Delicious, Easy Southern Pecan Pralines are a delicious and creamy Southern candy thats ready in about 30 minutes. Creamy & crunchy, theyre made with basic ingredients (butter, heavy cream , pecans, and brown sugar !). No candy thermometer and no hassle!
Since I live in the deep South, next door to Louisiana, Ive been eating pecan pralines for as long as I can remember. As far as sweets go, theyre a staple around the holidays, and in New Orleans, theyre a staple year-round.
Every person you meet has an opinion on how pralines should taste and whether you should use chopped pecans or pecan halves and what kind of texture is perfect (most prefer them creamy!).
For years and years, Ive made pecan praline candy, but never Easy Pecan Pralines. You see – the pecan praline recipes I used in the past required candy thermometers or microwaving with just the right bowl and a wooden spoon. They were always finicky and didnt always turn out just right. And I thought that my way was the only way to make them.
However, last year, after my pralines recipe failed me again, I decided I had to find a more reliable recipe.
According to legend, pralines were brought to the United States (the South in particular) by French settlers in the seventeenth century.
Currently here in the Southern United States, the short answer is that pralines are a type of candy where nuts are covered in a cooked sugar mixture and it sets up to a soft candy.
More specifically, pralines have brown sugar (usually all brown or a mixture), nuts (most commonly pecans), cream or milk, and vanilla. The most popular pralines seem to be creamy, smooth, and melt-in-your-mouth soft. But some pralines are harder and more crunchy.
After my many failures, I started searching and trying and I finally landed on an easy praline recipe that works and never fails me!
From the first time I made this easy recipe, I had success. Ive made them many, many times since then and theyre always so good! By and far this is the best pecan pralines Ive ever made.
It probably had something to do with my whole family being there and I was running my mouth the entire time I was making them… Im sure I mismeasured something or didnt let them boil quite a full minute. I dont know – itll forever be a mystery.
Oh wait – but I should make it clear that the day wasnt a total loss. Every single crumb of the easy pralines was still eaten – we just used spoons to scoop them up!
You see… this big ole family of mine wouldnt let pralines go to waste – even if they were sticky!! Hahaha.,.. I love my family!
Anyway, I made candy/cookie trays this past Christmas season and in every tray, I included this sweet treat. I thought it was about time I shared the recipe for the best praline youll ever eat!
And if you love this classic southern dessert as much as we do, also try these perfect Praline Cookies. Theyre insanely easy and delicious!
If you beat too long, the candy will seize and start to crumble. If you don’t beat it long enough, then pralines won’t set properly and will stay soft and sticky.
Pro Tips and Notes…
- Work quickly! As mentioned above, this is not a pecan candy recipe where you can drag your feet. If the mixture gets too cool and begins to set up in the pan, add a teaspoon or two of hot milk and stir until creamy, Then begin dipping it out.
- Butter. You can use unsalted butter instead of salted butter if you prefer. If you choose to do this, I do recommend adding a pinch of salt to the recipe!
- Pecans. I love pecan halves in these classic southern treats, but if you want, you can use chopped pecans. The texture will be a little different but the amazing flavor will still be there!
- Dont trash them! While this is by and far the easiest pralines recipe Ive ever made, nothing is 100% foolproof. If your pralines dont set up, or they get dry and crumbly, dont toss them out! Eat them with a spoon, ball them up and dip in chocolate, or chop them up and use as a topping on cake or ice cream!
While I truly hope this recipe will be foolproof and end up being one of your favorite recipes, theres always a chance it wont. As with all candy making, pralines are finicky and temperamental.
So maybe my best tip is… be patient and have extra ingredients on hand so youre prepared for a round two or three if your first try doesnt work out. However, in the FAQ below, I do give you tips for how to (hopefully) fix your first batch if it doesnt work out! The good news is – you can still be eating the (not-so-perfect) pralines while you work out the kinks.
How to Store Pralines
First off – why are you storing them? This mouth candy is best eaten fresh and barely hardened!
Ours rarely last more than an hour unless Im making them to take somewhere and I have to beat the family off of them to get them to their destination. But if you must…
- Room Temperature. Store these in an airtight container at room temperature, between layers of wax paper or parchment paper or individually wrap them. Theyll keep for up to two weeks. No refrigeration needed. And they are a great candy to ship as long as you pack them well to prevent breaking.
- Freezing. Can you freeze pralines? Yes! You can freeze pralines for up to 2 months. For best results, wrap them individually in plastic wrap then place them in an airtight container before freezing.
- Thawing. Thaw in the fridge overnight when youre ready to eat them!
Parties: For parties and family gatherings, I serve this southern staple on a platter alongside desserts.
Gifts: You can also give them as gifts by wrapping them in small cellophane bags with a pretty ribbon.
On Ice Cream: Want to go the extra mile? Crumble them up and serve on top of vanilla ice cream as a topping. YUM!
I even have a Pralines & Cream Ice Cream recipe here that will blow your mind!
Here in the United States (the South in particular), the short answer is that pralines are a type of candy where nuts are covered in a cooked sugar mixture and it sets up to a soft candy. More specifically, pralines have sugar (usually brown or a mixture), nuts (most commonly pecans), cream or milk, and vanilla. The most popular pralines seem to be creamy, smooth, and melt-in-your-mouth soft. But some pralines are harder and more crunchy.
Well, while they may sound the same, they are emphatically not the same, as any good Southerner will tell you. Praline Pecans or Pecan Candy are individual pecans with a crunchy praline or candy coating. Pralines, on the other hand, are cookie-shaped candy where crunchy pecans are mixed into a cream, sugar, and vanilla mixture, that is scooped out and it pools to make a patty-like candy loaded with brown sugar flavor. Theyre firm enough to hold but soft enough to melt in your mouth.
In short, no. No worries about soft ball stage or getting the right temperature. For traditional recipes and original pralines, the answer will be yes, but for my recipe, the answer is no! If you have a timer and follow my instructions closely, you can successfully make these delicious Southern Pecan Pralines without a candy thermometer! Can I get a hallelujah?
Well, thats a million-dollar question. Pralines are grainy because the sugar doesnt get hot enough to fully dissolve. You may think using a candy thermometer is the answer to this but even with all the recipes Ive tried, thats not always true. The good news is – if you end up with grainy pralines, you can break them up, put them back in the pot with a little cream or milk (a tablespoon or two), and heat them again. Maybe add 10-15 seconds to the boiling time to try and raise the temperature a little more.
Similar to the answer above, it has something to do with not reaching the correct temperature. Or maybe its a rainy day. Or maybe the stars arent aligned for you. Just kidding… sometimes I have no idea why they wont harden. But if your pralines are still gooey after 30-40 minutes, you may have to scrape them back into the pan and heat them again. Add a tablespoon of milk, melt the sugar, and as before, stir constantly while you bring them to a boil. When the mixture begins to thicken, begin dipping them out again and cross your fingers!
The easiest way to clean the pot is to let the hard candy in the pot dissolve. I do this by filling the pot with hot water (or filling it with cold water and bringing it to a boil). This will dissolve all the candy and make it really easy to clean it out.
how to shake back your pecan candy that did not set
FAQ
How do you stop pralines from crystallizing?
Why are my pecan pralines grainy?
Does humidity affect making pralines?
How do you soften pecan pralines?