Y’all let me teach you how to whip up authentic Pralines New Orleans style. I have had more than I can count in NOLA, and my recipe gives you all those sweet chewy vibes like none other. I keep it just like the original. No imposters around these parts.
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Praline Ingredient Notes
- Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar: You can also use granulated sugar and molasses to make homemade brown sugar if you run out.
- Molasses: The best substitute for this is dark corn syrup. Light corn syrup or maple syrup can also be decent replacements.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Half-and-half is my first suggestion for a substitution. Evaporated milk can be used as well.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted
- Toasted Pecans: You can also use toasted walnuts or almonds.
How to make Pralines
Step 1: Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, molasses, and cream to a medium saucepan. Get to stirring everything together over medium heat with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves.
Step 2: Cook for about 5 minutes. You’re looking for a thicker consistency. Do the cold water test by dropping a tiny bit into a bowl of cold water – you want it to form a soft ball. Or if you use a candy thermometer, aim for 240F.
Step 3: Stir in butter, pecans, salt, and vanilla off the heat. Stir like you’ve never stirred before. Continue to stir vigorously until nice and thickened up, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 4: Spoon heaping tablespoons of the mixture onto the lined baking sheet.
Step 5: Allow the pralines to chill out until they have set up and are cooled completely. Could take up to 45 minutes.
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Pralines Recipe
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I’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp molasses or dark corn syrup
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 cups pecans toasted and coarsely chopped
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
- In a heavy bottomed medium saucepan, stir together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, molasses, and cream over medium high heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves.
- Bring to a boil and continue to cook for about 5 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken and form a soft ball when a small amount is dropped from a spoon into a bowl of cold water, about 5 minutes. (Or using a candy thermometer; the temperature needs to reach 240F.) . Be very careful through this process, as the mixture is very hot and can burn severely.
- Remove the pan from the heat and use a wooden spoon to stir in the butter, pecans, salt and vanilla. Continue to stir vigorously until thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Working quickly, spoon heaping tablespoons of the mixture onto the lined baking sheet. Allow the pralines to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
How to store & reheat pralines
Cool your homemade pralines down completely. They should be totally set before you store them up. Use parchment paper in between stacks of pralines so they don’t stick together. They can be kept at room temp and will last about a week boos.How long will this praline recipe last in the fridge?
No need to refrigerate traditional pralines y’all. They keep well at room temperature so that texture stays on point.Can I freeze pecan pralines?
Yep for sure boos but the texture can change slightly once you thaw them. Just fyi. Wrap each individually in plastic wrap and toss in a ziptop bag removing all air. They can stay in the freezer for up to 2 months.Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Cool, Dry Area: Humid air will keep your pralines from hardening.
- Balance: Beat your candies too little and they’ll be soft and runny. Go too hard and they’ll be too crumbly and fall apart.
- Get that Candy Thermometer out: It will help you get perfect praline consistency each and every time.
- Work Quickly: Once that homemade praline mix is ready to go, work as quickly as possible to drop them on your prepared baking sheet. They cool and start setting up super fast.
- Holiday Gifts, Party Favor or Gift Basket: Make batches of these along with divinity candy, peanut brittle, bourbon balls, turtle candies and peppermint bark. You can double or triple the recipe and once cooled down, distribute them in small cellophane bags.
Recipe Help
Not necessarily but it is very helpful y’all. I find that when I am making candies, being exact with the temperature can make all the difference in creating the perfect texture. However if you don’t have one, just use the soft ball stage method. You will know the praline mixture is all good when it thickens and forms a soft ball when a small amount is dropped from a spoon into a bowl of cold water. That takes roughly 5 minutes.
If you find that your pralines are hardening before you can scoop them out of the pan, it’s not the end of the world boos. Add a teaspoon of hot water at a time to the mix and stir until your candy loosens up again.
It’s more than likely from sugar crystallizing. Make sure you are stirring that mixture consistently while scraping down the side of the pot to get those crystals back in the mix.
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Hi! How long do pralines last and what’s the best way to store them?
They should last 5 to 7 days are room temperatures. You’ll want to store them in an air tight bag or container – hope you enjoy!
I love pralines but have never made them. I used this recipe and found it both easy and tasty. Thank you so much for posting it. I will be putting a bag in our CHRISTMAS hampers for the family.
Excellent recipe. Followed it to the letter and no alterations. Everyone enjoyed them. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I made mine recently using 2 cups white sugar, 1 tsp. Baking soda, 1 cup of buttermilk. After boiling 5 min, add2 cups pecans and 1 tsp vanilla. Cook till temperature reaches 234 degrees. Remove from heat. Stir with wooden spoon till it starts to thicken. Moving fast, drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper. Cool. These are dark pralines. Got this from Southern Living cookbook, but I don’t think it had vanilla. Careful not to burn.
Awesome recipe! Delicious
I love these pralines! They are so delicious, and perfect for the holidays!
I haven’t had pralines in the longest time. These are amazing!
Pralines are one of my favorites! I love the idea of making them right at home and skip the pre-made box at the store.
Pralines are the best! I have to try yours! Perfect for this time of year!
I absolutely adore pralines. So much so that I want to keep them all for myself. I guess I need to do like you suggest and double or triple the recipe. This one looks awesome!