How to Make Homemade Pralines | Quick and Easy Dessert Recipe (2024)

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Learn how to make delicious Homemade Pralines with this super easy recipe from the New Orleans School of Cooking! They’re so nutty and sweet, you’ll want to make them all the time!

How to Make Homemade Pralines | Quick and Easy Dessert Recipe (1)

Table of Contents

  • Easy Homemade Pralines Recipe
  • Exploring New Orleans
  • The New Orleans School of Cooking
  • Get the Recipe

Easy Homemade Pralines Recipe

What a great weekend I had in New Orleans last week. I was fortunate to spend 4 days with a group of bloggers and the LA Seafood Board. We ate our way through the best restaurants and met with seafood fisherman to get a hands on look at how much love and work goes into their jobs. A real eye opening experience, I have so much respect for all of them.

Exploring New Orleans

Let me take you through a peek at the adventures we went on day 1.

We were so lucky to stay at The Bourbon Orleans Hotel, right in the middle of the French Quarter.

Photo via Marla Meridith

We had a lovely gift bag of sweets from Sucre’ Bakery Boutique and a giant arrangement of Zatarains products waiting in our rooms. How gorgeous is this?

Last Thursday evening we dined at the Bistro at Maison De Ville. The food was delicious, I tried my first set of frog legs. So cliche, but yes tasted like chicken 🙂

I am not sure what I will do without Camillia’s Grill. Amanda and I enjoyed their charming diner 3 times in 4 days. No kidding, they had the best breakfast Western Omelet I have ever had. See photos below. We spotted their secret ingredient. Finely chopped ham and peppers sauteed in LOTS of butter before the eggs get poured over. Worth every single calorie.

Here is the inside diner. Love Love Loved it 🙂

Here are the guys hard at work, they were as sweet as the food was delicious. It’s a must do if you are in New Orleans.

The photos don’t even do these dishes justice. We split a side of pancakes and some grits too. Love!

After breakfast on Friday, we headed to the Louisiana Seafood Festival, lots to see and even more to eat. I got a kick out of the gator offerings. You don’t see this in Orange County 🙂 Matt and Adam tried the gator sausage and everyone raved about it, guess Mr. Gator is mighty tasty.

We also had front row seats to chef demo’s at the festival. Talented local Chef’s prepared beautiful seafood dishes and shared. How good does that shrimp and coconut look that Chef John Folse is holding?

Here we are getting interviewed by the LA Seafood camera man. Not sure where our faces will show up. Matt and Amanda doing a fine job on camera 🙂

Photo Via Matt Amaranderiz

Marla, Me and Gaby taking pics of the gorgeous chef dishes. Always snapping photos aren’t we?!

Ahhh, the ever so famous Cafe Du Monde. Before I went to New Orleans, EVERYONE said you must get beignets from Cafe Du Monde. I don’t drink coffee, but I hear their coffee is a must order as well. It’s a small outside coffee shop with powdered sugar all over the floor. You can see why by the looks of those beignets. Very charming indeed and how can you go wrong with a fried piece of goodness covered in powdered sugar?

Happy girl with my beignets 🙂

The New Orleans School of Cooking

We also had the pleasure of watching cooking demo’s from Chef Ann at the New Orleans School of Cooking. The food was outstanding!

On the left is Ann the cooking instructor who was the cutest sweetest grandma you’ll ever meet. On the right is Dan serving up the grub. We could come up and help ourselves….and even have seconds 🙂

Photo via Amanda

Maggy and I snapping some serious photos, lol!

Photo via Amanda

Me, Maggy and Amanda at the cooking school 🙂 We enjoyed Corn and Crab Bisque, Crawfish Etouffee, Banana’s Foster and Homemade Pralines….which I have the recipe for you!!

How to Make Homemade Pralines | Quick and Easy Dessert Recipe (20)

How to Make Homemade Pralines

Learn how to make deliciousHomemade Pralineswith this super easy recipe from the New Orleans School of Cooking! They're so nutty and sweet, you'll want to make them all the time!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Belgian

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 minutes mins

Total Time 23 minutes mins

Servings: 40 pralines

Calories: 86kcal

Author: Jenny

Print Pin

Equipment

  • Stove

  • Oven

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 6 tbsp butter
  • 1 1/2 cups pecans roasted
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients and bring to a “softball stage” (238-240 degrees F), stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

  • Stir until mixture thickens (again stirring constantly), becomes creamy and cloudy, and pecans stay suspended in mixture. Spoon out on buttered waxed paper, aluminum foil or parchment paper.

  • *When using waxed paper, be sure to buffer with newspaper underneath, as hot wax will transfer to whatever is beneath.

