Pecan Pralines
Quick answer
- Total time
- 70 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 12 servings
- Ingredients
- 7
About this dish
Beating the syrup after it leaves the heat is deliberate: it turns glossy candy opaque and gives pralines a slightly crumbly bite instead of a chewy caramel one.
Read more
Cream and brown sugar hide the color cues of a clear syrup, so a candy thermometer, its tip clear of the pan base, decides when to stop at 116°C.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Prepare two parchment-lined trays and a metal spoon.
This recipe uses US measuring cups of about 237 ml. Break the pecans coarsely before measuring.
- 2
Combine both sugars, cream and corn syrup in a heavy 3 L saucepan.
Stir over medium-low heat to dissolve sugar, then reduce to low once boiling.
- 3
Cook, stirring frequently, to about 116°C (240°F), keeping the thermometer tip off the base.
It takes about 15 minutes, but temperature is the endpoint.
- 4
Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla.
Beat with a heatproof spatula for about 2 minutes, until the shine fades and it starts thickening, then fold in pecans.
- 5
Quickly spoon about 24 small mounds onto the paper.
Cool at least 30 minutes until fully set and releasing cleanly, then pack airtight.
References checked
These references were consulted when this page was prepared or corrected. A source check does not mean the recipe was independently kitchen-tested.
- New Orleans Pralines
Karo · Checked: 2026-09-26
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