Homemade Hazelnut Brittle Candy

Name: Homemade Hazelnut Brittle Candy
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 1 cup hazelnuts; 1 cup granulated white sugar; 1/2 cup light corn syrup; 1/4 cup water; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; Flaky sea salt (for sprinkling)

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This Homemade Hazelnut Brittle Candy is a crunchy, sweet and salty treat that's perfect for holiday gifting, snacking or adding to your favorite desserts.

Stack of hazelnut brittle pieces on a white plate.

Growing up my aunt always made peanut brittle at Christmas time. While delicious, there are so many other nut varieties to explore. At the top of my list were hazelnuts.

Lightly toasted, nutty, creamy, and earthy hazelnuts are the perfect partner for crisp, sweet, caramelized sugar.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Hazelnut brittle is the perfect treat for sweet and salty lovers.
There are so many ways to serve hazelnut brittle. Break it into pieces, dip it in chocolate, crush it in a blender and serve it on top of ice cream.
Makes a thoughtful homemade gift. Package pieces of hazelnut brittle in a decorative tin or gift bag for Christmas or other special occasions.

Need some more delicious Christmas candy ideas? Try this Honeycomb Brittle or this Whiskey Fudge.

What is brittle?

Brittle is a type of hard candy made from caramelized sugar. The sugar mixture is heated to approximately 300-310°F (149-154°C), creating a crisp candy that breaks into pieces once cooled.

Adding baking soda to the hot sugar mixture creates tiny bubbles that give the brittle a lighter, less dense texture.

As the brittle cools, it hardens and becomes shiny. Once completely cooled, it can be broken into smaller pieces and enjoyed as candy or used as a topping for ice cream and other desserts.

How Can You Monitor Sugar Stages Without a Thermometer?

Using a thermometer is the easiest way to monitor sugar's temperature as it cooks. If you don't have a candy or instant-read thermometer there is another way to test sugar's temperature using a glass of cold water.

As the sugar syrup cooks, more water evaporates and the sugar becomes more concentrated. This causes the cooled syrup to become progressively firmer, eventually reaching the hard-crack stage needed for brittle.

Use this chart below to determine what stage your sugar is at.

Tip: Hot sugar syrup can cause serious burns. Use a spoon to transfer a small amount of syrup into cold water, and allow it to cool completely before touching it. Never test hot syrup directly with your fingers.

°F	Sugar Stage	Uses
223°F to 234°F	Thread: The sugar drips from a spoon and stretches into loose thin threads once it reaches the cold water.	Used for sugar syrups
235°F to 240°F	Soft ball: The sugar forms into a sticky soft malleable ball in cold water but flattens when removed from the water.	Fudge, pralines, fondant, buttercream, and caramels
245°F to 250°F	Firm ball: The sugar forms into a sticky ball in cold water, retains the ball shape when removed, but loses its shape when compressed.	Caramels, buttercream, nougat, marshmallows, Italian meringues, gummies, and toffees
250°F to 264°F	Hard ball: The sugar forms into a hard sticky ball in cold water and remains a ball when removed. It keeps its shape when compressed, but feels sticky.	Caramels, nougats, divinity, and toffees
270°F to 290°F	Soft Crack: The sugar forms into long threads in cold water. The threads are stretchy and slightly sticky when removed from the water.	Taffy, nougat, and butterscotch
300°F to 310°F	Hard Crack: The sugar forms into long threads in cold water. The threads are stiff, brittle, and easily snap when removed from the water.	Hard candy, brittles, toffees, glazed fruit, and spun sugar
320°F and up	Caramel: The sugar turns light golden yellow to dark amber. Nearly all water has been boiled out of the syrup. If sugar you continue to cook the sugar, it will burn and turn black	Pralines, brittles, and nougatine

Recipe Ingredients

Hazelnut brittle ingredients on a dark wood surface.

Hazelnuts: You can purchase already roasted and chopped hazelnuts or purchase whole hazelnuts and roast them yourself. The best price I have found is buying whole unroasted hazelnuts from the bulk bin at Fresh Thyme.

White Granulated Sugar: The sugar is cooked to the hard-crack stage, approximately 305-310°F (151-154°C). This creates a candy that hardens as it cools and breaks into crisp pieces rather than bending or remaining sticky.

Light Corn Syrup: Corn syrup helps to prevent the sugar from crystallizing as it melts.

Water: Water is used to dissolve the sugar.

Unsalted Butter: Butter helps to tenderize the candy and adds its own rich flavor. When baking I prefer to use unsalted butter so that I can control the amount of salt that is used.

Baking Soda: The addition of baking soda creates millions of microscopic bubbles in the candy. These bubbles make the caramelized sugar "brittle" so that it breaks when you bite it rather than being so hard you must suck on it like toffee or a lollipop.

Vanilla Extract: Adds a subtle vanilla flavor that complements the toasted hazelnuts and caramelized sugar.

Flaky Sea Salt: Before it hardens completely, I like to top my brittle with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt which provides a nice contrast to the sweet brittle. Maldon sea salt is one of the best.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Substitutions and Variations

Corn Syrup: Light corn syrup helps prevent the sugar from crystallizing, giving the brittle a smooth texture. Other liquid sweeteners, such as honey or brown rice syrup, may change the flavor and texture of the finished candy. I recommend sticking with light corn syrup for the most predictable results.

