Almond Brittle Recipe

Desserts come in all shapes and sizes. We love making cookies, cakes, and other sweet treats to satisfy all those sweet tooth cravings, and we think this almond brittle recipe is one of the best after-dinner treats around. There's a lot to love about this recipe, including the fact that it requires just a few ingredients, making it relatively easy and affordable to whip up. All you need to do is set aside about 10 minutes for prep work, then 20-25 minutes for baking. The result is some crunchy, sweet almond brittle.

Recipe developer Catherine Brookes of Blue Sky Eating is a wizard when it comes to all things food, especially desserts. She came up with this amazing recipe and it has so many upsides. "This crunchy, nutty treat definitely satisfies a sweet tooth. It has an amazing caramel flavor that is so delicious alongside the almonds," Brookes says. "And it looks fancy despite being really easy to make."

There are also plenty of excuses to serve it. "It could be nice to prepare as a gift for friends. Otherwise, [it's] just a great sweet treat to have in the house for snacking [or] dessert," Brookes notes. 

Once you're ready to get things started, you'll need to make a grocery list and head to the store. First, swing by the refrigerated section and pick up some butter. Next, you'll need to get some sugar and maple syrup. These items add the perfect amount of sweetness to the almond brittle.

Of course, you'll also need slivered or flaked almonds ... because what almond brittle recipe would be complete without it? Last but not least, grab flaky sea salt. That's all you'll need! 

Now that you've gotten the grocery shopping out of the way, you can start with the actual prep work. Take out a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. Make sure that the parchment paper hangs over the edges. That way, you can grip it and lift it once you finish baking. "You definitely need the paper to prevent sticking," Brookes notes. 

Since you need to use an oven for this recipe, set the temperature to 320 F. This allows plenty of time for the oven to get hot while you tend to the rest of the prep work.

While you wait for the oven to preheat, you can tend to other steps. Take out a saucepan and toss in the butter. At this time, you can also throw in the sugar and the maple syrup. Place the saucepan on your burner and turn the heat to medium-low. Be sure to stir occasionally so that nothing sticks to the bottom.

Continue cooking until the butter has melted. "Just a couple of minutes. The butter will be melted and the sugar will be dissolved," Brookes shares. 

Once the butter melts, remove the pan from heat and add the vanilla extract and the almonds. These are the last two pieces of the puzzle. Stir well to combine the two with the rest of the ingredients. "Vanilla extract evaporates and loses some of it's flavor when heated, so it's best to add it once the pan is off the heat," Brookes explains.

Now, pour the mixture onto your prepared baking sheet. Spread it into an even layer. Pop it in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until it's caramel-colored all over. "It should be the golden caramel color all over," Brookes notes. "Don't take it out if only the edges have started to brown as it's not ready yet." By ensuring it's completely cooked, when it cools, it'll be easy to break apart into separate, hard pieces, rather than having sticky strands of caramel to contend with. 

Once you remove the almond brittle from the oven, be sure to sprinkle the flaky sea salt on top. It's best to do this immediately so the salt will stick to the almond brittle.

Allow the almond brittle to cool completely before you break it into shards. You can make the pieces as big or small as you would like. This is great to eat for a quick snack or dessert, but don't overlook a few other fun ideas. "You could use shards to decorate cakes or brownies, [or] it would go well with chocolate or fruit," Brookes says.