Pecan Pralines

Pecan Pralines – These delightfully sweet, melt-in-your-mouth pecan pralines have the most beautiful flavor and texture. No wonder they are such a highly addictive treat. Whip up a double batch so you have some to gift and some to munch on! 

This is one of my favorite candy recipes. Crunchy pecans coated in a smooth, sweet, buttery candy shell make a combination of textures and tastes to die for. Plus, the recipe is quite easy. Even if you’ve never made candy before, you can master these in no time. 

Pecan pralines are super fun to share, too! Guests rave when you set them out as a treat at a party, and they also make a delicious gift. Arrange them in a mason jar with a pretty bow, and you’ve got a thoughtful gift your friends and family will eat up (literally and metaphorically). 😆

Content… The Key to Perfect Pralines Recipe Ingredients How to Make It Recipe Variations Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead Instructions Serving and Storage Instructions What to Serve More Gift-Worthy Desserts to Try Watch How to Make It

The Key to Perfect Pecan Pralines

Making candy may seem intimidating, but it isn’t all that hard. You just need the right tools. One of the biggest pitfalls in making a pecan praline recipe is the coating doesn’t set. Another is grainy coating.

Both come down to the right temperature, so to fix that, a candy thermometer is a handy investment. They aren’t expensive and take the guesswork out of making pecan pralines. So you can get them perfect every time. 👌

Recipe Ingredients

1. Pecans – Pecan halves and chopped pecans give these pralines the perfect amount of crunchy goodness.
2. Sugar – Make them sweet with a combination of granulated and brown sugar.
3. Butter – Unsalted butter adds a beautiful, rich flavor to these pralines. If salted butter is all you have, that works, too; just leave out the additional salt. 
4. Heavy Cream – Heavy cream also adds rich flavor and helps blend the coating together to get that gorgeous melt-in-your-mouth texture. 
5. Vanilla Extract – Vanilla extract enhances and balances all the other flavors in this recipe. While not totally necessary, it enhances the pecan flavors. 

How to Make Pecan Pralines

Roast the Pecans

• Toast Pecans – Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Then, place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake them for about 8-10 minutes or until they’re fragrant. (Photo 1)
• Cool – Take them out of the oven and let them cool. 
• Prep Baking Sheet – Clean the baking sheet once it’s cool if needed, and then line it with greased parchment paper or a silicon mat.

Make the Praline Coating

• Heat – Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cream, unsalted butter, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan. Heat the saucepan over medium and bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. (Photo 2)
• Simmer – Insert a candy thermometer into it once the mixture reaches a boil. Then, continue cooking until it reaches a temperature of 235°F (soft ball stage). It should foam and bubble slightly. Stir occasionally for even heating and to prevent burning. (Photo 3)
• Cool – Next, remove the saucepan from the heat. Let it sit for a few minutes to cool slightly and thicken, reaching about 200°F. 

Make the Pralines

• Assemble – Add the pecan halves, chopped pecans, and vanilla extract (if using) to the mixture in the saucepan. Stir them in with a wooden spoon to coat, and then do not stir again. Let the temperature decrease to 150°F, then stir again for about a minute. (Photos 4-5)
• Form Pralines – Drop spoonfuls of the pecan praline mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet with a spoon or cookie scoop. Allow the pralines to cool and set completely at room temperature, which will take about 30 minutes to 1 hour. (Photo 6)
• Serve – Once the pecan pralines have completely set, take them off the baking sheet and enjoy. Or store them in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to serve.

Recipe Variations

1. Spike them. Hey, if they can make pecan praline whiskey, surely we can make whisky pecan pralines. Replace the vanilla extract with your favorite whiskey or bourbon.
2. Make them chocolatey. Add ½ cup of chocolate chips to the praline mixture for a chocolate twist on traditional pecan pralines. 🍫
3. Spiced pecan pralines. Add a teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of nutmeg, and a dash of cloves to the praline mixture to enhance it with warm, cozy spices. 
4. Coconut pecan pralines. Swap out the heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk and add about ½ cup of shredded coconut to the praline coating. Enjoy the tropical twist on a traditional convection. 🥥

Tips and Tricks

1. Use a candy thermometer. I’m not into gadgets, but a candy thermometer does help in this recipe. You can use the standby ice water test, but it has failed me before. 🥲
2. Be sure to leave some space between each mound of pecan pralines when you put them on the baking sheet to set. Otherwise, the pralines will stick together, forming not-so-bite-sized mega clumps.
3. Don’t sweat if your batch doesn’t set properly and turns out gooey! It happens to the best of us. Roll them into 1-inch balls and dip them in chocolate to make truffles instead. 😅
4. Put pecan pralines in a glass mason jar and tie them with a pretty ribbon. Then, add a personalized tag to turn this treat into a thoughtful gift. 🎁

Make-Ahead Instructions

Pecan pralines stay good for up to two weeks, so feel free to make them ahead! You can even freeze them for up to three months.

Serving and Storage Instructions

Let pecan pralines cool and set completely before serving them.

Pop leftover pralines in an airtight container and keep them at room temperature. As I said, they’ll keep for up to two weeks, but they won’t be sitting around your kitchen for that long. 😜

What Goes With Pecan Pralines

Pecan pralines are amazing all on their own, but you can incorporate them into other recipes, too. Try chopping them up and sprinkling them over rum raisin pineapple ice cream, sweet smoked cream cheese, or sweet potato casserole. And you can incorporate them into baked goods like chocolate chip cookies or brownies.

More Gift-Worthy Desserts to Try

1. Light Fruit Cake
2. Raspberry Scones
3. Southern Tea Cakes
4. Candied Pecans
5. Groundnut Sweet (Sugared Peanuts)

Watch How to Make It