Hazelnuts: Try substituting different types of nuts. Peanuts are a popular choice but cashews, macadamias, walnuts, and almonds will work well too.

Chocolate: Once the brittle has cooled and hardened completely, drizzle it with melted chocolate. Allow the chocolate to set before storing or packaging the candy.

Step by Step Directions

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) with a rack in the topmost position.

Place the hazelnuts on a sheet pan and toast for 15 to 20 minutes until fragrant, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent burning.

Transfer toasted hazelnuts to a clean dishtowel. Rub and roll them around between your hands to remove the skins.

Remove the hazelnuts from the dishtowel and roughly chop. I like a variety of sized pieces.

Step 2: Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper that has been coated in cooking spray.

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Attach your candy thermometer to the edge of the saucepan, and make sure it is submerged in the liquid, but not touching the bottom of the pot.

Tip: A heavy-bottomed saucepan evenly distributes the heat reducing the likelihood that portions of the sugar will burn. I prefer to use a light-colored saucepan which allows me to easily monitor the color of the sugar. You can also use an enameled dutch oven.

Step 3: Heat the sugar mixture over medium-low heat. If you see sugar clinging to the sides of the pan, use a pastry brush dipped in water to brush down the sides of the pan. DO NOT STIR the sugar mixture. You may swirl the pan gently about halfway through the cooking time to incorporate any uncooked sugar.

Continue cooking until the sugar mixture reaches 305°F (151°C) and turns a deep amber color, approximately 10-15 minutes. This temperature is important for creating brittle that hardens and snaps into pieces rather than remaining soft or chewy.

Chopped hazelnuts resting on caramelized sugar.

Step 4: Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the hazelnuts, butter, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir until all of the hazelnuts are evenly coated with the syrup.

CAUTION: the mixture will be extremely hot and should be handled carefully.

Hazelnut brittle poured onto a sheet pan.

Step 5: Pour the hazelnut mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.

Tip: Be sure to remove the caramelized sugar from the heat before adding the baking soda. Otherwise, it will foam up and overflow from the saucepan. Even off the heat, be prepared once the baking soda has been added the syrup will begin to foam, often reaching two to three times its original volume.

Hazelnut brittle being spread out with a rubber spatula.

Step 6: Use a rubber spatula that has been sprayed with cooking spray to spread the mixture into an even layer about ½ inch thick.

Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and allow the brittle to cool completely, at least 30 minutes, or until it has hardened before breaking it into pieces.

Broken pieces of hazelnut brittle on a sheet pan.

Step 7: Once the brittle has hardened break it into pieces.

Tip: Spraying the rubber spatula with cooking spray will keep the brittle from sticking to the spatula.

Recipe FAQs

What's the difference between brittle and praline?

Brittle is cooked to the hard crack stage while pralines are normally only taken up to the soft-ball stage. Pralines have a fudge-like or chewy texture, while brittle is hard and crunchy.

Why did my brittle turn out chewy?

Brittle can turn out chewy if the sugar mixture doesn't reach the hard-crack stage. For this recipe, cook the sugar mixture to 305°F (151°C) so the finished candy hardens and snaps when broken.

If your brittle was crisp when you first made it but became chewy later, it may have absorbed moisture from the air. Store brittle in an airtight container at room temperature, especially during humid weather.

How long does it take brittle to harden?

After pouring the sugar onto the baking sheet it should cool and fully harden in 20-30 minutes. Allow the brittle to cool at room temperature. Do not refrigerate brittle. The moisture in the refrigerator could keep it from fully hardening.

How do you store brittle?

Store completely cooled brittle in an airtight container at room temperature in a cool, dry place. For the best texture and flavor, enjoy it within 2-4 weeks.

If you're stacking the pieces, separate the layers with parchment paper to help prevent sticking.

Avoid refrigerating brittle because moisture can cause it to become sticky or chewy.

For gifting: Once the brittle has cooled completely, package it in an airtight tin or food-safe container. Separate layers with parchment paper and keep the candy in a cool, dry place until you're ready to give it away.

What is the easiest way to clean up after making brittle?

Sugar quickly dissolves in boiling water. The easiest way to clean your pan is to boil some water in it. I will also hold any utensils I used in the boiling water until the sticky sugar has dissolved.

Stella Parks writes about an interesting technique on Serious Eats. In the article, she suggests boiling other ingredients like heavy cream or coffee in the pan to dissolve the sugar and using that liquid as the base for another recipe.

Expert Tips

Prep your baking sheet and ingredients before you begin caramelizing the sugar. Once the sugar begins to caramelize the process moves quickly.
Don't stir the sugar once it begins boiling. Stirring the boiling sugar syrup can encourage crystallization, giving your brittle a grainy texture. If sugar crystals form on the sides of the saucepan, use a wet pastry brush to gently wash them down.
Don't wander away from the sugar while it is caramelizing. It will go from the perfect shade of brown to burned quickly.
Melted sugar is extremely hot! In fact, sugar has a higher boiling point than water. Don't touch the melted sugar and be careful to not drop any on your skin. I usually wear oven mitts when pouring the melted sugar onto the baking pan. Don't use your fingers to taste or stop drips!

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