Agave Nectar Almond Brittle
I'd like to go ahead and think of this as a ground-breaking moment in candy-making. If I may. The idea of using absolutely no refined sugar (and no corn syrup) in a brittle is just really exciting. Agave nectar is pricey, and the use of baking soda brings enough air into it to basically double your result while simultaneously improving the texture.
I used a classic brittle recipe as a foundation (it can be found here). That was really just the beginning, since the first two attempts yielded disgusting burned nightmare in a saucepan. What I learned is this-- You must cook the agave slowly and at low heat. No matter how tempting it may be to speed the process along, don't even think about it. You can sub in any nut, but almonds are a nice nutritious, lower-fat choice.
Prep Time: None
Cooking Time: 60 Minutes
Yield: Quite a Bit
Ingredients:
1 Cup Agave Nectar
¼ Tsp Sea Salt
1 ½ Cups Almonds
1 Heaping Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tbsp Butter, soy or dairy
Combine agave nectar and sea salt and in a saucepan and bring to a light bubble over low heat. You want small, constant, gentle bubbles. Cook until agave is in the ‘soft ball stage’ (You’ll know by dipping a wooden spoon into the mixture and immediately submerging into cold water. Soft ball stage yields a chewy but not crispy result). This should take about 40 minutes over low heat, but will vary depending on your stove. It is very important to heat the agave sloooowly, so don’t rush or it will burn. Stir in almonds and continue to cook over low heat until agave reaches the ‘hard crack stage’ (You’ll know by dipping the spoon again and submerging in cold water. This time you want a crispy result.). Take off heat and quickly stir in butter and baking soda. Immediately pour onto a piece of aluminum foil. Stick it in the fridge to let cool for 20 minutes or until hard. Keep refrigerated.
Categories: Wheat Free or Optional,Snacks,Dairy Free or Optional,Food for Tomorrow,Egg Free or Optional,Soy Free or Optional,Comfort Food Revamp
I'm really impressed! I've been trying to make candy using agave nectar for years, but have yet to get it to soft ball or hard crack because it doesn't crystalize. What brand did you use? Thanks!
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Thanks! I put off actually trying it for ages because I thought there was no way that it would work...and then the first few tries...not so much. But in the end, like I said, apparently its just about cooking it on low for a VERY long time. I used Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Blue Agave, bought at my local health food store but also available at Wholefoods. I believe you can also get in on Amazon. PLEASE let me know how it goes for you.
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hello,
I've been trying diligently to make the brittle but can't seem to get it to the crack stage. I did eliminate the salt after the first try because I found it way too salty with the baking soda added. Could that be part of the problem? Should the agave get darker in color during the first stage (to get it to the softball level)? Once I added the nuts, it started to make tiny bubbles, almost like foam. Any suggestions? Thanks so much! lauren
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it took me so many tries to get this to work, sister. but-- like i said-- its all about slow, long simmering. yes, it should get slightly darker in color when it gets to the soft ball stage, but watch out for burning! in other words, you can get it to the hard crack stage very easily if you're willing to burn the crap out of it. the challenge is finding the balance. no, i don't think the salt is making a difference as far as getting it to solidify. the bubbles are good-- they lighten the whole thing up when it hardens so you're not chewing on a solid block of sugary stuff.
my best advice? just keep cooking it and cooking it on low heat. you're steaming out the water from it, so eventually...you'll get there.
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Thanks, I will keep trying!
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Hi there! I wanted to make brittle out of agave syrup, too, but had a quick question: when you bite down into the brittle, does it leave a sticky residue on your teeth? Not as in sticky soft, but sticky as in hard sticky threads.
Thanks for posting such a cool recipe!
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its been awhile since i made this, but-- as i recall-- it was sort of sticky/crunchy. not hard as a rock crunchy, but also not sticky. no sticky threads.
that's just from memory, so you'll have to please let me know how it goes.
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