Almond Brittle

Make almond brittle in your microwave in less than 10 minutes. Salty, crispy, perfectly crunchy almond brittle. Everything is made in one bowl, and this small batch recipe can be doubled to make more. It's a great holiday gift, or a great holiday snack to have around during tree trimming!

Almond brittle made in the microwave is a quick and easy thing to make that is so impressive! It's a great housewarming present, and it's great to perch a shard on top of champagne cupcakes, which I did last New Year's Eve and thought it was cute! Decorating cupcakes with a crunchy brittle is something I do when I make my small batch chocolate cupcakes, too.

My Mom made microwave brittle with salted peanuts when I was growing up. The baking process is dangerous, though, so I wasn't allowed to help.  I would watch from a safe distance while the sugar turned from clear to golden.  I loved the part when she stirred in the baking soda and the brittle foamed up.  So, just because this recipe is easy and consists of dumping 3 ingredients into a bowl and placing it in the microwave does not mean that your kids can help you.  We're dealing with sugar that is almost 300 degrees.  You should also resist the urge to lick the spoon.  It looks like hard candy, but it's actually hot lava when it comes out of the microwave.

Tips for making almond brittle in the microwave:

• Please watch your brittle in the microwave while it cooks, especially after you add the almonds. Don't be afraid to stop the microwave before the 2 minute mark. However, if your sugar turns dark brown or black, it's ruined. That said, don't be afraid for the sugar to turn a rich amber color.  Sugar must reach a certain temperature before it will set into the proper hardness of brittle.  At most, you might need to shave 15 seconds off your cooking time.  Any more than that and your brittle won't set up.   Use a very deep bowl because boil-overs are disasterous.  Also, use raw almonds, or your nuts will taste burnt in the final product.
• You might fear that your bowl is ruined after you've made the brittle.  To clean your bowl, simply fill it up with warm water, let it set for an hour and the excess candy will dissolve. No scrubbing required!

Ingredients:

• Light Corn Syrup. When I say light, it means clear, not low calorie. The grocery store has light and dark corn syrup. We need light here.
• Granulated Sugar.
• Almonds. Unsalted whole, raw almonds are the only thing to use. If the almonds are chopped or sliced (like the ones in my almond bars), it changes the cook time. Please follow the recipe as-stated. If you need a recipe for almond brittle with sliced almonds, please use google and find one.
• Salt.
• Butter.
• Vanilla Extract.
• Baking Soda: Baking soda is what makes brittle crunchy and, well, brittle. The baking soda reacts with the sugar to create carbon dioxide bubbles, which causes it to foam in the bowl. But this foam is what gives the brittle it's delightfully light and crisp texture.

How to make microwave almond brittle:

1. First, have ready all of the ingredients (corn syrup, sugar, almonds, salt, butter, vanilla, and baking soda), plus a small baking sheet for pouring the hot brittle on when it's done cooking the microwave. I like to line a cookie sheet with one of these silicone mats because it's truly nonstick.
   
2. Next, use a large shallow bowl for making this recipe, because the recipe bubbles up several times, and you don't want it to overflow. Add the corn syrup and sugar to the bowl, stir to combine. 
   
3. Microwave for 3 minutes on HIGH. It should be bubbling and boiling quite a lot. See photo.
   
4. After the 3 minutes, stir in the almonds and salt. Microwave for another 2.5 minutes. Always keep an eye on it, promise me?
   
5. Stir in the butter and vanilla and microwave for another 30 seconds.
   
6. Finally, stir in the baking soda, but be careful because it will foam up.
   
7. After everything is incorporated, pour the brittle onto the silicone mat. Let cool for about 30 minutes, and then break it into pieces and serve.
   

Other Microwave Recipes:

• Microwave Lemon Curd
• Microwave Chocolate Mug Cakes
• Queso Recipe without Velveeta

Yield: 10 pieces

Almond Brittle (easy!)

Print

This microwave almond brittle is perfect for snacking.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• ¼ cup light corn syrup
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup whole raw almonds
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon butter
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

1. First, have all ingredients ready, plus a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
2. In a large deep bowl, stir together the corn syrup and sugar. Place in the microwave on high for 3 minutes.
3. After 3 minutes have passed, stir in the almonds and salt. Return the mixture to the microwave for another 2 ½ minutes. Watch this mixture to make sure it doesn't burn.
4. Next, stir in the butter and vanilla. Microwave for another 30 seconds.
5. Remove the bowl from the microwave and immediatley stir in the baking soda. Be careful-it foams up slightly.
6. Then, immediately pour the mixture on the pan and spread it out quickly. Let set until cool, about 30 minutes, then break into pieces.

Notes

light corn syrup: The clear version of corn syrup.
Almonds: Unsalted whole, raw almonds are the only thing to use.
Baking Soda: Baking soda is what makes brittle crunchy and, well, brittle--it can not be omitted or substituted.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

5

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 194Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 351mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 1gSugar: 34gProtein: 2g

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