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Giving homemade gifts is one of my favorite ways to share holiday joy with others. Every December, my kitchen starts filling with tins of homemade candy: fudge, divinity, peppermint bark and everyone’s favorites, peanut brittle and pecan brittle. There’s something about that buttery, crackly snap that just feels like Christmas. It’s a candy with deep southern roots that’s not too difficult to make at home. But if you want a little help during this busy season, several Arkansas makers still stir, stretch and package it the old-fashioned way.
Peanut brittle has been a Southern holiday staple for generations. Legend has it that a southern woman was preparing a batch of taffy in the late 1800s. She accidentally added baking soda instead of cream of tartar to the batch. Not wanting to waste it, she kept cooking it until a crunchy, brittle candy formed. The woman had tossed in a handful of peanuts that grew on her farm and peanut brittle was born.
As the recipe spread across the South, southerners did what southerners do and made do with what they had. Here in Arkansas, that often meant pecans rather than peanuts. Pecans grew wild across much of the state and were later cultivated into a notable cash crop. Both peanuts and pecans are favorites when it comes to brittle candy, and you can still find handmade peanut and pecan brittle in shops scattered across the state. Some makers have been perfecting their recipe for decades. Others add a modern twist with cashews or chocolate. But they all carry the same spirit of Christmas generosity, and it’s a heartfelt gift that southerners love to give and to receive.
Below are a few Arkansas shops keeping this sweet holiday tradition alive.
Juanita’s Candy Kitchen – Arkadelphia
If Arkansas had a brittle capital, Juanita’s Candy Kitchen would probably claim the title. This small shop has been stirring candy in copper kettles since the 1970s, and their classic peanut brittle has earned a devoted statewide following. We have several local shops that stock Juanita’s during the holidays, but you’d better hurry because it flies off the shelf almost as fast as they can put it out.
Juanita’s Candy Kitchen is famous for its no-shortcuts approach. The brittle is hand-pulled, poured in thin sheets, and broken into pieces with that perfect golden crack you only get from small-batch candy. They also offer pecan brittle, cashew brittle and cinnamon pecan brittle. Their brittle by the bucket is perfect for gift giving.
Martin Greer’s Candies – Garfield
Up in Northwest Arkansas, Martin Greer’s Candies has been making brittle the same way for decades. Operated by a third-generation candymaker, the shop is known for its old-fashioned peanut brittle and butter pecan brittle that has become a holiday favorite. If you’ve ever driven Highway 62 during December, the little roadside shop with the red-and-white striped pole on the sign feels like something out of a Christmas movie. Their brittle is thin, crisp and just sweet enough, packed into bags that locals often buy for stocking stuffers.
Abbey Brittle – Subiaco
One of the most unique brittle makers in Arkansas comes from the Benedictine monks at Subiaco Abbey. Abbey Brittle has been a holiday tradition since 1995, when the monks first began experimenting with recipes in their monastery kitchen. After many attempts, Br. Thomas Moster, OSB, along with family friend Jo Kastner, perfected the version they still use today. What started as a small fundraising project quickly became a favorite regional treat. The monks now produce and package the brittle by hand and have even trademarked the name and logo due to its popularity. During the Christmas season, their crisp, golden brittle is one of the abbey’s most sought-after items.
Kopper Kettle Candies – Van Buren and Fort Smith
Homemade in the Ozarks since 1925, Kopper Kettle Candies offers peanut, pecan and cashew brittle. They also have a jalapeno peanut brittle, which is sweet and spicy all in one. Their brittle is sold year-round and becomes especially popular in Christmas gift boxes.
Part of what makes brittle so beloved is how little the recipe has changed. It’s still just sugar, syrup, nuts, patience and love, perhaps with a bit of jalapeno, chocolate or cinnamon thrown in for good measure. Especially during the excess of the holidays, brittle stands out as a reminder that the best treats are sometimes the simplest.
Whether you pick up a bag from a longtime shop like Juanita’s or Martin Greer’s or grab a homemade batch from a Christmas market, peanut brittle is a sweet way to celebrate Arkansas’s holiday spirit.
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