Paula Deen Pecan Brittle

Paula Deen pecan brittle is a crunchy, buttery candy with toasted whole pecans, sugar and corn syrup that comes together in 50 minutes. Save this easy homemade Christmas candy for the holiday table, a gift basket, a cookie swap or a church supper, because it keeps for 2 months.

Cook the sugar mixture to a full 300°F on a candy thermometer before you add the baking soda. Pull it early and the brittle turns sticky and chewy instead of snapping clean.

Paula stirs in the baking soda and beats it for 30 seconds until the mixture froths, which makes the brittle light and airy instead of rock hard. She also stretches it thin by hand with gloves as it cools, so each bite shatters rather than sticks to your teeth.

Paula Deen Pecan Brittle

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: DessertCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Medium

Servings

25

servings

Prep time

25

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Calories

200

kcal

Toasted pecans are suspended in a thin, glassy sheet of caramelized sugar and butter that snaps apart into shards. Beating in baking soda while it's still hot makes it airy, so it shatters instead of pulling at your teeth.

Ingredients

• 2 cups toasted whole pecans
  

• 1 tablespoon salt
  

• 1 cup water
  

• 1 1/4 cups light corn syrup
  

• 2 1/2 cups sugar
  

• 4 tablespoons Butter
  

• 3 teaspoons baking soda
  

Directions

• Dissolve the sugar: Combine 2 1/2 cups sugar, 1 1/4 cups light corn syrup, 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon salt in a nonstick saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar has fully dissolved.
• Cook to hard crack: Turn the heat to high and cook the mixture with a candy thermometer clipped to the pan. Keep going until it reaches the hard crack stage at 290°F.
• Add pecans and butter: Stir in 2 cups toasted whole pecans and 4 tablespoons butter. Keep stirring the whole time, so the nuts don't burn, until the thermometer reads 300°F.
• Add the baking soda: Pull the pan off the heat right at 300°F and stir in 3 teaspoons baking soda. Beat it for 30 seconds until the mixture froths up.
• Spread the brittle: Pour the mixture at once onto 4 well buttered 15 1/2 by 10 by 1-inch pans. Spread it with a spatula as thin as you can, because thin brittle has the best snap.
• Stretch and cool: As the brittle cools, put on gloves and hand stretch it thinner. That gives it a better eating quality, and once it hardens you can break it into pieces.
• Store or gift it: Pack the pieces in airtight zip bags or containers, where they keep for 2 months. For gifting, Paula lines a little copper saucepan with parchment, piles in the brittle and ties a satin ribbon on the handle.

Tools for this recipe

• Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 3-quart saucepan, ThermoPro instant-read thermometer, Wilton 9-inch angled spatula. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Do I really need a candy thermometer for pecan brittle?

Yes, I'd use one here, because the recipe depends on hitting 290°F and then 300°F exactly. Guessing by color usually leaves you with brittle that's either sticky or scorched.

Why did my pecan brittle turn out chewy instead of crisp?

It almost always means the sugar didn't reach 300°F before it came off the heat. Humid days can also soften it, so cook it fully and store it airtight right after it cools.

How long does homemade pecan brittle keep?

Paula says it keeps for up to 2 months in airtight zip bags or containers. Keep it somewhere cool and dry, since moisture is what makes brittle go soft.

Can I use raw pecans instead of toasted ones?

You can, but toasting them first gives a deeper, nuttier flavor that holds up in the hot sugar. Spread them on a pan and toast them in the oven until they smell fragrant before you start.

What's the biggest mistake when making pecan brittle?

Walking away from the pot once the pecans go in is the usual one, because the nuts scorch fast at that heat. Stir constantly, then pour right away, since the candy sets within seconds.