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BLANK » Recipe Index » Caribbean Dishes

Peanut Drops

July 29, 2023 by Charla Leave a Comment

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Learn how to make this Caribbean delicacy known as peanut drops. Made from roasted peanuts, raw cane sugar and spices that are made into a hard candy.

Peanut drops on a plate

We love peanut drops, affectionately known as "drops" they are very easy to make and don't require a load of complex ingredients.

They basically satisfy a sweet tooth, believe me when you have tried this snack, you certainly won't forget it.

In the Caribbean drops are sold by street vendors or in the supermarket making them widely accessible but my family would make them from scratch.

We loved the gooey, stickiness from the sugar and equally enjoyed dropping the mixture on banana leaves (the traditional method).

Ingredients you will need

Peanut drops vs peanut brittle

Although both are considered hard candy, they are not made the same way. Peanut drops are made made from peanuts, sugar, spices (cinnamon sometimes nutmeg), ginger vanilla, almond essence and water.

The peanuts are simmered down along with the rest of the ingredients until a very sticky syrup which coats the peanuts is made.

This mixture is dropped using a spoon onto banana leaves/parchment paper and left to cool.

On the contrary, peanut brittle tends to be made from butter, sugar, corn syrup, water, of course peanuts are used, vanilla and sometimes a leavening agent is used.

The mixture is more of caramelized buttery consistency and doesn't recede the same way that the mixture for drops does.

Instead it is poured onto a large flat surface like a tray and left to cool. Once cool, it is broken into uneven shards.

Drops have more of a raised/hump shape while brittle is more like a smooth slab.

Why roast peanuts

Roasted peanuts are such a game changer and there are a few simple reasons why I do this;

  • Aroma (your house will smell amazing!)
  • Taste (The taste is a million times better then raw peanuts)
  • Texture (That crunchy texture is delicious)

The taste of roasted peanuts vs unroasted peanuts makes a difference. If you haven't made your drops with roasted peanuts then you are in for a treat.

Recipe preparation

The recipe is relatively straight forward. I do recommend purchasing blanched peanuts and not use red skin peanuts because removing the skin can be a time consuming process.

I only had red skin peanuts are pictured and had to allocate up to an hour to remove the skin (not fun!).

You peanuts should be roasted, I cannot empathise how much more tastier your drops will be if you roast the peanuts.

Granted this will take some time but........the end results are worth it!

9 peanut drops on parchment paper

Use a non stick pan to simmer the peanuts, I don't use any of my fancy saucepans as similar to when I'm making my Steps 1-4 roasting the peanuts

  • If you are using red skin peanuts like I am then you will need to soak them in boiling water 30 minutes before using them and use your hands to rub away the skin (skip this step if you are using blanched peanuts).
  • Preheat the oven to 200C/400F
  • Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
  • Arrange the peanuts on the baking tray ensuring they are spread out and don't overcrowd.
Steps 5-8 boiling the peanuts with the sugar, ginger and water
  • Roast the peanuts until they are golden brown  (some may brown quicker than others, so keep a watchful eye and remove any that are brown before the others).
  • Re-line the same baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Place the roasted peanuts, raw cane sugar, ginger and water to the boil in a medium sized non stick saucepan.
  • Once boiled, reduce to medium heat and leave to simmer (stirring frequently) until mixture has thickened and almost evaporated while covering the peanuts. This should take anything from 50 minutes to over an hour.
Steps 9-12 adding the spices and setting the drops
  • Around 50 minutes add the cinnamon, vanilla and almond essence.
  • When the mixture is very very sticky and is stuck to the peanuts with virtually no liquid, the drops are ready.
  • Remove the saucepan from the stove and use a spoon to "drop" 1-2 spoons worth for each drop on the parchment paper, making sure there is a few inches of gap between each one.
  • Leave to completely set/cool down before eating them.
Close up of the peanut drops

Notes and tips

  • Don't be tempted to increase the heat when the peanuts are simmering away, you may burn the sugar as it reduces or may even burn yourself from the syrup spluttering.
  • If the drops don't stick or are too loose, that means you have too much liquid leftover, return it to the saucepan/stove and add 1-2 tablespoons of sugar as this will help to thicken up the mixture and it should set the second time.
  • Be sure to use a study non stick saucepan.
  • If you don't have fresh ginger then just use the equivalent in ground form.
  • To freeze the drops, make sure you have wrapped the drops and sandwiched them in between parchment paper so they don't stick together.
  • Don't allow the mixture to cool down once it is ready, work as quickly as you can to set the drops.
  • Store any left over drops away from heat in an air tight container and eat within a few days of making them.
  • You don't need the drops to be the same size a mismatch of shape and size is fine.

