Brittle

A hard, flat candy made by cooking sugar to the hard-crack stage, mixing in nuts or seeds and breaking it into pieces once set.

Brittle: Shards of golden peanut brittle with whole peanuts set in the glassy candy
  • Chocolate, sugar and confectionery
  • France, Italy, People's Republic of China

Also called: grillage, seed brittle

Peanut brittle is the classic American version. Sugar and corn syrup are cooked to about 300 to 310°F (149 to 154°C); then butter, nuts and a little baking soda are stirred in. The baking soda releases carbon dioxide, which makes the candy lighter and easier to bite.

The mixture is spread thin on a buttered or lined sheet right away, because it sets in seconds.

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Sources

Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.

  1. Brittle (Q708823), Wikidata