Pecan Pralines Recipe

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American, Creole, Soul Food

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 15

Set Time: 45

Total Time: 1

Servings: pralines

Calories: 248kcal

Author: Jazzmine Woodard

Sweet, buttery, nutty New Orleans-style confection made with everyday ingredients

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Equipment

Ingredients

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ¼ cup brown sugar packed
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup evaporated milk
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 ¾ cup pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or wax paper, and set aside.
Make the Candy Base: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then stir in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, evaporated milk, and salt until sugars are dissolved.
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup evaporated milk, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Continue cooking and stirring every so often until the temperature reaches 235 degrees Fahrenheit (about 10 minutes), then remove from heat. The liquid should be boiling, thickened, opaque, and glossy.
It’s important to keep the mixture moving so that the sugars don’t burn on the sides or bottom of the pan.
Finish Praline Mix: Carefully stir in the pecan halves and vanilla extract until the mixture is uniform and loses a bit of its shine (about two minutes).
The mixture will bubble a bit when you add the vanilla extract. This is normal.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 ¾ cup pecans
Make and Set the Candy: Use kitchen spoon to drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto prepared sheet pan, leaving about an inch between each drop so that the pralines don’t run together.
If the mixture becomes too thick as you’re working, stir in one spoon of warmed evaporated milk at a time to thin it out, then resume.
Let pralines set at room temperature for about 45 minutes depending on the temperature of your kitchen. Pralines are set when they are solid, cool to the touch, and have just a hint of shine.

Notes

Modifications

You can use vanilla extract to flavor your pralines, or an equal amount of a quality spirit like bourbon whiskey, cognac, or rum.

Once set, you can dip the pralines in melted dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or white chocolate for an extra layer of deliciousness.

Of course, these are pecan pralines, but you can use almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pistachios, etc.

Why didn't my pralines set up?

Your praline mixture either has too much liquid or didn't reach the appropriate temperature. Signs they won't set include the mixture not thickening as you work with it, and the pralines spreading and running into each other.

Thankfully, you can scrape the ingredients back into your pot and try again!

Storage

Store fully set pralines at room temperature in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

To freeze, place the pralines in an airtight, freezer-safe container. They'll keep for up to three months, and some people even enjoy eating them frozen!

Nutrition