Pecan Praline

An easy to follow Pecan Praline Recipe for praline candies that are flavorful and thick! I give you all my professional tips for shiny, not crystalized pralines that you can make in under 30 minutes!

This traditional recipe for Southern pecan pralines makes beautiful pecan pralines that are thick, full of toasted pecans, and have a unique caramelized brown sugar flavor. .  I give you all my professional pastry chef tips for making shiny pralines that don’t crystalize. Pralines have a soft, slightly crumbly texture that melts in your mouth almost like old fashioned fudge.

This recipe, like homemade toffee and sticky toffee pudding, is wonderful all year round, but they are particularly fun to make and gift around the Holidays. Like many of my Great Gifts for Home Cooks, these make perfect homemade gifts for coworkers, friends and teachers! Package in a decorative tin or in a simple clear gift bag tied with a ribbon.

Professional Tips for Making Pralines

• Patience is critical here. Letting the sugar dissolve before boiling, allowing the candy to reach 235°F, letting it cool and beating it long enough will all ensure you get a perfect praline that isn’t crystalized.
• Don’t skip the 10 minute cooling. This cooling step allows the candy temperature to lower without agitating the sugar molecules. This keeps you from stirring so much the candy crystalizes.
• If the mixture seizes during mixing or gets too thick to portion. You can add a little hot water to thin it back out. The texture of these will be more granulated than those that didn’t seize.
• Pre-toast the pecans. Toasting the pecans adds a delightful crunch and enhances the pecan flavor.

What are pralines?

Pralines are a stove-top candy made by cooking brown sugar, butter, milk and flavorings together until it reaches the softball stage (235°F). The mixture is then beaten with a spoon while it cools until smooth and glossy. This technique, similar to old fashioned fudge, creates a chewy texture. They have the flavors of vanilla, brown sugar and pecan and taste a bit like pecan pie!

Ingredients

• Light Brown Sugar: Cooking the light brown sugar is what gives these pecan pralines their flavor and texture.
• Butter: I use unsalted butter for baking, because you want to control the amount of salt you are adding. In candy making, the butter adds a smooth, richness to caramels, pralines, toffee and brittles.
• Kosher Salt: Kosher salt is less salty than table salt and a teaspoon weighs less than other finer ground varieties. It will keep your pralines from tasting dull or flat.
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla Extract adds a beautiful flavor itself but it also boosts the flavor of the other ingredients in this recipe.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar is the key to candies like caramel. I like to use extra-fine granulated sugar to ensure an even melting or dissolving. They are also less likely to crystallize. But any granulated sugar will do! So don’t stress.
• Dark Corn Syrup: The dark corn syrup is here to stabilize the wet sugar mixture. You can substitute the dark corn syrup with glucose, light corn syrup, or omit it completely. If you omit the corn syrup, you run a greater risk of the pralines crystalizing.
• Milk: I use whole milk for candy making, because the extra fat helps keep the sugar from crystalizing. It also adds a richness to the final flavor and texture.
• Pecans: It’s no secret that I love to use Southern pecans in baking (here’s lookin’ at you, the pecan pie in my shop!). Nothing beats fresh, plump pecans especially when it is the primary flavor of the pralines. But any pecan halves will do. If you keep them for longer than a month or your kitchen is consistently warm, store them in the freezer to preserve freshness. Or if you have pecans left over make some pecan sticky buns next!

Possible Substitutions

• Brown Sugar: This pecan praline recipe calls for light brown sugar but you can use dark brown sugar if that is what you have on hand or if you just want a deeper molasses flavor.
• Corn Syrup: The dark corn syrup is here to stabilize the wet sugar mixture and for a little more complex flavor than light corn syrup can provide. You can substitute the dark corn syrup with glucose, light corn syrup, or omit it completely. If you omit the corn syrup, you run a greater risk of the pralines crystalizing. 
• Nuts: Experiment with different nuts like walnuts or a mixture of several.
• Milk: I would not suggest substituting non-dairy milk, evaporated milk, or low fat milk in this recipe. The whole milk helps create that ideal fudge-like texture with both the fat and the flavor.

How to Make

Use these instructions to make the perfect pecan pralines every time! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below!

Prepare your pans:

Step 1: Line 2 baking sheets with waxed paper. You can also use aluminum foil that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Butter the sides of a 3-quart sauce pot. 

Prepare your pralines:

Step 2: In the pot, combine sugars, salt, corn syrup and milk. Stir in order to wet the sugars. I like to stir carefully to keep as little sugar from getting on the sides of the pot as possible.

Step 3: Cook over medium heat and stir frequently until sugar dissolves. 

Step 4: Bring mixture to a boil. Affix a candy thermometer to the side of the pot and cook until the softball stage is reached (235°F), stirring occasionally.

Step 5: Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes.

Step 6: Add vanilla extract and beat by hand with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Add the pecans and continue beating by hand with a wooden spoon until the mixture loses its gloss.

Portion & enjoy:

Step 8: Drop by the spoonful onto waxed paper lined baking sheets. Work quickly because the mixture stiffens as it cools. Do not scrape the sides of the pot. Like fudge, that outermost layer of candy will be crystalized.

Step 9: Allow pralines to set and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions