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Peanut and Cashew Brittle

December 18, 2014 By Jessica

If you are looking to give a homemade food gift this year, but don’t have too much time, this is the perfect gift to give. A sweet, slightly salty, buttery nut crunch (yes, all that in one!) that is one of the easiest, and quickest candies to make. Who doesn’t love candy, especially when it’s homemade?

Start to tasty finish is done in about an hour. Really.

I packed brittle into cellophane bags with ribbon, then placed them into holiday tins for gift-giving. What’s nice about brittle is that it stores well for a long time, and ships well. Aside from being addictive. I made cashew brittle, using corn syrup, a more traditional flavor. For the peanut brittle I used coconut nectar, which gave a deep caramel flavor. You decide which you think those lucky recipients would love.

Happy Baking!

~Jessica

 

cashew brittle gluten free vegan recipe from jessica's kitchen blog

Makes about 4 pounds

You will need a candy thermometer

Ingredients:

2 cups cane sugar
1/2 cup water
1 stick (4 ounces) non dairy butter (I used Earth Balance)
1/3 cup coconut nectar (blonde), OR light corn syrup (non-gmo preferably)
1/2 teaspoon aluminum free baking soda
12 ounces raw, or roasted low-sodium peanuts, or cashews (or any nut or seed you prefer)

1 tablespoon, or so coconut oil, or earth balance to lightly grease baking sheet

Preparation:

In a large saucepan with a candy thermometer attached, combine the sugar, water, non dairy butter and coconut nectar (or corn syrup) and bring to a boil. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring once, until the caramel is light brown, about 10-20 minutes depending on the stovetop heat.

UPDATED NOTE: Meanwhile, lightly grease 2 large rimmed baking sheets or non stick pans. I use an All-Clad stainless steel 1/2 sheet sized baking pan. Two, just in case you are adding more nuts, which could increase the volume of the brittle and will seize up as it cools while preparing another sheet pan so be prepared. I don’t want that to happen to you!

Note: There will be no time to prepare anything once the sugar reaches 300 degrees F.

It will look foamy, with many airy bubbles. Turn off heat at exactly 300 degrees F and carefully stir in the baking soda with a rubber spatula. Do not use a whisk, it will just clump in the center. The mixture will immediately become lighter in color where you added the baking soda and will appear foamy. Keep stirring until it is all foamy and lighter in color. Immediately add in the nuts to combine well then scrape out the brittle onto the baking sheet. Spread out evenly into a thin, even layer.

Note: Once adding the nuts, work quickly to transfer onto your baking sheet. The sugar will harden quickly when exposed to air.

Let cool completely, about 30-40 minutes. Break the brittle into large shards. Can keep in an air tight container for up to 3 weeks.

Note: Regarding coconut nectar vs. corn syrup: the only noticeable difference I found was that the coconut sugar mixture was darker at 300 F. Both reached 300 F at about the same time and hardened at about the same time, about 30 minutes.

Note: The first crack is not easy to do by hand. I pressed the tip of a steak knife onto the brittle and hit the top of the knife with a book. When I got a crack going through an area I pulled pieces by hand.

Here are step-by-step photos from my cashew brittle preparation. I used corn syrup for this brittle.

cashew brittle gluten free vegan recipe from jessica's kitchen blog

cashew brittle gluten free vegan recipe from jessica's kitchen blog

cashew brittle gluten free vegan recipe from jessica's kitchen blog

cashew brittle gluten free vegan recipe from jessica's kitchen blog

cashew brittle gluten free vegan recipe from jessica's kitchen blog

cashew brittle gluten free vegan recipe from jessica's kitchen blog

See on the cashew brittle the melted coconut oil along the side of the baking sheet?

This will dissolve when brittle hardens …

cashew brittle gluten free vegan recipe from jessica's kitchen blog

See the dry edges here? You will know it’s ready when the edges are dry.

cashew brittle gluten free vegan recipe from jessica's kitchen blog

cashew brittle gluten free vegan recipe from jessica's kitchen blog

Here is the peanut brittle, a deeper brown color … I made this today and the cashew one yesterday. Enjoy!

peanut brittle gluten free vegan recipe from jessica's kitchen blog

 

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Filed Under: dessert, holiday, vegan Tagged With: dairy-free, dessert, gluten-free, holiday, soy-free, vegan

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Comments

  1. Rona S. says

    December 19, 2014 at 7:08 am

    I always thought brittle was a difficult process. Your photos make it look easy. Good gift idea.
    Reply
  2. Beth says

    December 19, 2014 at 7:15 am

    I could eat this all day. Who knew brittle was so quick to make! Thanks for the helpful step by step photos Jessica.
    Reply
  3. Jasmine says

    December 19, 2014 at 8:25 am

    I see the difference in color. Does the cashew brittle taste more buttery? Peanut more sugary like caramel? Deciding on which flavor to choose. Nice gift idea that I didn't think was as easy as it looks.
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      December 19, 2014 at 12:07 pm