Other sweet treats to try

  • Grater Cake
  • Sugar Roti
  • Coconut Drops
  • Mango Tarts
  • Besito de Coco
  • Tamarind Balls
  • Cranberry Coconut Energy Balls

**Please comment below and star rate if you have tried my recipes. Support my website by leaving a donation through Buying Me a Coffee. A site to show your appreciation of my hardwork over the years.  Let's be friends and engage on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram I also like to pin on Pinterest, where you can find more amazing recipes.**

Close up of the peanut drops

Peanut Drops

Learn how to make this Caribbean delicacy known as peanut drops. Made from roasted peanuts, raw cane sugar and spices that are made into a hard candy.
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Course: Appetisers/Snacks
Cuisine: Jamaican
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hour
Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 348kcal
Author: Charla

Ingredients

  • 2 cups peanuts (292g)
  • 1½ cups raw cane sugar (300g)
  • 2 cups water (475ml)
  • 3 tablespoon ginger (21g) minced
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon (1g)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla (13g)
  • 1 tablespoon almond essence (13g)

Instructions

  • If you are using red skin peanuts like I am then you will need to soak them in boiling water 30 minutes before using them and use your hands to rub away the skin (skip this step if you are using blanched peanuts).
  • Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
  • Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
  • Arrange the peanuts on the baking tray ensuring they are spread out and don't overcrowd.
  • Roast the peanuts until they are golden brown  (some may brown quicker than others, so keep a watchful eye and remove any that are brown before the others).
  • Re-line the same baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Place the roasted peanuts, raw cane sugar, ginger and water to the boil in a medium sized non stick saucepan.
  • Once boiled, reduce to medium heat and leave to simmer (stirring frequently) until mixture has thickened and almost evaporated while covering the peanuts. This should take anything from 50 minutes to over an hour.
  • Around 50 minutes add the cinnamon, vanilla and almond essence.When the mixture is very very sticky and is stuck to the peanuts with virtually no liquid, the drops are ready.
  • Remove the saucepan from the stove and use a spoon to "drop" 1-2 spoons worth for each drop on the parchment paper, making sure there is a few inches of gap between each one.
  • Leave to completely set/cool down before eating them.

Notes

  • Don't be tempted to increase the heat when the peanuts are simmering away, you may burn the sugar as it reduces or may even burn yourself from the syrup spluttering.
  • If the drops don't stick or are too loose, that means you have too much liquid leftover, return it to the saucepan/stove and add 1-2 tablespoons of sugar as this will help to thicken up the mixture and it should set the second time.
  • Be sure to use a study non stick saucepan.
  • If you don't have fresh ginger then just use the equivalent in ground form.
  • To freeze the drops, make sure you have wrapped the drops and sandwiched them in between parchment paper so they don't stick together.
  • Don't allow the mixture to cool down once it is ready, work as quickly as you can to set the drops.
  • Store any left over drops away from heat in an air tight container and eat within a few days of making them.
  • You don't need the drops to be the same size a mismatch of shape and size is fine.

Nutrition

Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 162mg | Potassium: 312mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 0.4IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @ThatGirlCooksHealthy or tag #ThatGirlCooksHealthy!

More Caribbean Dishes

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    Homemade Mauby Drink (Caribbean Bark Beverage)
  • 2 snapper with yuca and oranges garnished
    Baked Snapper (Mojo Style)
  • 2 sea bream on a platter
    Sea Bream Recipe (Air Fried)
  • 2 cups and a bowl of souse
    Chicken Foot Souse

About Charla

I'm Charla. Caribbean foodie & Certified Health Coach. Welcome to the heaven of gluten and dairy free recipes as well as modernised healthier alternatives to some of your favourite Caribbean recipes.

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a picture of Charla

Hey, I'm Charla!

I'm an avid Caribbean foodie. Welcome to the haven of gluten and dairy free recipes as well as modernised healthier alternatives to some of your favourite Caribbean recipes.

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