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Banana Walnut Brittle! Peanut Brittle is always nice, but I like to play with things every once in a while. This is a fun variation!
Originally published October 26, 2009. Updated on 8/18/2021
While Peanut Brittle is always nice, I do like to have a little fun with things every once in a while.
This banana walnut brittle is one of my favorite variations on an old standard - and is also particularly nice for gift giving during the holidays!
Tips for Making Brittle
Brittle is easy to make, but also easy to screw up - IF you don’t follow a few best practices. Here are some tips to ensure your success!
Prepare!
Have everything you need close at hand, measured out, and ready to go.
You have to move FAST when it comes to temperature, so don’t waste any time on things that can be done beforehand!
Heat Your Sheet
Once you stir the banana chips and walnuts into your brittle, you have to move VERY fast to spread it out, as it will start hardening quickly.
You can buy yourself a little more wiggle time by heating your baking sheet, as you’re cooking the candy.
A cold - or even room temperature - baking pan will kick start the cooling/hardening process, where a warmed one will not.
I set my oven on the lowest temp, spray a pan, and pop it in there until RIGHT before I’m ready to dump the candy. It really helps!
Heat Your Ingredients
If you’re making this in colder months - or if you’re like me, and like to keep your house at walk-in-fridge temps during the summer! - heating your ingredients can be helpful, as well.
Much like a cold pan will kick start the cooling and hardening, so can stirring cold ingredients into the candy.
So, if there’s a cold concern... measure the walnuts and banana chips into a heat safe dish and put them in the oven with your pan.
Use a Candy Thermometer
Pretty straightforward - using a candy thermometer is a great way to ensure success when making candy.
Just be sure to watch it, and actually take the candy off when it’s the right temperature.
Too soon, and it won’t set up right. Too late, and it may burn, taste weird, have an off texture, etc.
Spreading the Brittle
There are a few ways you can spread your brittle. How you do it is largely a matter of personal preference:
- You can use two buttered forks to spread it, basically pulling apart large globs of brittle. This is the traditional way.
- You can use a silicone spatula to spread it out. This is my preferred way.
- You can place a piece of parchment paper over it, and use a rolling pin to spread it out. This is a good way to get an even, flat brittle.
- You can use heat-proof gloves (kitchen safe, never used for anything gross, please!) to basically push it down / stretch it out.
Watch the Humidity!
Sugar in general is hydrophilic - it loves water, it attracts it.
... and never is that more the case, than for sugar that’s been cooked to the brittle stage. It will pull water from the air and liquify.
This can make your brittle do anything from go a bit sticky on the surface, to “melt” into a sticky mess.
So... let it harden, break it up, then *immediately* get it into a dry, airtight container, and store it in a dry place. Always keep your brittle as dry as possible!
Also, note: If it’s humid when you’re making the brittle, you may end up with sticky brittle, no matter what you do.
Toast the Walnuts
This isn’t a requirement, but it does make for a nicer finished product.
Before getting the brittle started, toast the walnuts. Just put them in a dry pan and cook over medium-low heat - stirring frequently - until they’re aromatic.
This gives a more complex, roasty flavour to the finished candy.
Banana Walnut Brittle Variations
I love this brittle as-is, but there are a few other things you can do with it:
- Swap the nuts for whatever you like. Banana Pecan Brittle is also a great combo.
- Swap the vanilla extract out for rum extract, walnuts out for pecans, and mix 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in with the baking soda. Bananas Foster Brittle!
- You can use banana extract instead of vanilla, for more banana flavour.
How to Make Banana Walnut Brittle
Full recipe follows, here is a pictorial walkthrough for those who enjoy them!
Set oven to “warm”, or lowest temperature.
Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray, or line with parchment paper. Place inside warm oven.
In a heavy saucepan (2 quart), mix together sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water.
Bring to boil over medium-high heat, then attach candy thermometer to saucepan. Stir often until temperature reaches 300 degrees F (150 degrees Celcius).
KEEP A VERY CLOSE EYE ON IT after about 280 degrees, as the temp has a tendency to race up at that point. If you turn your back, you could burn it!
At 300 degrees, remove the pan from heat, add baking soda and butter, stir until incorporated.
Quickly add in walnuts, banana chips, and vanilla extract, stir until completely coated.
Remove cookie sheet from oven, and pour brittle out onto it.
Quickly use a silicone spatula or 2 buttered forks to pull the brittle mixture out from the center, till it is thinly spread and relatively even.
Cool completely, then break into pieces.
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Banana Walnut Brittle
While Peanut Brittle is always nice, I do like to have a little fun with things every once in awhile. This is one of my favorite variations on an old standard - and as also particularly nice for gift giving at the holidays!
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Total Time20 minutes mins
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 295kcal
Author: Marie Porter
Equipment
Candy Thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup Light Corn Syrup
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ cup Water
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- ¾ cup Chopped Walnuts
- ¾ cup Dried Banana Chips
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Cooking Spray
Instructions
Set oven to “warm”, or lowest temperature.
Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray. Place inside warm oven.
In a heavy saucepan (2 quart), mix together sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water
Bring to boil over medium-high heat, then attach candy thermometer to saucepan. Stir often until temperature reaches 300 degrees F (150 degrees Celcius). KEEP A VERY CLOSE EYE ON IT after about 280 degrees, as the temp has a tendency to race up at that point. If you turn your back, you could burn it!
At 300 degrees, remove the pan from heat, add baking soda and butter, stir until incorporated. Quickly add in walnuts, banana chips, and vanilla extract, stir until completely coated.
Remove cookie sheet from oven, and pour brittle out onto it. Use 2 buttered forks to pull the brittle mixture out from the center, till it is thinly spread and relatively even.
Cool completely, then break into pieces.
Nutrition
Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 216mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 76IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg
