# What is peanut brittle without peanuts? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 27, 2012, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-peanut-brittle-without-peanuts/642218 "2012-11-27T00:08:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-peanut-brittle-without-peanuts/642218/1 "2012-11-27T00:08:49Z")
I realize this is possibly the dumbest question ever on the Dope, but after eating a container of peanut brittle–every last delicious crunchy crumb–I think that perhaps I like the “brittle” part better than the “peanut” part. If I make a standard peanut brittle recipe and leave out the peanuts…will the results be as tasty as eating around the little buggers? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-peanut-brittle-without-peanuts/642218/2 "2012-11-27T00:14:23Z")
You’re left with caramelized sugar. Which tastes good. We had a name for this when I was a kid, but I can’t remember it. ---
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-peanut-brittle-without-peanuts/642218/3 "2012-11-27T00:21:17Z")
Well, that sounds tastier than Peanut-Free Peanut Brittle, at least. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-peanut-brittle-without-peanuts/642218/4 "2012-11-27T00:30:26Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > You’re left with caramelized sugar. Which tastes good. We had a name for this when I was a kid, but I can’t remember it. Brittle. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-peanut-brittle-without-peanuts/642218/5 "2012-11-27T00:33:00Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Brittle. Yes, but we did have some other name for it. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-peanut-brittle-without-peanuts/642218/6 "2012-11-27T00:34:59Z")
Toffee? ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-peanut-brittle-without-peanuts/642218/7 "2012-11-27T00:35:27Z")
The “brittle” part of peanut brittle is just toffee, isn’t it? ETA Ninja’d! ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-peanut-brittle-without-peanuts/642218/8 "2012-11-27T00:35:36Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Yes, but we did have some other name for it. Toffee? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-peanut-brittle-without-peanuts/642218/9 "2012-11-27T00:38:25Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Toffee? > [@Motorgirl](#): > > The “brittle” part of peanut brittle is just toffee, isn’t it? > > ETA Ninja’d! > [@Biggirl](#): > > Toffee? Yes, that was it. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-peanut-brittle-without-peanuts/642218/10 "2012-11-27T00:44:53Z")
Minus the peanuts, you have butter toffee. ETA: Who am I to argue with consensus? ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-peanut-brittle-without-peanuts/642218/11 "2012-11-27T01:45:40Z")
Fajama Brittle ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-peanut-brittle-without-peanuts/642218/12 "2012-11-27T01:54:44Z")
I’ve had it made with cashews before, and I preferred it over the peanut version. I LOVE peanuts, but only salted and shelled. Like at the baseball game, with a cold beer. Get out of my brownies, off my ice cream, etc. Yes I am odd. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-peanut-brittle-without-peanuts/642218/13 "2012-11-27T02:08:52Z")
We called it butter brickle, which Google tells me is actually a trademark for some variation of toffee. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-peanut-brittle-without-peanuts/642218/14 "2012-11-27T02:24:56Z")
Ok, answering before I read the responses: Brittle? Edit: > [@Ethilrist](#): > > Brittle. Ok, well I had a bet with myself that it would be post #2 or #3. I lost by one post. I owe me. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-peanut-brittle-without-peanuts/642218/15 "2012-11-27T02:27:41Z")
> [@myskepticsight](#): > > I’ve had it made with cashews before, and I preferred it over the peanut version. > > I LOVE peanuts, but only salted and shelled. Like at the baseball game, with a cold beer. Get out of my brownies, off my ice cream, etc. Yes I am odd. I tore a recipe out of a magazine for Pistachio Brittle which I think sounds amazing, but I’ve never made it. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-peanut-brittle-without-peanuts/642218/16 "2012-11-27T18:28:01Z")
> [@myskepticsight](#): > > I’ve had it made with cashews before, and I preferred it over the peanut version. > > I LOVE peanuts, but only salted and shelled. Like at the baseball game, with a cold beer. Get out of my brownies, off my ice cream, etc. Yes I am odd. A friend of mine had some cashew brittle with coconut in it. It was amazing. The coconut really knocked it out of the park. So I went and ordered my own and am currently waiting for it to arrive. From here: [http://batesnutfarm.biz/i-8939172-cashew-brittle-with-coconut-16-oz.html](http://batesnutfarm.biz/i-8939172-cashew-brittle-with-coconut-16-oz.html) It’s the brand he had so I just got the same stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-peanut-brittle-without-peanuts/642218/17 "2012-11-27T20:13:26Z")
I love the stuff with coconut in it, doesn’t matter if it has peanuts or not. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-peanut-brittle-without-peanuts/642218/18 "2012-11-27T20:26:33Z")
If you make brittle at home, try a batch with some added crushed red pepper flakes. The hot/sweet combination is tremendously tasty. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-peanut-brittle-without-peanuts/642218/19 "2012-11-27T20:35:05Z")
> [@myskepticsight](#): > > I’ve had it made with cashews before, and I preferred it over the peanut version. Make brittle with roasted, buttered and salted pecans for a real treat. Add them just before the brittle is ready since you don’t need to cook them. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-peanut-brittle-without-peanuts/642218/20 "2012-11-27T20:49:19Z")
One difference between peanut brittle and toffee (besides the peanuts!) is that peanut brittle has baking soda in it, which is what gives it the light, bubble-infused texture. It’s not dense like a Heath bar.