completely cool. Unless you’re like me and live in a drafty old farmhouse – you can cut that cooling time in half. 😉
Do I need a candy thermometer to make this recipe?
No. You can make this easy peanut brittle recipe without a candy thermometer because of the exact baking times in the microwave using a 1100 watt microwave at 70% heat.
How long does Peanut Brittle last?
You can store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 1 week or until you find it starts to taste stale.
I hope you enjoy this old fashioned homemade recipe that’s been adapted to the microwave! You get the same amazing results without the time and hassle of a vintage recipe. That’s winning in my book!
Enjoy!
Microwave Peanut Brittle Video
More Dessert Recipes for Gifts
- Christmas Biscotti Cookies
- The Best Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
- Soft Peanut Butter Blossoms Recipe
Created by: Lynette Rice
Peanut Brittle Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 2 minutes minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes minutes
Servings 12
12
Easy microwave peanut brittle recipe that makes a crispy airy peanut brittle perfect for Christmas treats or a gift idea. This old-fashioned homemade recipe is made in an 1100 watt microwave.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Cups raw peanuts with skins
- 1 Cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 Cup light corn syrup
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
Instructions
**This recipe is based on an 1100-watt microwave.
Combine peanuts, sugar, and corn syrup in a 1 1/2 quart microwavable dish. Microwave for four minutes and 25 seconds at 70% power. Stir.
Microwave again for four minutes at 70% power. Add butter and vanilla and stir until combined.
Microwave for the final time at 70% power for 2 minutes. Add baking soda and quickly stir until foamy and light.
Spread onto greased baking sheet. Let spread until about 1/4 inch thick.
Video
Notes
If you don’t have a 1100 microwave you can adjust the power at which the microwave is on. You do not need to adjust the time. For example, my mom originally did the recipe with a 700 watt microwave at full power. The 1100 watt example is at 70%.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 212kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 107mg | Potassium: 137mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg
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Reader Interactions
BeckaBee saysSee AlsoPeanut Butter Blossoms Recipe
Thank you for posting this! I also have an 1100w microwave, and this cooked up Perfectly! And just in time for the holidays!Reply
- Lynette Rice says
Awesome! It is a great recipe!
Reply
- Eminana says
Made this this morning at 5am (7-3 nurses) and both batches came out excellent! Very fast and easy to make with very precise directions. We all enjoyed some with our coffee pre-shift and it’s a winner! Thank you!!Reply
- Lynette says
Awesome! It is really such a fast and easy recipe – with great results!
Reply
- CATHERINE says
I made your brittle. After a couple of hours cooling It was still very soft so I put the tray in the refrigerator for several more hours. Finally about 4 hours later it was mostly hard enough to break up. Put it in a sealed container and in the morning I had one solid piece of brittle that was soft again. I’m at a loss, can i fix this??Reply
- Lynette says
Hi Catherine, it sounds like your peanut brittle didn’t get to a high enough temperature. It would have become hard as it cools. Unfortunately, the batch you have cannot be fixed. Two things probably happened, either you accidentally missed a step in the timing so the peanut brittle didn’t get hot enough. Or if directions were followed exactly, then your microwave didn’t work correctly. This recipe is based on an 1100 watt microwave so any other wattage would have different results. I’m sorry I can’t be more help. I would try it again. I just made two batches of peanut brittle this week and had excellent results, so I would give it another go! Let me know how it goes and if you have any other questions.
Reply
- Pamela says
I had a microwave peanut brittle recipe from years ago that I used all the time and the brittle came out perfect. Unfortunately, I lost it. The problem with these microwave brittle recipes is that most of them don’t list the recipe’s microwave wattage and I just overcooked a batch a few minutes ago and had to throw it out. Fortunately, I didn’t give up my search and happened to find this recipe for 1100 watt microwaves. Just want to let you know that with this recipe my brittle turned out perfect and delicious. Thank you so much!
Reply
- Lynette says
Yay! So glad you stumbled onto this recipe. The wattage does make a difference! Enjoy your peanut brittle. 🙂
Reply
- Madge Hribar says
i love been making the peanut brittle recipe since the ‘80s – was in the recipe book that came with my microwave! to ensure easy spreading of the brittle, i place my baking sheets in a warm oven. and, if making more than one batch, clean out the left over brittle in your bowl by using very hot water to melt it away. same for the spoon. dry the bowl and spoon and you are ready to go on the next batch.**peanut brittle does not set up well if making on a humid day. best to make when cold days are here.
Reply
- Lynette says
We’ve had lots of cold days! Just made this recipe again yesterday and love how easy it is. Great idea to warm the baking sheets. My kitchen can be cold and I did find it harder to spread. Thanks for the tips!
Reply
- Terri says
I got my recipe when I had a 725 watt microwave then I got a new on and it was an 1100 watt burned every batch. I can’t wait to try this one. I use two Correll bowls when one batch is done I use HOT water to clean out the other so I can keep them going. They make great Christmas gifts and they always ask for more. 😂
Reply
- Jessica Pinney says
Love the idea of making peanut brittle in the microwave, it’s just so simple! I would’ve never thought of it. Thanks for sharing!Reply
- Lynette says
Yes, it does make it so much easier!
Reply
- Claire @ The Simple, Sweet Life says
What perfect timing! How did you know I’ve been on the hunt for some peanut brittle with enough peanuts to make my grandpa happy? I can’t wait to show up to Christmas with this!
Reply
- Karyl | Karyl's Kulinary Krusade says
I’ve been a little obsessed with peanut brittle lately, but had no clue you could make it so easily at home. I have no idea if my microwave is 1100 watts, but I’m gonna check it out ASAP…cause I need to make this at home!
Reply
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