If I’m being honest here, my Mom’s Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle is so much better than the stuff you buy in shops. Even the fancy candy store versions don’t hold a candle to my moms. It’s airy, peanutty and best of all it’s super easy. It takes maybe twenty minutes and a bit of freezing time and you’ve got a Christmas sweet that will be a total hit.
I find that at Christmas there tends to be an overload on the holiday treats. There’s cookies, bars, snacks like fudge and dipped pretzels. The list goes on and on. Some take extra work like the layered caramel bars and the millionaire shortbreads.
But this one is easy. There are no hot ovens, no layers, no rolling pins. I love cookies, but this year, rolled sugar cookies and I are not getting along. I don’t know what it is, but I can’t get them to work. So, next year, we’ll start earlier and figure it out. But, in the meantime. I’m all about the easy recipes. And this Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle is the perfect tasty treat.
When your list of baking is getting a little too long, I think, it’s important to make sure you have a few super easy desserts in the mix so you can take a bit of a break from the more complicated sweets and be able to actually cross something off the list. It just makes Christmas baking a little more manageable.
I know you want a table that’s overflowing with sweets, we all do. A Pinterest-worthy dessert table, with lots of choices, colours and flavours is my holiday goals. I like to have a little bit of everything, and I always make sure I have a few super easy treats, like this Peppermint-Kissed Fudge (two ingredients and minimal effort) and this White Chocolate Christmas Candy (seriously addictive) and of course Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle to help level out all the hard work. Are you ready to learn this quick recipe?
How to make Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle
Grab yourself a good microwavable bowl. Measure in the sugar and white corn syrup. Give it a stir, but don’t expect much here, it’ll be sticky. It softens with each round in the microwave. So to start, microwave this mixture for about three minutes. Now, my microwave is super powerful, so I’m going to share my mom’s version with her times below as well, just in case your microwave is more normal paced.
Wearing an oven mitt, pull the bowl from the microwave, stir these two. you’ll probably have to scrape some of the sticky sugar mixture off the spoon or spatula. Add the peanuts and microwave again for four minutes. Next, stir in the vanilla and butter and heat for 45 seconds. Finish by stirring in the baking soda, this will start to foam a bit, pour it out onto a baking sheet and toss it into the freezer to let it harden for about 30 minutes. Once frozen, break it apart into bite-size pieces.
It’s a great recipe, so much better than any store-bought version. One look at this and you’ll see why. It’s so airy and packs a major crunch. The peanut flavour is spot on and after one bite, you’ll be adding this to your Christmas master list, trust me!
Loved Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle? Check out these other delicious holiday dessert recipes, I’m sure they’ll hit the spot:
If you get a chance to make this or any other recipe on the blog and want to share. Please feel free to tag @candyjarchronicles or use #candyjarchronicles on Instagram, so I can see your post. I’d love to see what you’re cooking in your kitchen!
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Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle
This one is a Christmas favourite. It always shows up during the holidays and takes minimal time and effort. An easy recipe that's a sure-fire hit!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup white corn syrup
- 1 cup peanuts, dry roasted and salted
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp baking soda
INSTRUCTIONS
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In a microwave-safe bowl, mix together the sugar and syrup. Cook for 3 minutes. (Mom's version, cooks for 4 minutes)
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Stir in the peanuts (as best as you can). Cook for an additional 4 minutes. (Mom's version, cooks for 3-5 minutes)
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Add in the butter and vanilla, stirring as well as possible. Cook another 45 seconds. (Mom's version, cooks for 1-2 minutes).
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Mix in baking soda. This will foam, pour out onto a baking sheet and freeze for an hour. Break apart and serve. Store in the freezer.
RECIPE NOTES
Recipe adapted from M. Cumming
Mom’s version is for regular microwaves. Ours is runs super hot, so I wanted you to have both recipes, just in case your microwave is more normal paced.