Vegan Peanut Brittle

By
Allyson Kramer
Allyson Kramer
Bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and food photographer who focuses on vegan and gluten-free cooking.
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Updated on 11/21/19
Vegan peanut brittle recipe

The Spruce / Emily Hawkes

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 45 mins

Vegan peanut brittle is a wonderful treat to whip up any time of year, and it has so many options for variations. You can add cinnamon, sriracha, pumpkin pie spice, almond flavor; truly the choices are endless!

When making brittle, caramel, or other candies that require stove-top cooking, I highly recommend a using candy thermometer. It is well worth the few dollars you will spend on it and will lay any candy-making fears to rest.

The pot that you cook candy in is also important and not to be overlooked, or your candy could be a flop.Too thin of a pot will not distribute the heat properly.

If you don’t want to have all this candy all to yourself, this brittle also makes a wonderful gift. Simply stack with parchment paper in a metal can or paper box and it will keep up to 1 month. Wrap with a bow and bring a smile to someone you love's face.

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice, chili powder, etc.)
  • 1 1/4 cup peanuts (raw, Spanish)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 heaping tablespoon vegan margarine (such as Earth Balance brand)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for vegan peanut brittle
    The Spruce / Emily Hawkes

  2. Grease a large cookie sheet using either butter or coconut oil. You can also line a large cookie sheet with a nonstick silicone mat. I don’t recommend using parchment paper as candy can sometimes stick to it.

    Grease a large cookie sheet
    The Spruce / Emily Hawkes

  3. In a small bowl, mix together baking soda and cinnamon. In a separate container, measure out your peanuts and make sure you have your vanilla extract handy.

    Peanuts
    The Spruce / Emily Hawkes

  4. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, water, and margarine. Over medium heat, and stirring occasionally with wooden spoon, bring the mixture to a boil.

    Combine sugar, corn syrup
    The Spruce / Emily Hawkes

  5. Once it has started boiling, add the raw peanuts.

    Add raw peanuts
    The Spruce / Emily Hawkes

  6. Bring the mixture back up to boil and keep on medium heat until candy mixture reaches 300 F on your candy thermometer, or hard crack stage using a cold water test. (If syrup from pot is dropped into a shallow glass of cold water, it should immediately turn to the consistency of peanut brittle, and not bend).

    Bring mixture to a boil
    The Spruce / Emily Hawkes

  7. Remove from heat and immediately add the baking soda/cinnamon mixture and vanilla. Stir well and pour onto the prepared cookie sheet. Wait a few minutes, until candy is cool enough to handle, and pull gently with your hands to desired thickness.

    Add baking soda
    The Spruce / Emily Hawkes

  8. Let cool completely and then break into individual pieces.

    Break up brittle
    The Spruce / Emily Hawkes
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
118 Calories
5g Fat
18g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 118
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 6%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 84mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 18g 7%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Protein 2g
Calcium 11mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)