Nut Free Brittle {Pumpkin Seed Brittle}

This Nut Free Brittle is made with pumpkin seeds and great for people with peanut or tree nut allergies. You can use pepitas or pumpkin seeds after carving Jack-O-Lanterns for Halloween!

There are a lot of things I've never had before because of my peanut/tree nut allergy. Peanut brittle is one of them.

Luckily, these days it seems like people are coming up with alternative ideas to traditional recipes, many of which use sunflower or pumpkin seeds instead of nuts.

When I saw Martha Stewart on the Today show a while back, she featured this Pumpkin Seed Brittle recipe, which I found very exciting. I've since seen it around a lot, even at Williams-Sonoma!

I thought this recipe was really good, although I can't compare/contrast it to peanut brittle obviously. I took this to a party and people seemed to like it. The one comparison I heard was that it's not quite as hard as traditional peanut brittle (maybe because of the honey).

This recipe was so simple to prepare, especially since I had already roasted pumpkin seeds the week before (using THIS method).

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Cook the Brittle
• Storage
• Variation
• Gluten Free Option
• Looking for More Pumpkin Recipes?
• 📖 Recipe

Ingredients

• butter
• light brown sugar
• honey
• roasted shelled or unshelled pumpkin seeds

I have made this brittle using roasted shelled pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, and unshelled pumpkin seeds. Although the shells are fully edible, most people seem to prefer shelled pumpkin seeds.

If you use pumpkin seeds in the shell, you will want to double the amount.

Cook the Brittle

Prepare an 11x17-inch baking sheet by either buttering it or covering it with parchment paper or a baking mat. In the photos, I show a glass Pyrex dish, but I do not recommend using that. I find using a Silpat mat, like I use to make Coffee Crunch Honeycomb Candy, is ideal.

A candy thermometer is crucial for this recipe in order to get the sugar mixture to the correct stage. I use this digital candy thermometer.

Clip the candy thermometer to a small saucepan.

It should be positioned so that the tip of the probe will be completely submerged into the candy but not touching the bottom of the pan.

To begin making the candy, melt the butter over medium heat.

Stir in the sugar and honey. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Cook, without stirring, until mixture is medium amber and a candy thermometer registers 280°F, about 6 minutes.

Stir in the pumpkin seeds. Cook until mixture reaches 300°F, about 2 minutes.

Pour into prepared pan.

Let cool completely. Break into pieces.

Storage

Store the brittle in an airtight container in a single layer at room temperature for about 1 week.

Variation

You can use pumpkin seeds still in the shell if you prefer. You can roast the seeds yourself using this method).

Pumpkin seeds in the shell are completely edible and high in fiber.

Gluten Free Option

This recipe is naturally gluten free.

Looking for More Pumpkin Recipes?

Check out these other favorite Pumpkin Recipes:
Pumpkin Pancakes
Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes
Pumpkin Waffles
Chicken and Pumpkin Tarts
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin Chocolate Tart
Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

📖 Recipe