Looking for a brittle recipe without corn syrup? This maple walnut brittle is made with pure maple syrup, combined with beautiful, toasted walnuts and a sprinkling of salt.
If you’re looking for a delicious brittle recipe that’s made without corn syrup, this one’s for you! This one is made with pure maple syrup, combined with white sugar, butter and beautiful walnuts. The bitter walnuts pair beautifully with the sweet brittle and maple flavour. To add a salty note to the mix, top with some flaky salt!
This brittle keeps well for snacking, or package it up for a lovely hostess or holiday gift.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Maple Syrup – you will need to use pure maple syrup for this one. You’ll only need 1/4 cup. Pure maple syrup is available in a number of grades and colours. The darker the syrup, the richer the maple flavour!
Walnuts – you can start with walnut pieces (rather than the pricier whole walnuts), as we don’t want large pieces in our brittle. Chop the walnut pieces further, if you like, depending on how chunky you want your brittle.
Flaky Salt – the salt on top is optional, but it really is wonderful for adding a salty note to the brittle. Plus it looks really pretty, too. Look for a flaky, finishing salt, such as Maldon’s or Fleur de Sel.
Additional ingredients you will need – Butter (use a good quality butter, if you can), white granulated sugar, water.
Recipe Tips
Like all brittles, this one needs to be cooked to the “hard crack” stage, which is 300° F. on a candy thermometer. You’ll really want to have a thermometer for this one. There are methods for gauging this point by dropping a bit into cold water, but I think it’s still a bit of guessing game there. To my way of thinking, the small dollar investment in a candy thermometer is money well spent!
Storing Brittle
Store cooled brittle in an airtight container for several weeks. Don’t refrigerate the brittle, as the brittle will soften when chilled.
Get the Recipe: Salted Maple Walnut Brittle
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 cup salted butter, cut into chunks
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 cups walnut pieces, toasted
- Coarse salt such as Maldon or Fleur de sel, (optional)
Equipment
- Candy Thermometer highly recommended
Instructions
- Toast the walnuts: Add walnuts to a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until walnuts are fragrant and beginning to brown. Immediately remove from the skillet to a plate to cool. Set aside.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- For the brittle: In heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, stir together the maple syrup, white sugar, butter, and water until melted and creamy. Once mixture comes to a boil, do not stir any more (you can gently swirl the pan, if you feel it needs it). Attach a candy thermometer to the saucepan and continue to gently boil until candy thermometer reaches 300°F or "hard crack" stage. Immediately stir in walnuts until well coated.
- (*Do be careful when working with this very hot sugar mixture. Even the smallest splash on your skin can blister it. Definitely not an activity for kids or even having them any where close by to the boiling mixture). Very carefully pour the hot brittle mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread out to a thin layer with a wooden spoon. Sprinkle top with a bit of coarse salt, such as Maldon or Fleur de Sel, if desired.
- Allow to cool completely. Break into large pieces and store in an airtight container.
Notes
More Sweet Recipes to Love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
This looks and sounds delicious! Can’t wait to make it! How long will this stuff keep? I’m thinking about bringing it as a gift abroad but am worried it won’t keep
Hi Maria, this keeps pretty well in a tin and should travel well. Enjoy :)
I’ve just made my second batch in a week! It’s so more-ish, I can’t stop eating it! Thanks for sharing this easy, yet delicious recipe! And Thanks for sharing
So glad you are enjoying it!
Love it! I think you’ve improved upon the peanut brittle – walnuts are so delicious and when made salty sweet like this I reckon it’s an impossible recipe to beat.
I’m a bit like you: I love the Christmas season and I love giving presents, but get a bit shy about receiving them, sometimes worrying in advance that someone will have gone to huge trouble buying or making me something that I just won’t appreciate. Then I feel awful. Now if someone were to give me some of your brittle, however …
But it’s wonderful to be with family and have lots of good food to enjoy together :) Yipee!
Thanks Sasha :)
This brittle is amazing! I’ve just made my second batch in a week! It’s so more-ish, I can’t stop eating it! Thanks for sharing this easy, yet delicious recipe!
Thanks so much Deborah! So glad you are enjoying it :)
Thanks Laura. Happy New Year!
I love brittle and these flavors are divine!
This was a great idea for Christmas snack. My guests loved it and I’ll make again for New Year’s.
So glad you enjoyed it, Marcia!
This looks so good! I think these would make the perfect gifts :)
Thanks so much, Cathleen :)
I would shell the whole bunch of walnuts for you if it meant a little bag of this stuff Jennifer. It looks irresistible and you’re right, definitely not your run of the mill brittle!
Thanks Chris :) We really enjoyed this. Maple and walnuts are always a great combination!
What a lucky lady you are. . .having a husband who would happily shell 2 cups of walnuts for you. Of course I am sure there was some incentive as the end result would be this lovely walnut brittle. It’s amazing that something that looks so elegant can be whipped up in such a short period of time. This is definitely going on my homemade gift list for next year.
Thanks Lynn and yes, he is certainly incentivized ;)
I tried making peanut brittle this year but it needed a little tweaking, then I ran out of time – so many recipes, so little time. Glad you had a nice Christmas visit with the in-laws. Such a sweet gift of walnuts. My husband grates cheese and stuff for me and washes dishes. Nice yours helped with cracking the nuts! They are keepers!
I love walnuts, so it’s been fun to do a little cooking with them. And yes, my husband is usually pretty willing to lend a hand. He knows he’s going to get something tasty at the end of it :)
I absolutely love any kind of brittle, and I totally agree, the money for the thermometer is money well spent! This walnut brittle would make the perfect gift for friends and family! Can’t wait to see tomorrow’s recipe too!
Thanks Mary Ann. If I can get my daughter to stop eating it, I might have a little left for a few gifts :)
I can just taste this now…the crunch, the buttery toffee, yum!!
Thanks Sue. It was delicious :)
I love walnuts in the shell! I just got a candy thermometer actually and I’m ready to put it to use! This brittle really does look like the perfect holiday treat! I hope you enjoy your break!
Thanks Linda. We are really enjoying it (it’s disappearing quickly :) Happy holidays!
The perfect holiday treat! And this looks super addicting too!
Thanks Katrina. I think my daughter would agree about the addicting part, since she spent all last night eating it non-stop :)