Cashew brittle makes a familiar Christmas candy feel a little more special. The rich cashews are a change from the usual peanuts, and something you don’t find on every cookie platter.
I’ve made this recipe for years, and I love giving it at Christmas. There’s something nice about giving someone a homemade treat they might never think to make for themselves.
Have Everything Ready Before You Start
Once the sugar reaches temperature, you need to add the cashews, baking soda and vanilla, then pour the brittle onto the pan right away. There’s no time to go looking for an ingredient or stop to measure anything.
I measure those three ingredients into separate small bowls and keep them beside the stove. I also line the sheet pan with a silicone mat or parchment before I turn on the heat. That way, everything is ready as soon as I need it.
Use A Thermometer So The Brittle Sets Properly
After that, the thermometer does all the work.
The syrup needs to reach 300°F for the brittle to set hard and snap when you break it. Taking it off the heat too soon can leave you with chewy candy, which cannot be saved.
Recipe Test Update – Last Updated Sept 2026
I asked Karen C., an independent recipe tester, to make my cashew brittle recipe and track the exact timing and temps as it boiled. She reported that:
- Using a thermometer was key because she couldn’t tell it was done by color.
- It took about 13 minutes to reach 295.3°F and then the last few degrees to get to 300°F took only seconds.
- Once the temperature reaches the 290s, stay beside the pot so you can take it off the heat as soon as it reaches 300°F.
The weather has a say in this too. Pick a dry day if you can. Iowa State Extension says humidity makes candy harder to get right, and that on a rainy or humid day you may need to cook it a degree or two past 300°F. At high elevation it goes the other way, and they say to take 2°F off the target for every 1,000 feet above sea level.
Get It Onto The Sheet Before It Sets
After you take the pot off the heat and stir in the cashews, baking soda and vanilla, the brittle starts firming up quickly. You have very little time (about 10 seconds!) to pour and spread it.
I pour it back and forth across the lined pan instead of tipping it out in one big mound. That spreads the mixture over more of the pan before I even touch it with a spatula.
You’re after roughly a 9×12-inch rectangle on a large rimmed sheet, with the cashews looking crowded across it rather than scattered.
Let It Cool Completely Before Breaking
Leave the brittle on the counter for about 20 minutes, until it’s completely cool and hard. It should snap when you break it.
I move mine to a cutting board and use a mallet or the side of a rolling pin to break it up. A few short, firm taps in different places give me smaller pieces without crushing as much of the candy into crumbs.
Keep It Dry For Gifting
Store the cooled brittle in a dry, airtight container at room temperature for about two weeks. I put wax paper between the layers to keep the pieces separated.
Moisture makes brittle sticky, so keep it out of the refrigerator and close the container tightly after taking some out.
If you choose to freeze a batch, pack it in an airtight container with parchment between the layers. Let it come all the way to room temperature before opening the container. Opening it while the candy is still cold can let condensation form on the pieces and make them sticky.
When I serve it on a cookie platter, I put it in its own small bowl. Then I can lift the bowl off when it’s time to put the leftovers away. If the other desserts need refrigerating, the brittle can go back into its own container on the counter.
More Christmas Candy To Give
- Old Fashioned Peanut Brittle is the same pot and the same thermometer, so both can come off the stove in one afternoon and the tray goes out with two kinds on it.
- Ritz Cracker Toffee doesn’t ask for a thermometer at all. It bakes and then chills, for a day when you don’t want to stand over a pot.
- Butter Toffee Pretzels are the salty thing on a tray of sweet ones, and they spend an hour in a low oven instead of 15 minutes on the stove.
This recipe was originally published in July 2022.
Cashew Brittle
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup light corn syrup, (I used Karo Brand)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups roasted & salted cashews
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat or piece of parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large stock pot fitted with a candy thermometer, bring the water, granulated sugar, light corn syrup, and unsalted butter to a boil. This should take anywhere from 12 to 16 minutes. DO NOT STIR OR DISTURB THE COOKING SUGARS UNTIL YOU START TO SEE THEM GETTING LIGHTLY GOLDEN IN COLOR. You want your brittle mixture to reach 300°F (hard crack stage) on your candy thermometer. Turn off the heat to the pot immediately. If you have an electric stove, remove the pot from the burner so that your sugar mixture does not keep cooking.
- Working very quickly, stir in the baking soda, vanilla extract, and cashews. Be very careful as the baking soda will cause the sugar mixture to bubble up rapidly.
- Immediately pour your hot brittle mixture onto your prepared baking sheet and quickly spread out the cashew brittle into as even a layer as possible (an approximate 9×12-inch rectangle). You will need to work quickly as the brittle will start to harden almost immediately.
- Allow your cashew brittle to cool on the counter completely before breaking it into pieces.
Notes
- Please note that you are working with very hot sugar that can cause severe burns if not handled properly. Always keep the little ones away from the stovetop while making this cashew brittle and remember to never walk away from the hot pot.
- Because your hot sugar mixture can go from perfect to burnt very quickly, you want to make sure you keep an eye on the temperature. Make sure you have your cashews, baking soda, and vanilla extract handy because you have to work very quickly with this recipe.
- The reason you do not want to stir, or disturb, the cooking sugar in the beginning is so that crystals do not form in your cooked sugar. Once your sugar starts to turn a light golden color you can very carefully move the sugars around the bottom of the pot so that you don’t get a burn spot. DO NOT stir vigorously at this time.
- If you would rather not use a candy thermometer, try my microwave peanut brittle. It goes by the microwave timer instead of a temperature, and you can swap the peanuts for the same amount of raw unsalted cashews.
- If you plan to keep it for a longer period of time then I suggest packing it into individual storage bags as the pieces may start to stick to each other over time.
Comments
Toni Thomason says
YUM! This is perfect for the holidays!
Byronna Gaines says
Can you substitute the sugar with something else if you’re making this for someone who is diabetic?
tony says
can i use peanuts for the brittel instead
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Tony – here is our peanut brittle recipe, enjoy!