  • Options: Praline sauce (add 1/2 cup corn syrup to mixture). Chocolate covered praline candy. Flavored pralines (chocolate, coffee, brandy, etc.)

Notes

Recipe by The New Orleans School of Cooking

To roast pecans, bake them on a sheet pan at 275 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until slightly browned and fragrant.

Makes 1-50 Pralines depending on desired size

Nutrition

Calories: 86kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 21mg | Potassium: 21mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 55IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg

Keywords: easy dessert recipe, quick and easy dessert

________________________________

Stay tuned for more New Orleans Adventures and more recipes!

To see the full list of bloggers who I was with click HERE

How to Make Homemade Pralines | Quick and Easy Dessert Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients for pralines? ›

Why won't my pralines get hard? ›

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.

How long do homemade pralines stay fresh? ›

Pralines will keep well for 1 or 2 weeks at room temperature. After that, the sugar will begin to crystallize and the candy will get harder and gritty. To ensure they stay fresh, proper storage is key. Pack them in an airtight container as soon as the candy hardens and use parchment or wax paper to separate layers.

How do you thicken pralines? ›

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!

What are the different types of pralines? ›

What different types of pralines are there?
  • Boilings: Filled with caramel, butterscotch, and like fillings, with milk products added.
  • Creams and fondants: Filling of sugar, sugar syrup, and more sugar, with flavorings added.
  • Croquant: Filled with a mixture of sugar and nuts.

What's the difference between a praline and a praline? ›

A praliné is a paste that is a mixture of nuts, chocolate and sugar. While in Belgium, a 'praline' is defined as a filled chocolate candy. Note that the term 'praline' is of Belgian origin.

Why do pralines turn white? ›

Pralines are a much-appreciated festive treat, but come to think of it, they're simply delicious at any time of the year. When your pralines turn white, you are seeing the recrystallization of sugar. And you are right that honey does technically slow down the rate at which crystals form in candy.

Can you overcook pralines? ›

Pralines should be cooked to 236°F (soft ball stage) so that it is still pliable when it cools and so it maintains the smooth sandy texture typical of pralines. This is impossible to determine without a thermometer, and if you overheat the sugar, you are guaranteed to make pralines that are too firm and grainy.

Can pralines go bad? ›

They never go “bad,” but after a week or so the sugar starts to crystalize and they lose the characteristic snap that you enjoy when biting them.

Does homemade praline need to be refrigerated? ›

Allow the pralines to cool completely, then store between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container. They will keep at room temperature, stored in a cool and dry place, for at least five days or longer.

Can you freeze pralines? ›

Storage: These bourbon pecan pralines can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Freezing: If sealed in an airtight container, they can also store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Making a large batch of these for the holidays is a must!

Why are my pralines sugary? ›

Plan to make your pralines on a cool, dry day. If it's humid or rainy, as it was the first time I made pralines, the candy might end up with a more sugary, grainy texture. While delicious, my first batch never did fully harden.

Why is my praline bitter? ›

Keep an eye on the batch, the caramel must not become too dark, otherwise it will be bitter. (The ideal is to have a pan large enough so that the sugar is distributed in a thin layer.) Pour the hot caramel over the hazelnuts and almonds and coat them. Then let cool completely.

Why did my praline crystallise? ›

Sometimes, as syrup boils, sugar starts to form back into crystals, which turn hard and cloudy. Crystallisation can be caused by stirring, or a grain of something other than sugar getting into the pan, or often just bad luck.

Why are my pralines gritty? ›

These are creamy. The grit comes from hitting a temp other than exactly soft ball. They are fun to make and if you are doing a single batch (about 24 to 36 pralines) you can knock out a batch in about 1/2 hour, start to finish.

What's the difference between a pecan and a praline? ›

For one, pecan pralines are a patty-shaped candy made from pecans and several other ingredients, typically sugar, butter, and cream. Praline pecans, on the other hand, are individual pecan nuts with a praline-flavored coating.

What the heck is a praline? ›

American praline: a creamy, fudge-like confection featuring a cluster of pecans coated with a caramelized mixture of brown sugar, granulated sugar, cream (or milk or evaporated milk) and butter. Though pralines are popular across the Southern U.S., they're most often recognized as a New Orleans specialty.

What are American pralines? ›

Pralines (US: /ˈpreɪliːn/; New Orleans, Cajun, and UK: /ˈprɑːliːn/) are confections containing nuts – usually almonds, pecans and hazelnuts – and sugar. Cream is a common third ingredient. Praline. Pralin (crushed praline)

What's the difference between candied pecans and pralines? ›

What is the difference between candied pecans and pralines? Candied pecans are pecans coated in egg whites, sugar, and spices, then baked until crispy. Pralines are a drop-candy with a caramel-like base and crunchy pecans mixed in.

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