Peanut brittle is a hard confection made out of thin, flat, smashed candy pieces containing nuts. While peanuts are traditional, other nuts such as cashews, almonds, or pecans can also be used.
While this caramel-flavored sweet is traditionally eaten at Christmas time, it is a delicious treat all year round.
Peanut brittle is easy to make using common pantry staples provided you stick to a few basic rules.
- Butter
- Nuts
- Light corn syrup
- Baking soda (this aerates the toffee and makes it brittle)
- Salt
- Vanilla
Why Is My Peanut Brittle Chewy?
Peanut brittle is simple to make but as with any candy recipe, getting the syrup mixture to the right temperature is essential for the correct setting. You’re aiming for a brittle texture that shatters when hit with a mallet.
You may have made a batch at home for the holidays and are left disappointed and wondering, “Why is my peanut brittle chewy?”
To help you out, we are sharing some of the common reasons and their solutions to ensure your next batch of peanut brittle turns out perfectly!
1. Incorrect cooking temperature
To end up with hard, brittle candy, the syrup has to reach the hard-crack stage. This is between 300 and 310 degrees Fahrenheit.
The hard-crack stage means that sugar strands pulled out of the bubbling candy mixture will easily set then break and attain a dry appearance rather than a sticky and chewy one.
So, if you take the brittle candy off the heat before it reaches the hard-crack stage, you will end up with a sticky mess.
For this reason, it is best to make any candy with the help of a candy thermometer. Remember though, do not cook it for too long and let it reach a higher temperature than 310 degrees Fahrenheit or it will scorch and be bitter.
In case the damage is already done and the peanut brittle is already made and has a chewy texture, you can try restoring the hardness just before serving.
To do this, put them onto a serving platter and place it in the freezer for at least one hour. The peanut brittle will harden up temporarily.
2. Humidity too high
Another potential reason behind chewy peanut brittle is the air humidity. When peanut brittle is made in a humid environment, it will result in moisture in the candy, preventing any chance of attaining a hard texture.
For this reason, you must ensure that the cooking area is dry and cool rather than humid. Of course, you cannot help where you live, but we advise you to put the air conditioner on while you are making the sweets.
Once they have cooled, store them in an airtight container to prevent any moisture from reaching them.
3. Too much butter
Adding too much butter in proportion to corn syrup will result in a soft, toffee-like consistency. Be sure to use a tried and tested recipe (read the reviews if getting a recipe online).
The recipe should not call for more than about a quarter of the amount of butter as sugar and corn syrup.
To Conclude
We hope you understand a few reasons now why your peanut brittle may be chewy. There is no need to waste it, though … some people prefer their peanut sweets soft.
Simply cut it into small squares or rectangles, wrap each piece in pretty cellophane paper, twist the ends and you have soft peanut brittle sweets!