Recipe

Cuban crunchy whole-peanut nougat with caramel

Name: Cuban crunchy whole-peanut nougat with caramel
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 300 g shelled, roasted and unsalted peanuts (about 2 cups); 300 g white sugar (1½ cups); 80 ml water (⅓ cup); 1 pinch fine salt (optional); 1 teaspoon neutral vegetable oil (5 ml)

Thin bars of whole peanuts in amber caramel, crunchy and simple. Just peanuts, sugar and water: no milk or ground peanuts.

CiberCubaNovember 7, 2026

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Preparation10 min
Cooking20 min
Total time1 h 30 min
Servings24 bars of 10 x 3 cm (about 600 g)
DifficultyMedium

This nougat is pure crunch: whole roasted peanuts trapped in a light amber caramel, spread thinly and broken into bars or irregular pieces. It is made with what you almost always have in the pantry and takes less than half an hour of work.

Note that this is not the soft peanut nougat from cookbooks, which uses ground peanuts, milk and honey and ends up like a compact paste. Here there is nothing dairy-based or ground: just peanuts, sugar, water and, if you like, a pinch of salt. The result is a golden, brittle sheet, ideal for an afternoon snack or to keep in a jar and break off pieces.

Ingredients

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For the nougat

300 g shelled, roasted and unsalted peanuts (about 2 cups)
300 g white sugar (1½ cups)
80 ml water (⅓ cup)
1 pinch fine salt (optional)

To prepare the surface

1 teaspoon neutral vegetable oil (5 ml)

Method

Preparation

Prepare the surface in advance, because there will be no time later: place a silicone mat or parchment paper on a tray about 35 x 30 cm. If using paper, brush it with a very thin layer of oil. Also grease a heatproof spatula and a large knife, and keep them at hand.
Warm the peanuts: spread them on a tray and put them in the oven at 100 °C (210 °F) for 8–10 minutes. This way they do not cool the caramel suddenly when mixing. Leave them inside, with the oven off, until you need them.

Caramel

In a thick-bottomed saucepan (about 2 liters), put the sugar and water. Heat over medium heat, stirring gently only until the sugar dissolves and the liquid becomes clear, about 3–4 minutes.
When it comes to a boil, stop stirring. If you see sugar crystals on the sides, brush them with a wet brush. Cook for 10–14 minutes, moving the saucepan in circles from time to time: first it bubbles quickly and is clear, then the bubbles become thicker and slower, and the syrup turns straw-colored. Remove it when it reaches light amber, like clear honey (160–165 °C / 320–330 °F if using a thermometer).
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Assembly

Off the heat, add the warmed peanuts and the pinch of salt all at once, if using. Mix quickly with the greased spatula for 30–60 seconds, until all the nuts are coated and shiny.
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Immediately pour the mixture onto the prepared surface and spread it with the spatula, pushing from the center outward, to form a rectangle about 30 x 24 cm and 5–7 mm thick. Work quickly: it hardens in a few minutes.
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Wait 3–5 minutes. When the surface loses its liquid shine, no longer runs toward the edges and the tip of the knife leaves a mark that does not close, score the portions by pressing with the greased knife: 2 cuts across every 10 cm and 7 cuts lengthwise every 3 cm, for 24 bars about 10 x 3 cm. Do not cut all the way through, just score. If it is already crunchy and resists, go directly to the next step.
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Let cool completely at room temperature, 45–60 minutes, until the sheet is hard, cold to the touch underneath the tray and peels off the silicone on its own. Cut along the scores, or break it into irregular pieces if you did not score it.
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Store the bars immediately in an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper, so they do not absorb moisture.

Tips and variations

Do not stir the syrup. Once it boils, do not insert the spatula: move the saucepan in circles. If the syrup turns white and sandy (it crystallized), add 3 or 4 tablespoons of water, let it dissolve over low heat and start cooking again.

The caramel stage. Light amber, like clear honey or weak tea. If it stays pale, the nougat will be sticky; if it darkens too much, it becomes bitter. With a thermometer, remove it between 160 and 165 °C (320–330 °F).

Safety. Caramel burns much more than boiling water. Never taste or touch it with your fingers, even to check if it has set: always test it with the tip of a knife or spatula. Keep children away while you work with it.

Thinner or in pieces. If you want it crunchier, spread it to 3–4 mm on a larger surface. If you miss the moment to score it, no problem: let it cool completely and break it by hand into irregular pieces.

Cleaning. Fill the saucepan and spatula with water and bring them to a boil for a few minutes: the stuck caramel dissolves on its own.

Storage. Keep it in an airtight container, with parchment paper between layers, in a cool, dry place, for up to 2 weeks. Do not put it in the refrigerator: humidity softens it and makes it sticky. With the humid heat of Cuba or Miami, close the jar tightly every time you open it.

Cuban crunchy whole-peanut nougat with caramel