Baked & Prepared
Peanut Brittle (Paçoca) in gelato
Peanut brittle (Brazilian paçoca) is a hard or crumbly confection of roasted peanuts and caramelized sucrose. In gelato it works as a flavor paste, swirl, or crunchy inclusion, adding roasted-nut fat, protein, and a burst of sweetness.
Balancing parameters
Per 100 g of product, verified against independent food-science sources (listed below).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Solids | 97% |
| Water | 3% |
| Sugars | 43% |
| Fat | 27% |
| MSNF | 0% |
| Protein | 17% |
| POD (sweetening power) | 43 |
| PAC (anti-freezing power) | 45 |
Typical use: 6-12% of the mix as a flavoring paste; 3-8% as a crunchy swirl or inclusion
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Open the balancerHow to use it in gelato
Used mostly as a flavor paste or as a crunchy variegate/inclusion rather than a base sugar. Its sugar is essentially pure sucrose, so it contributes POD and PAC roughly 1:1 with its sugar mass; a small salt fraction nudges PAC up slightly. The high peanut fat (~27%) enriches body and coats the palate, while roasting gives depth. Because sugar and fat both ride in on the same ingredient, recalculate total sugars and total fat when dosing, and trim added sucrose/cream accordingly to keep the mix balanced.
Origin & background
Peanut brittle is a 19th-century American hard-candy tradition of peanuts set in caramelized sugar. Its Brazilian cousin, paçoca, is a crumbly peanut-and-sugar sweet whose name comes from the Tupi word 'pa'soka' ('to crush'), referring to the pre-Columbian practice of pounding ingredients in a wooden mortar (pilão); it is a signature treat of Brazil's Festa Junina.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central — Candies, peanut brittle, prepared-from-recipe (FDC): https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-search/?query=peanut%20brittle
- TACO 4th ed. (Tabela Brasileira de Composição de Alimentos, UNICAMP) — Paçoca, amendoim: https://www.tabelanutricional.com.br/pacoca-amendoim
- Santa Helena 'Paçoquita' nutrition label (independent brand, per 100 g): https://www.fatsecret.com.br/calorias-nutri%C3%A7%C3%A3o/santa-helena
- nutritionvalue.org — Peanut brittle full nutrient profile: https://www.nutritionvalue.org/Peanut_brittle_522972_nutritional_value.html