Pralines
intro
Buttery, creamy, nutty caramel candies studded with toasted pecans, a beloved melt-in-your-mouth Southern American confection ideal for gifting and holiday treats.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep tools and toast pecans
First, line a 33cm x 45cm (13in x 18in) rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. Place raw pecan halves in a dry 20cm (8in) skillet over medium-low heat, toast for 3-4 minutes while stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until fragrant and lightly golden at the edges. Transfer toasted pecans to a cutting board, roughly chop half into 1cm pieces, leave the remaining half whole, and set aside.
Mix praline sugar base
In a heavy-bottomed 3-quart (2.8L) saucepan, combine packed light brown sugar, granulated white sugar, heavy whipping cream, light corn syrup, and fine sea salt. Place the pan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof silicone spatula for 4-5 minutes, until all sugar granules fully dissolve and the mixture is smooth, with no crystals clinging to the pan sides.
Cook to soft-ball stage
Once the sugar mixture comes to a steady, rolling boil, stop stirring entirely. Clip a candy thermometer to the pan edge, ensuring the tip is submerged in the liquid but not touching the hot pan bottom. Maintain medium heat, and cook for 8-10 minutes until the mixture reaches exactly 235°F (113°C), the soft-ball candy stage. Do not stir during this cook time to avoid triggering sugar crystallization.
Add butter and rest mixture
As soon as the candy reaches 235°F (113°C), immediately remove the pan from the stovetop and set it on a heatproof silicone trivet. Add the cut unsalted butter pieces and pure vanilla extract to the top of the hot candy, but do not stir the mixture. Let it rest undisturbed for exactly 5 minutes to cool slightly, which prevents grainy, crumbly pralines.
Beat candy and add pecans
After the 5-minute rest, stir the mixture vigorously with the silicone spatula for 2-3 minutes, until it noticeably thickens, loses its high-gloss shine, and lightens to an opaque creamy tan color that pulls slightly away from the pan sides. Fold in the reserved toasted whole and chopped pecans, stirring for 30 seconds to evenly coat every nut in the thickened candy base.
Scoop and set pralines
Working quickly (the candy will harden fast as it cools), use a 2-tablespoon (30ml) spring-loaded cookie scoop to drop rounded mounds of the praline mixture 5cm (2 inches) apart on the prepared parchment-lined baking sheet. Let the pralines rest at cool room temperature (65-70°F / 18-21°C) for 25-30 minutes, until they are fully firm to the touch and no longer sticky on the surface.
Tips
2.If you do not have a candy thermometer, test for soft-ball stage by dropping a pea-sized dot of hot candy into a small bowl of ice water: it should form a soft, pliable ball that flattens easily when pressed between your thumb and forefinger.
3.Work quickly when scooping pralines, as the candy will harden within 3-4 minutes once thickened; if the mixture becomes too stiff to scoop, stir in 1 teaspoon (5ml) of hot heavy cream to loosen it just enough to portion.
OMG these taste exactly like the pralines I got on a trip to Savannah last year! I was so worried I’d mess up the sugar stage but the instructions were so clear. Brought a batch to my church potluck last Sunday and people were begging for the recipe before I even left. 10/10, will be making these for every holiday from now on!
My grandma used to make these every Christmas and I’ve been chasing that flavor for YEARS. This recipe is dead on. The only thing I did different was add a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt on top right before they set, and wow, that cut the sweetness perfectly. My husband ate three before they even fully cooled, oops.
Game changer! I’ve only made fudge before so I was nervous about pralines being too fussy, but the timing breakdown was so helpful. 25 minutes active time was totally accurate, no rushing around like a crazy person. These are going to be my go-to host gift all fall, way better than a bottle of wine lol.
Wait has anyone tried making these with brown butter instead of regular melted butter? I did that with my last batch of pecan cookies and it was insane, wondering if it would work here without messing up the set? Also, how long do these stay fresh if I store them in an airtight container?
Full transparency, I burned the first batch because I got distracted answering a work call while the sugar was boiling. Don’t be like me, set a timer! Second batch came out absolute perfection, my kids thought I bought them from a fancy candy shop. Win for dad points this week.
Brought these to our neighborhood block party last weekend and they were the first dessert gone. I even had a couple people ask if I took special candy making classes! Little do they know the recipe held my hand the whole time. The pecan to sugar ratio is chef’s kiss, not too nutty, not so sweet your teeth hurt.
Question before I make these! Has anyone had success making these dairy free? My daughter is lactose intolerant and she’s been begging for pralines after trying one at a school bake sale, I want to surprise her but don’t want to waste a bunch of pecans if it doesn’t set right with plant based butter.
Wait y’all, I messed up and used salted butter instead of unsalted and didn’t adjust the added salt, are these going to be ruined? I’m supposed to bring them to my roommate’s birthday potluck in an hour and I’m panicking a little.
These are SO good. I made a double batch on Sunday to keep in the fridge for quick sweet treats during the week, and they’re holding up great. I even chopped a few up to sprinkle on my morning oatmeal and it’s like having a fancy cafe breakfast without the $12 price tag. Total game changer for my weekly meal prep.
I’ve been making pralines for over 40 years and I have to say, this recipe is one of the best I’ve ever tried. The trick of stirring constantly once you take it off the heat until it starts to thicken is exactly what new candy makers miss, and I’m glad you included that step. Perfect texture every single time, no grainy sugar mess.
Help! My pralines came out super grainy instead of smooth and creamy, what did I do wrong? I followed the recipe exactly (or at least I thought I did) and they taste fine but the texture is off, like there’s sugar grit in every bite.
How far in advance can I make these for Thanksgiving? I’m trying to get as much done ahead of time as possible so I’m not running around the kitchen like a maniac when guests show up. I know some candies get weird if you make them too early, so I want to time it right.
These are insane. I brought a batch into work and my coworkers practically fought over the last one. My boss even offered to pay me to make a batch for his wife’s birthday, like hello? New side hustle unlocked? Only note: don’t skip toasting the pecans first, that deep nutty flavor makes all the difference.
Just made these and I’m already halfway through the batch, no shame. The balance of buttery, nutty, sweet is exactly what I’ve been craving ever since I left New Orleans. I don’t know why I waited so long to try making pralines at home, I thought they’d be way harder than they were. 10/10, no notes.
I made these for my son’s soccer team bake sale and we sold out in 10 minutes! I priced them at $2 a piece and made almost $80, which went straight to new team uniforms. The other moms were all asking for the recipe, I told them it’s my little secret (jk I sent them the link, no gatekeeping here).
Wait, is there a way to make these without pecans? My son has a tree nut allergy but I love pralines, I’m wondering if pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds would work as a swap, or if that would totally throw off the texture?
I was this close to giving up on candy making entirely after three failed fudge batches, but these turned out on the first try! I cannot believe it. The step-by-step timeline was so easy to follow, I didn’t even have to guess when it was done. My roommate said they taste better than the ones we got on our trip to the French Quarter. Win!
Let me tell ya, these are the real deal. No fancy frills, no weird added ingredients, just straight up classic pralines like my memaw used to make on her old stovetop. The cooling time was exactly right too, I didn’t have to wait around forever for them to set up, they were ready to eat in 35 minutes like the recipe said. Perfect.
Good flavor overall, but I wish the recipe noted that you need a heavy bottomed saucepan for this! I used my thin old stainless steel pan and the sugar burned on the bottom even though I was stirring constantly. Ended up with a slightly smoky aftertaste that wasn’t ideal. Flavor was great when I used my Dutch oven the second time though.