A tasty southern candy, this Pecan Pralines Recipe is an easy and fun recipe that you can make for gatherings, gift giving or just to have a delicious treat on hand.
Living in the south, Pecan Pralines are a common recipe that we see sold in all candy shops, by vendors on the side of the road, and pretty much just about anywhere else.
I learned to make this Pecan Pralines Recipe years ago, and it is absolutely our favorite, beats any store-bought ones that you will ever find, in my opinion.
Sometimes things are just better homemade, and when they don’t take too much effort, the better. This recipe is one of the ones we make every year.
Since pecans are always available where we live, they get made more often than not. Especially around the holidays, as they are one of those treats you set out for guests or give as gifts!
If you are a candy fan and have never tried these before, you have to make my Pecan Pralines Recipe right away! They will become a new favorite.
Some of my other candy type recipes that we have on our site include: Potato Candy, Deep Fried Snickers and Easy Chocolate Fudge.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- Easy ingredients help this come together nicely.
- This makes a large batch, but you can absolutely double to make more.
- These are soft with a nice little crunch.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE BELOW):
Unsalted butter
Granulated sugar
Light brown sugar
Heavy cream
Light corn syrup
Fine sea salt
Pecan halves
Chopped pecans
Vanilla extract
HOW TO MAKE A PECAN PRALINES RECIPE:
- Line three sheet trays with foil and spray with cooking spray, set aside.
- Place the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, heavy cream, corn syrup, and salt into a large pot or dutch oven.
- Place over medium-low heat and let the butter melt and sugars dissolve, stirring occasionally.
- Turn the heat up to medium stirring occasionally (make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan so nothing sticks) and bring to a low boil. Cook and stir occasionally until a candy thermometer reaches 236°F (soft ball stage) about 6-7 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the pecan halves, chopped pecans, and vanilla extract. Do not stir again, allow the temperature to come down to 170°F, about 15 minutes.
- Stir it around with a wooden spoon for about a minute to slightly let it cool, the mixture will still appear slightly glossy but will start thickening.
- Immediately dollop heaping tablespoons of the mixture onto the prepared sheet trays not touching. Let them rest and harden for about 8 hours or overnight. Serve immediately.
CAN I CHANGE THE FLAVOR OF THESE?
If you want a little twist, you can add some butter extract while adding the vanilla to make them taste even more buttery.
HOW LONG DO THESE NEED TO SET UP?
You can place the pralines in the fridge to allow them to harden faster, but I find letting them sit out at room temperature and harden slowly results in a better-finished texture of the caramel itself.
It is slightly crumbly while being silky smooth at the same time and literally melts in your mouth. The pecans add that perfect nuttiness and crunch, making these some AMAZING homemade candies.
To fully set, it can take up to 8 hours or overnight.
WHY DO MY PRALINES HAVE WHITE SPOTS?
This is an absolutely normal part of the process. It means that the sugar in the mixture is crystalizing, this will in no way change the texture or flavor of the recipe, so do not be worried.
HOW TO STORE:
These can be stored in an airtight container or ziptop bag where you can keep on the countertop for up to 10 days.
They can also be frozen, place in a freezer container or bag and they will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To defrost, remove from the freezer to the countertop overnight until thawed.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- We like to use two different pecans in this recipe, halves and chopped. It gives a nice texture contrast.
- Add butter extract to the recipe to switch up the flavor.
- These can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
- This makes a large batch but can easily be doubled.
- These need to set for at least 8 hours to overnight, which makes these a great make-ahead recipe.
- These can be drizzled with dark, milk, semi-sweet or white chocolate.
- Make sure that you use a large pot to make these.
Love a good candy recipe that melts in your mouth but has a little bit of crunch to it? This Pecan Pralines Recipe is just what you need, super irresistible and easy.
If you like this recipe you might also like:
If you’ve tried this PECAN PRALINES RECIPE let me know in the comments how it turned out! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!
Pecan Pralines Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter cut into tablespoons
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar packed
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups pecan halves
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line three sheet trays with foil and spray with cooking spray, set aside.
- Place the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, heavy cream, corn syrup, and salt into a large pot or dutch oven.
- Place over medium-low heat and let the butter melt and sugars dissolve, stirring occasionally.
- Turn the heat up to medium stirring occasionally (make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan so nothing sticks) and bring to a low boil. Cook and stir occasionally until a candy thermometer reaches 236°F (soft ball stage) about 6-7 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the pecan halves, chopped pecans, and vanilla extract. Do not stir again, allow the temperature to come down to 170°F, about 15 minutes.
- Stir it around with a wooden spoon for about a minute to slightly let it cool, the mixture will still appear slightly glossy but will start thickening.
- Immediately dollop heaping tablespoons of the mixture onto the prepared sheet trays not touching. Let them rest and harden for about 8 hours or overnight. Serve immediately.
Comments & Reviews
leona says
yummy!!!!!!!!!!!!