• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

My Sequined Life logo

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Winter

    Sesame Cashew Brittle

    Published: Dec 22, 2015 · Modified: Jul 19, 2018 by Alyssa · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Share via Email

    Sesame cashew brittle is a fun take on a classic candy and perfect for gifting! Cashews are covered in a crunchy (but not ‘break-your-teeth’ crunchy) caramelized sugar mixture and topped with toasted sesame seeds for an amazing sweet and savory dessert. 

    Broken pieces of cashew brittle on a metal baking sheet.

    Well, we’ve made it! Christmas week is heeeeereeeee (I said that in an Oprah voice in my head). I’ve got my fingers crossed that the few days of work I have this week go by quickly, the weather holds up for our big drive up to the northeast, and that I won’t forget something important in the freezer…like I did last year.

    The one benefit of last year’s mishap was that Brian and I enjoyed slices of Christmas Tree Rainbow Cookie Cake well into 2015. Still, that was a small consolation for snuggling into bed on Christmas Eve and realizing the dessert I was so excited to bring to Christmas was frozen and 750+ miles away. Ooof. This year I’m not taking any chances. This sesame cashew brittle is sitting smack in the middle of my kitchen counter and will be making its way into the car. Barring someone has a secret snack attack in the middle of the night or something equally game-changing.

    The brittle mixture spread out onto a metal baking sheet.

    Of course I eat candy on occasion (especially homemade candy), but I sometimes get a little anxiety when it comes to actually making candy. Not quick stuff like three-ingredient s’mores cups, but the kind that has you breaking out the candy thermometer. The steps moves quickly, so you need to have all of your ingredients portioned out and ready to go from the onset, and precision is key in getting the intended result – taste, consistency, bite, etc. It’s definitely a hands-on, full-attention kind of recipe.

    I’ve been dabbling in homemade marshmallows (uhh chocolate irish cream marshmallows? ♥♥) for a little while now, so I figured it was time to branch out with brittle. Especially in time for the holidays. This sesame cashew brittle is packed with nuts and has the best crisp caramelized sugar coating. I have a thing for sesame cashews, so adding toasted sesame seeds to this brittle was a must to get that sweet + savory flavor twist. Hooooooly smokes guys, it’s looking like brittle’s gonna be a year round treat! Sorry/not sorry about that.

    A stack of sesame cashew brittle on a metal baking sheet.

    For starters you’ll add the sugars, corn syrup, salt, and water together in a saucepan, but I highly recommend having the rest of your ingredients (cashews/softened butter/vanilla extract/baking soda/sesame seeds) portioned out and ready to roll before you even turn the stovetop on. Kind of like a cooking show where everything is prepped beforehand, except narrating the process aloud is optional. 🙂

    It’ll take a little bit of time for the sugar mixture to heat to 250 degrees F, but once it does it seems to rise much quicker, hitting 300 degrees before you know it. At that point you want to immediately take the pot off the heat and add in the butter, vanilla extract, and baking soda and stir stir stir as quickly as you can. Then all that’s left is to (again, quickly) pour the brittle mixture onto the warmed baking sheet (see note about that in the recipe notes below), taking care to pour it in a zig zag manner to form a roughly-rectangular shape. Obviously I took liberties with my ‘rectangle’. 😉

    The more you spread and manipulate the brittle with a spatula or spoon after it’s been poured onto the sheet, the greater the odds that you’ll take away from the fabulously airy and crisp texture the baking soda helps form in the mixture. Pouring the brittle in a back-and-forth manner helps to lay the brittle in a mostly even layer in the first place (vs. the hardened sesame cashew lump you might get if you pour it all in the center). While that mostly did the trick, I stretched the brittle by holding the edges of the pan and slightly tilting it in the desired directions to slowly even out the brittle layer without disturbing the texture.

    A close-up of broken pieces of brittle.

    I’ll say that letting the sesame cashew brittle cool and harden completely is one of the tougher parts of this whole shebang, because spending time standing over the saucepan and inhaling the aroma as the brittle cooks makes it hard to hold off any longer. But please do! Because the end result is a crunchy, richly-flavored candy chock full of cashews with a savory sesame twist that is well worth the delayed gratification. 🙂

    Broken pieces of cashew brittle on a metal baking sheet.

    Sesame Cashew Brittle

    Sesame cashew brittle is a fun take on a classic candy and perfect for gifting! Cashews are covered in a crunchy (but not ‘break-your-teeth’ crunchy) caramelized sugar mixture and topped with toasted sesame seeds for an amazing sweet and savory dessert. 
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Candy
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes
    Servings: 20 (estimated)
    Calories: 127kcal
    Author: Alyssa

