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Homemade Hazelnut Brittle is a quick and easy treat that is sure to satisfy any sweet tooth craving, especially during the holidays.

hazelnut brittle
a batch of hazelnut brittle

Fortunately for me, and the recipients of my boiling sugar concoctions, I tackled my fear last year when I made my salted vanilla bean caramels and haven’t looked back.

cracked hazelnut brittle

I wasn’t going to be satisfied with plain old peanut brittle. I was going to step up my game and make cashew brittle, but then I thought “I’m in Oregon and we are the #1 producers of hazelnuts, so it should be hazelnut brittle”. The fact that I had a bag of raw hazelnuts that I bought at the farmers market that were just begging to be roasted combined with the fact that I didn’t have to go to the store to buy cashews also played into that decision a wee bit too.

A close up of a stack of hazelnut brittle

I’m happy to say that this brittle turned out so rich and buttery and sweet. Its the kind of brittle that cements your molars together – and that’s a very good thing. I wasn’t sure if I should add the hazelnuts in whole or if I should break them apart. I opted for whole and I’m so glad I did for two reasons: First, I think they look really cool and second, they break apart perfectly if they happen to be on a seam where you break the brittle. And may I add… if you’ve never broken up a sheet of homemade brittle, it just may end up being one of your most favorite things you do in your life!

A close up of a chunk of hazelnut brittle

Hazelnut Brittle

Prep15 minutes
Cook10 minutes
Total25 minutes
Servings 16 servings
Homemade Hazelnut Brittle is a quick and easy treat that is sure to satisfy any sweet tooth craving, especially during the holidays.

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 8 ounces roasted hazelnuts skins removed
  • Fleur de sel or crushed Maldon sea salt

Instructions 

  • Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, water, butter and corn syrup and bring to a boil. Cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until the caramel is light brown and reaches 300° F on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes. Note that around 250° F the mixture will start to thicken.
  • Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the baking soda.
  • Stir in the nuts, then immediately scrape the brittle onto lined baking sheet. Spread the brittle into a thin, even layer. Work fast – it will set quickly. Sprinkle with salt.
  • After the brittle cools for at least 30 minutes, you can break it into large chunks.
  • Stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

Nutrition

Calories: 206kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 39mg, Potassium: 96mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 31g, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 17mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave me a comment below

recipe adapted from Food & Wine

Hi! I’m Krissy.

I love to create the BEST versions of your favorite recipes. If you love to cook, love to eat, or just have a deep appreciation for good food, you’re in the right place! Stick around… I have hundreds of recipes for you to make.

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13 Comments

    1. 5 stars
      I’m obsessed with this brittle! I’ve made it a few times now and it’s very reliable. I have also used it to make a vegan version using Vitalite and it was perfect! Thank you for sharing.

      1. 5 stars
        Can you add salt to the recipe instead of sprinkling it on after it’s made? I think I might like it better that way. It is good though. I prefer cashews or peanuts in my brittle, but this is still good and really easy. A friend had given us a couple of bags of these nuts, so brittle sounded like a good way to use them. One bag was 12 oz instead of 8 oz, and I used the entire 12 ounces, and it worked just fine.

    1. Doh! I was totally planning on making cashew brittle (I even wrote about it in the post) but changed my mind. Thanks for letting me know. I updated it!

      1. 5 stars
        Dear Krissy,
        The Hazelnut Brittle sounds great and I will make it soon!!
        Your email relplies are cute, tiny mistakes and all…you are awesome!
        Cheers!
        Marcus