      They both have that buttery taste, but the peanut brittle has more of a caramel flavor. If your recipients love caramel that will love it with coconut nectar or the other syrups mentioned in an earlier comment. :)
      Reply
  4. Maggie Joe says

    December 19, 2014 at 8:31 am

    Ooh, this would be perfect to give out at church in little gift bags! Both kinds look tempting, may have to keep some for myself :)
    Reply
  5. Zoe says

    December 19, 2014 at 8:43 am

    Brittle looks divine. I see you use coconut nectar a lot? It's so expensive, why that over other sweet syrups like agave? Thanks.
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      December 19, 2014 at 12:05 pm

      Zoe, it is expensive! When it goes on sale I buy more to stock up since it has a long shelf life. I prefer it over corn syrup and agave for my children's treats since it has a very low glycemic index. Helps to keep the sugar rush down while enjoying our sweets. You can certainly use agave, corn syrup, or brown rice syrup in this recipe. I do not recommend maple syrup as it burns too quickly for this recipe. :)
      Reply
  6. Wendy says

    December 19, 2014 at 9:06 am

    There's nothing like home made candy. This looks irrestibly sinful!
    Reply
  7. Laura says

    December 19, 2014 at 9:11 am

    I am making this today for my children's teachers and school staff, think it would be a nice surprise to go with my usual gift card gift. Thank you for posting this, timing is perfect.
    Reply
  8. Jen says

    December 19, 2014 at 9:15 am

    Jessica, great gift idea! Your photos dispel the myth that candy making is for the professionals. I look forward to making this with great confidence!
    Reply
  9. Maureen says

    December 19, 2014 at 9:18 am

    I want to use raw pumpkin seeds, should I still use 12 ounces (seems low) and does it need salt? Thanks Jessica.
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      December 19, 2014 at 12:01 pm

      Maureen, great point, double the amount of pumpkin seeds to match the volume of cashews (heaping 2 cups), and yes raw nuts would need salt. I suggest 1-2 teaspoons, to taste of fleur de sel or maldon sea salt in the sugar mixture and a nice pinch of salt sprinkled over after spreading it out. Enjoy!
      Reply
  10. Kathleen B. says

    December 19, 2014 at 9:35 am

    Something so perfect about imperfect pieces of brittle. I really like the darker peanut brittle, does it taste any different? Intrigued to try with coconut sugar.
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      December 19, 2014 at 11:57 am

      Kathleen, peanut brittle tastes more like caramel in flavor using coconut sugar :)
      Reply
  11. Neil says

    December 19, 2014 at 10:50 am

    How apropos, today is National Hard Candy Day!! What better way to celebrate than some brittle. Going to make this with a combination of peanut, cashew, and pistachio for my nutty friends Lol!
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      December 19, 2014 at 12:10 pm

      Neil, how funny. I had no idea it's National Hard Candy Day!
      Reply
  12. Jen says

    December 19, 2014 at 12:55 pm

    I love the detail in which you explain how to prepare each of your recipes. At the beginning of your instruction you say that you should stir once. Does that mean that stirring more than once would be a problem. Looking forward to your reply because I'm ready to try this out. It looks awesome!
    Reply
  13. Helen says

    December 19, 2014 at 3:45 pm

    Fabulous recipe for season gifting :)
    Reply
  14. Mackenzie Stauskas says

    December 19, 2014 at 6:15 pm

    !!
    Reply
  15. Andy says

    December 20, 2014 at 9:33 am

    I made the brittle today with cashews and pecans and when I poured it onto my baking sheet I then realized I had more than what would fit in my pan. By the time I greased another pan my sugar started to seize up, luckily I managed to get most of it out but was bummed that happened. Came out great but got a little stressful there for a minute.
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      December 20, 2014 at 6:00 pm

      Yikes!! Sorry that happened Andy. I will make a note on the post to prepare an extra pan. Thanks for pointing that out.
      Reply
  16. Kate says

    December 23, 2014 at 9:27 am

    I made this brittle with pecans for my holiday office party, everyone loved it and was looking for the recipe. Not sure if I should share or make it my own "secret recipe" ha! Thank you for your how to pics that helped make this addictive brittle!!
    Reply

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Welcome!

Hi! I'm Jessica, welcome to my blog! I'm a wife and mother of four (all boys, including twins. Did not see that coming!) who loves to eat. Discovering food intolerances in my family and myself had me think about cooking differently with an emphasis on nutrition, but not any less deliciously. No, won't settle for that, neither will my kids! Here you will find simple, healthy, seasonal recipes we love that are gluten, dairy, and soy free. Many are also egg free, nut free, plant-based and/or grain free, given our evolving dietary lifestyle. Even though we live a life of dietary restrictions, my passion for food keeps me on a constant quest to create tasty recipes or adapt our favorite recipes from my stack of cookbooks to bring back the joy of eating again, without sacrificing flavor. Hope you find some inspiration and recipes to enjoy ... thanks for stopping by!

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