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup brown sugar
    • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
    • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1/4 cup water
    • 1 1/2 cups cashews
    • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Grease a large baking sheet and set aside in a warm place (*see note).
    • In a saucepan (about 2 qt.), add brown sugar, granulated sugar, light corn syrup, salt, and water. Stir to combine. Also at this time I recommend portioning out your cashews, butter, vanilla extract, and baking soda into small containers so you can quickly add them later on during time-sensitive parts of the recipe.
    • Place the saucepan with the sugar mixture over medium heat and stir until the sugars dissolve. Add a candy thermometer to the saucepan and allow mixture to cook as the temperature rises, stirring often to ensure it doesn't burn. Once the mixture reaches 250 degrees F, add the cashews and stir frequently to evenly mix them in. Let cook until mixture just reaches 300 degrees F, stirring frequently so the cashews to do not burn.
    • Once at 300 degrees F, immediately remove saucepan from the heat and stir in softened butter, vanilla extract, and baking soda. The color of the brittle will lighten and a lighter, airier texture will develop.
    • Pour mixture in an even layer onto greased baking sheet, slowly 'drizzling' brittle in a zig-zag pattern over sheet to allow it to fall in a mostly even, cohesive layer. Once all brittle has been added, hold the sides of the baking sheet and gradually tilt the sheet so the brittle can slowly spread out and form a roughly rectangular shape. While warm, sprinkle sesame seeds over top of brittle and carefully press to adhere.
    • Let sesame cashew brittle cool on the baking sheet completely before breaking into pieces.

    Notes

    To help the brittle maintain a malleable consistency for enough time to be laid in a thin-ish layer, I warmed my greased baking sheet in the oven as I was cooking the brittle on the stovetop. To do this, I heated the oven to 200 degrees F at the very start of the recipe. Once it hit 200 I shut the oven off and placed the baking sheet inside the now-off but still warm oven. I kept it in there until I needed it, and was happy with how warm it was.
    The cook time for this recipe may vary depending on your stove, so it's important to follow your thermometer when it hits 250 and 300 for continuing with the next steps. I have an electric stove and I suspect it took my brittle a little longer to cook than others judging by the cook time estimates I've seen on other brittle recipes.
    Adapted from allrecipes

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1piece | Calories: 127kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 1.7g | Fat: 6.3g | Saturated Fat: 1.7g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 34mg | Potassium: 66mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 11.1g | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.7mg
    Tried this Recipe?Tag @mysequinedlife - I love to see what you're making!

    Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.

    Food Safety and Nutrition Disclaimer

     

    « Slow Cooker Cocktail Meatballs
    Easy Basil Hummus »
    • Facebook
    • Email

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Consuelo | Earthly Taste says

      January 03, 2016 at 4:33 pm

      Happy New Year Alyssa!! Hope you have a truly fantastic one!

      This looks absolutely unreal! *-*

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        January 03, 2016 at 7:52 pm

        Aww thanks Consuelo! Happy New Year (and Happy New Blog, I should say!) to you, too! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says

      December 28, 2015 at 1:36 pm

      Ok this brittle looks SO good, Alyssa! When I saw this on instagram, I knew I had to try this. I love that you made this with cashews and added sesame seeds. SO creative! Pinned! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        December 29, 2015 at 9:24 pm

        Thank you Gayle!! I’m kind of bummed it’s all gone – I have a feeling I’ll be making more even into the new year. 🙂 Thank you, I hope you had a great Christmas too!

        Reply
    3. Monica says

      December 23, 2015 at 8:01 pm

      I just made our must-have tricolor/rainbow cookies yesterday and thought I’d stop by and say Merry Christmas. : ) I wanted to make a mixed nut brittle this year but didn’t get to it…now I wish I did seeing your sesame cashew version. Hopefully, next year… have a great holiday!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        January 01, 2016 at 9:22 am

        Sorry this is delayed Monica but thank you so much! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family too! Try as I might I didn’t actually get around to making them in time for Christmas, which was such a bummer! I have the almond paste and all of the ingredients in my cabinet though, so I’m thinking a batch will be forthcoming!

        Reply
    4. Annie says

      December 22, 2015 at 8:50 am

      Brittle is such a staple around here at the holidays but I do grow tired of the same old peanut version. I love how clever this is!
      Have a super safe trip home!!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        January 01, 2016 at 9:19 am

        Thanks Annie! This break has gone by in a flash!! Hope you enjoyed your holiday!

        Reply
    5. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

      December 22, 2015 at 7:44 am

      I think you’ve just completed my seedy/nutty dreams!!!! Sesame = favorite seed, Cashew = favorite nut…add all that sweetness…YES!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        January 01, 2016 at 8:58 am

        Thanks Rebecca – I agree! So many of my favorite things packed in here. 🙂

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    A picture of a woman smiling with a text overlay reading well, hey there.

    Hi! I’m Alyssa and welcome to my food blog. Here you can find a variety of food and drink recipes, running the gamut from better-for-you main dishes to holiday fare, and from lighter bites to some serious desserts. All with the occasional cocktail recipe thrown in for good measure, too. ♥ Learn more →

    As Featured In...

    A collage of publication logos.

    Simple, Tested Basics

    • The Best Homemade Taco Seasoning
    • Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes
    • Oven Roasted Frozen Broccoli
    • How to Caramelize Onions
    • How to Make Croutons
    • Easy Homemade Pizza Dough
    • Air Fryer Baked Potato
    • How to Roast Garlic

    Popular Recipes

    • Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken
    • Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies
    • Italian Baked Turkey Meatballs
    • Southern Instant Pot Collard Greens
    • Italian Anise Cookies
    • Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Contact

    Policies

    • Privacy Policy & Disclosure
    • Accessibility Statement

    More

    • Recipe Index
    • Dinner Hall of Fame
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • Air Fryer Favorites

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2013 - 2022 My Sequined Life