Microwave Pecan Brittle

Candy making without a stove, without a thermometer, and without the stress of watching a bubbling pot. This pecan brittle cooks entirely in the microwave in under 10 minutes and produces the same golden, crunchy candy you’d get from the traditional stovetop method.

The baking soda is the magic ingredient. Stirred in at the very end, it reacts with the hot sugar and froths the mixture into a light, foamy mass full of tiny air bubbles. Those bubbles are what give brittle its signature honeycomb snap instead of being tooth-breakingly hard.

Pour it fast onto the greased sheet while it’s still foamy. It sets quickly, and once it cools, you just crack it into shards.

Chef Tips

• Use a glass bowl, not plastic. The sugar mixture gets extremely hot in the microwave and can melt plastic containers.
• Stir well at the 4-minute mark. The sugar and corn syrup need to be evenly combined or you’ll get hot spots that burn.
• Add the baking soda and stir gently, not vigorously. You want to fold it in to keep those air bubbles intact.
• Microwaves vary in power. Watch closely during the final 1 to 2 minutes; the mixture should be golden, not brown.

Variations

• Use peanuts instead of pecans for a classic peanut brittle.
• Drizzle melted chocolate over the cooled brittle for a sweet-salty chocolate bark.
• Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the sugar mixture for a spicy-sweet holiday candy.