Homemade Hazelnut Brittle Candy

pieces of hazelnut brittle in a white bowl

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5 from 1 vote

Homemade Hazelnut Brittle Candy is a quick and easy treat that makes a great gift, perfect snack, or sweet topping.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Additional Time30

Total Time1 15

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: Pieces

Calories: 111kcal

Author: Erica Schramek

Equipment

thermometer candy or instant-read
large sauce pan heavy bottomed
pastry brush
baking sheet
parchment paper

Ingredients

1 cup hazelnuts
1 cup granulated white sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
sea salt to sprinkle on top

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Toasting the Hazelnuts

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

Making the Brittle

Line a baking sheet with a silpat or oiled parchment paper.
In a large saucepan, combine the 1 cup granulated white sugar, ½ cup light corn syrup, and ¼ cup 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. 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.
Simmer without stirring until the caramel is 305°F (151°C) and deep amber in color. Roughly 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the hazelnuts, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir until all of the hazelnuts are evenly coated with the syrup.
Pour the hazelnut mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Use an oiled rubber spatula to spread the mixture into an even layer about ½ inch thick. Sprinkle with sea salt and allow the brittle to cool for at least 30 minutes.
Once the brittle has hardened break it into pieces.

Notes

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. Stirring the sugar will encourage sugar crystallization which will make your brittle grainy.
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.

Storage

Because brittle is hard candy so moisture is the enemy. Do not store brittle in the refrigerator. It is best stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 6-8 weeks. If you are worried about the brittle sticking together you can separate each layer with a piece of parchment paper.

Brittle can also be frozen. Freeze brittle in an airtight container for up to three months.

Nutrition