Peanut Brittle Day

Peanut Brittle Day is January 26th

Peanut brittle is made with caramelized sugar or corn syrup and peanuts. It's a simple confection to make and a great way to use any peanuts you might have around the house. Celebrate this holiday by making some for yourself and all your loved ones. Pack some up to bring to your coworkers and friends to turn this holiday into a real celebration!

National Peanut Brittle Day, the unofficial celebration of all things peanut brittle, is observed Jan. 26. This celebration centers strictly around the salty goodness of one of our nation’s most time-honored confections.

Peanut Brittle History

Our research could not scrape up the creator of Peanut Brittle Day. Why Jan. 26? Also unclear. But, we do have some background on the crunchy candy itself, so strap in, folks. It’s time for a Holiday Smart history lesson.

Peanut Brittle is a hard candy typically made from corn syrup, water, and nuts. Traditionally made with peanuts, some recipes may use almonds or cashews, but the choice lies with your preference. Although the exact history of peanut brittle is murky (as it tends to be with recipes), there are some particularly fun folktales on the matter. One such legend stretches back to 1890 American South. The story goes that a woman attempting to whip up some taffy accidentally used baking soda instead of cream of tartar. No! Yes. But, rather than waste the batch, she went with it. The experiment yielded success. Happily surprised with her creation, she tested things out with it, adding peanuts for crunch. Thus, peanut brittle.

Another story goes that folk hero Tony Beaver (cousin of Paul Bunyan) used peanuts and molasses to prevent a small town from being flooded. Upon being saved, the townsfolk combined the two elements and made sweet and salty brittle. Now that’s some quality crunch time!

How to Observe Peanut Brittle Day

Store packaged peanut brittle is certainly a way to go if all you’re interested in is eating the candy. But, if you’re feeling more culinarily inclined, you can try making your own from scratch! Impress your friends with your stellar baking skills and delight their taste buds with the snap-crunch-munch of the peanut candy that has warmed the bellies of dessert enthusiasts for centuries.