Nougat Recipe (Grandma's Recipe!)

Nougat recipe on a baking sheet with parchment paper

Meaningful Eats

Nougat Recipe (Grandma's Recipe!)

This billowy, sweet nougat recipe is a beloved family favorite that comes from my grandma's self-published church cookbook! It's the perfect base for nuts or dried fruit, and makes the best holiday gift!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 30

Author Erin Collins

Ingredients

2 cups granulated sugar
2 ½ cups white corn syrup
¼ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup egg whites (from 3 large eggs)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons butter (room temperature and cut into small pieces)
2 teaspoons flour (I use gluten-free flour)
1 cup salted peanuts or nut of choice (optional)

Instructions

Line a 9×13 pan (or quarter sheet pan) with parchment paper. Lightly grease with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
Melt the sugar, corn syrup, and salt together in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. (A stainless steel pot works best. An enameled dutch oven pot will make the temperature harder to control and can lead to overcooking.)
Bring the syrup mixture to a boil and boil until it reaches 244F. Wash down the sides of the pot to remove any sugar crystals if needed, but there’s no need to stir once it’s boiling.
Meanwhile, add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes until starting to thicken/foam.
When the syrup mixture reaches 244F, slowly pour in ⅓ of the syrup while mixing on low speed. Pour the syrup in very slowly and carefully and be sure it’s being mixed the whole time.
Put the remaining syrup in the pot back on the stove and cook over medium heat until it reaches 264F.
With the mixer running on low, pour the rest of the syrup (slowly and carefully) into the egg whites.
Continue mixing on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is stiff and starts to clump around the whisk. It won’t form completely stiff peaks but will thicken quite a bit.
With the mixer running on low, stir in the vanilla, and ½ the butter and flour. Mix in the rest of the butter/flour, then stir in the nuts.
Pour into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Sprinkle with more nuts if desired. Allow to cool for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.
Slice into pieces with a greased knife. You may have to grease the knife in-between slices. Wrap with candy wrappers if desired, or store in an airtight container between pieces of wax paper or parchment so the pieces don’t stick to each other. Enjoy!

Notes

RECIPE TIPS

A stainless steel pot works best for this nougat recipe. An enameled Dutch oven pot will make the temperature harder to control and can lead to overcooking.
The original recipe instructs to beat the mixture "like divinity." These instructions were quite vague, so I decided to mix on medium-high speed in my Kitchenaid for 5 minutes until the mixture was stiff and started to clump more around the whisk. The mixture never quite formed stiff peaks, but it definitely thickened up nicely.
The nougat mixture quickly becomes very difficult to stir after adding the butter and flour, so I like to cut the butter into very small cubes to make sure it incorporates properly. Be sure to use room-temperature butter for best results!
The original recipe doesn't call for nuts, but I thought it was a delicious addition! Feel free to add almonds, cashews, or other mix-ins, if you'd like.

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