Microwave Nut Brittle
Updated Oct. 26, 2022
- Total Time
- 30 to 40 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2cups raw nuts or seeds
- 2cups sugar
- 1cup corn syrup
- ½teaspoon salt
- 2tablespoons butter
- 1teaspoon baking soda
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
Nutritional analysis per serving (14 servings)
309 calories; 12 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 52 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 48 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 173 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Chop the nuts or seeds if they are large; otherwise, leave them whole. Put them into a 4-quart glass bowl with all other ingredients except the baking soda and vanilla extract. Stir in ¾ cup water. Heat in a microwave oven on high power for 5 minutes. Using oven mitts or potholders, carefully transfer the bowl to a countertop and stir with a heat-resistant spatula. Repeat 2 or 3 more times, until the syrup thickens and the nuts begin to stick together. Then heat for 1-minute periods, stirring in between, until the syrup begins to turn light golden brown.
- Step 2
Line a baking sheet with foil. Add the baking soda and vanilla extract to the syrup and stir vigorously. Quickly pour the mixture out onto the baking sheet and use the spatula to spread it as thin as possible. Allow to cool to room temperature, then peel off the foil and break the brittle into pieces. Store in an airtight container.
Private Notes
Comments
Warm the baking sheet in the oven while microwaving the mixture and pull it out as close to pouring time as possible. The brittle firms up very quickly and this will buy you a few precious seconds of spreading time.
I was surprised to be using the microwave this way, but the results are first-class. It made me go out and buy McGee's book Keys to Good Cooking, which is filled with knowledge and even wisdom.
This is a good recipe. After reading a review about sticky brittle that didn’t really get hardened properly, I decided to get a temp on mine before spreading out on the pan. I had an old candy thermometer in my cupboard which I found to be agonizingly slow at giving a reading, then I realized I had a better tool: I found that my Thermapen instant thermometer was useful in determining that 300 degree stage. Next time I make this I would increase the nuts a bit. Maybe by a half a cup.
As someone noted earlier in post, the key is a candy thermometer. I made 1/2 a recipe with hazelnuts and it worked fine. Tasty holiday treat.
I’m not sure what I did wrong, but when I added 3/4 cup of water it made the mixture very liquid. It then took ages to get to a caramel texture, and as I’m reading from other comments, it never really hardened. I feel like this recipe is badly written. Sorry Harold.
This brittle recipe is great w/large nuts that can take lengthy heating—e.g., cashews & peanuts. Pecans, otoh, burn before the mix reaches the proper temperature. Most stovetop brittle recipes have one mixing the nuts in at the end, tricky because the syrup cools too quickly. I tried pouring the syrup over nuts spread on a hot baking sheet, messy & uneven results. Best—mixing nuts in when syrup is just a degree or two short of done, zap another minute or so, pour onto heated baking sheet.
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