Roasted nuts are already roasted an irresistibly crunchy snack And Caramelized nuts are on another level! So for all the nut lovers out there, we have an exciting nut brittle recipe inspired by a Caribbean favorite: Jamaican peanut “drops”. Sounds good? Let’s jump right in!
Jamaican peanut drops, also known as peanut cakes, are roasted peanuts candied with sugar and flavored with spices, enjoyed as a dessert or snack. They are made in a similar way to a nut brittle: a mixture of water and sugar is heated until the sugar caramelizes; Then nuts and spices are added, and finally the hot candy is left to cool and harden on a flat surface.
The difference between peanut candies and peanut brittle lies in their shape. As the name suggests, the Jamaican candy is shaped like a “drop”: a spoonful of caramelized nuts is literal dropped place on a piece of parchment paper. The brittle is instead a long, flat slab of candied nuts that are left to cool and then broken into shards. Also, the classic brittle contains a lot more sugar than the Caribbean version, which means the caramel layer is much thicker.
Preparing Jamaican peanut candies requires very few and simple ingredients: peanuts, sugar, and cinnamon. But in our recipe, we made a few changes for a faster, healthier option. Instead of making the simple syrup ourselves, caramelizing it with the nuts over the stove and then forming the drops, we decided to use a different method. We brushed the nuts with maple syrup, formed into teardrops, and then toasted them in the oven until the sugar caramelized.
That means you can make these candied nuts in no time with no fuss, no splattering of caramel, and no sticky deals. Additionally, we also replaced some of the syrup with peanut butter, which helps bind the nuts without adding extra sugar. And if we do the math, it comes to almost four times less sugar than a classic peanut candy. Impressively!
Each peanut candy has only 124 calories, and it covers 4% RDI from sugars, 13% RDI from fats and 10% RDI from proteins. These crunchy drops are perfect as a snack when you need a sweet pick-me-up, as long as you enjoy them in moderation. You can also crumble them into pieces and use them to decorate desserts like cupcakes and icing. We love them sprinkled on top of a nice scoop of caramel ice cream in the summer. Yummy!