Nut & Honey Candy
This old fashioned honey nut brittle is naturally sweetened with honey and blended with crunchy cashews and almonds to create a tasty old-time treat!
Old Fashioned Nut & Honey Candy
My husband is the chef in the family, and loves to surprise our family and friends with new baked goodies or candies during the holiday season.
When you have a large family or lots of friends that live in town, it gets expensive to buy presents for every single person at the holidays. Food gifts are a thrifty way to show the people you love that you’re thinking about them.
Plus, who doesn’t love a pretty tin full of yummy treats? Food truly is the way to a person’s heart — it might just be how my husband won me over when we met!
This honey candy is similar to peanut brittle, but it is made using honey instead of sugar or corn syrup. The result is a more subtly sweet, softer candy that literally melts in your mouth. We used a variety of nuts to create a blend of flavors and a candy that is as pretty to look at as it is delicious to eat.
Ingredients
- Honey
- Purified water
- Mixed Nuts
- Baking soda
- Vanilla extract
- Butter
Helpful Kitchen Tools
- Baking Sheet
- Candy Thermometer
- Small or Medium Saucepan
Instructions
To Prep: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- Combine water and honey in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat or medium-low heat. You want the mixture to continue boiling, but not spill out of your pan. Keep a close eye on it and adjust the temperature as needed.
- Boil until the liquid mixture reads 245°F on a candy thermometer.
- Add nuts to mixture and stir. Cook for about 10 more minutes, until your mixture is a rich golden brown in color. Constantly whisk to prevent scorching.
- Remove pan from heat and stir in baking soda, butter, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined and butter melts.
- Pour onto your prepared baking sheet and allow to cool. You can use a spatula to spread the brittle mixture, but only if necessary. You want the brittle to be about 1/4″ thick (not counting the nuts).
- When the candy is completely cool, break into smaller, easy-to-handle pieces.
Prep Tips
- For easier breaking, place the baking sheet of candy in the freezer for 5 minutes (after the candy has already cooled to room temperature).
- When storing, place sheets of parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Kinds Of Nuts Can I Use?
We’ve been fans of Back To Nature Foods nuts and trail mixes for years — we go through at least one bag of cashews or almonds a week! (They’re perfect to slip into lunch boxes for an extra hit of protein!)
This is the first time I’ve bought the cashew, almond, and pistachio mix, but I’m hooked! It’s my three favorite kinds of nuts in one bag and the perfect blend of savory flavor to balance the sweetness of the honey candy.
However, you’re welcome to use any kind of nuts that are your favorite! Peanuts, almonds, or cashews would all work well. You could even incorporate pumpkin seeds or sesame seeds for a fabulous nut-free treat!
What If I Don’t Have a Candy Thermometer?
A candy thermometer is the easiest way to make sure you’ve cooked your honey candy to just the right temperature. However, if you don’t have one handy, you can try this “soft ball” test that uses cold water:
- Use a spoon to scoop up a small bit of the candy mixture and drop it into a bowl of cold water.
- Allow the candy ball to sit in the cold water for a couple minutes, then pick it up with your hands. If it soft of keeps its shape, but is still somewhat soft and malleable, then your candy has reached the soft ball stage.
How Do You Store Homemade Brittle?
Keep your homemade brittle in an airtight container at room temperature. It does not need refrigerated and keeping brittle in the fridge could actually cause it to soften.
More Recipes Using Back To Nature Ingredients:
- 3-Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls
- Easy No-Bake Cookie Pie
- Perfect Dairy Free Cashew Cheesecake
Honey Nut Brittle Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)
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Old-Fashioned Honey Nut Brittle
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Baking sheet
- Candy thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 cup honey
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup mixed nuts
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Combine water and honey in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low. You want the mixture to continue boiling, but not spill out of your pan.
- Boil until you mixture reads 245°F on a candy thermometer.
- Add nuts to mixture and stir. Cook for about 10 more minutes, until your mixture is a rich golden brown in color. Constantly whisk to prevent scorching.
- Remove pan from heat and stir in baking soda, butter, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined.
- Pour on a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and allow to cool. Spread, only if needed - you want the brittle to be about 1/4" thick (not counting the nuts).
- When the candy is completely cool, break into smaller, easy-to-handle pieces. (TIP: For easier breaking, you can also place in the freezer for 5 minutes after the candy has already reached room temperature.)
Notes
Nutrition
Pin our Honey Nut Candy Recipe on Pinterest:
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So I followed the recipe to a T…. But after 45 minutes the stuff is STILL a gooey mixture on the cooling pan! Cross checking other recipes (Which, admittedly, I should have done first) say that the optimal temperature to hit on the candy thermometer is anywhere in the range of 375 to 310, NOT 245! Wondering if maybe that was a typo or similar error in this recipe?
Which cooking oil is recommended to use as a replacement of the butter?
Hi Shirley, butter is part of the candy in this recipe, not simply for greasing a pan, so cooking oil won’t work here.
Please call for a large saucepan as the batter foams while cooking and expands when adding the baking soda