If you get one homemade treat at Christmastime in Louisiana, it’s probably going to be a praline. And if you call it a “pray-leen” within earshot of anyone from here, you will be mocked mercilessly because it is apparently pronounced “prah-leen.” But since I can’t call it a prah-leen without feelings of wrongness climbing into my throat, whenever I’m around native Louisianans, I try to do everything I can to just not say the word at all.
These New Orleans-style pralines are rich, creamy confections built from brown sugar, cream, and plenty of pecans for a classic Southern treat. The sugar cooks down to a soft, fudgy texture that melts on your tongue, while the toasted pecans give each piece a satisfying crunch.
Ingredients & Equipment Needed
- heavy whipping cream
- corn syrup – light or dark, either is fine
- white sugar
- orange – The orange zest is optional, and you’re not going to find it in traditional pralines. But it is super yummy.
- pecans
- kosher salt – optional
- large stock pot
- candy thermometer
How to Make New Orleans-Style Pralines
This is a simple overview of the recipe, you’ll find a full printable recipe below!
- In a large, heavy pot, cook the cream, corn syrup, sugar, and optional zest until the mixture thickens and turns golden.
- Continue cooking to soft-ball stage, then stir in the pecans and cook a bit longer until slightly thicker.
- Remove from heat and quickly spoon portions onto lined baking sheets.
- Sprinkle with salt if desired and let stand until fully set and firm, with a soft, fudgy texture.
- Store in an airtight container for up to a week once set.
Storage & Other Tips
- It takes a long time: there are a few simple ingredients and the instructions are short. Don’t be deceived. What starts out as what you think will be simple, harmless fun could end up going on for hours. And you can’t leave, because those are the rules of candy. There will be a point when you wonder if you will ever leave this sugary prison, trust me.
- Bubbling over: In the early stages, this boils over very easily, so watch it carefully.
- Finnicky factors: Altitude and humidity can impact your results. Higher altitudes may need to cook things a touch longer than lower altitudes. Don’t try to make these if it’s raining or snowing or overly humid outside, they won’t set up.
- Prepare your baking sheets right away: get your baking sheets lined with parchment paper right after you get your ingredients in the pot simmering, or before you begin cooking. You want these ready to go! Once you have to scoop out the pralines, you need to do it very quickly. You don’t want to get the pans ready at the last second.
- Setting up & final stages: they should have kind of a matte-ish finish instead of being shiny or oily and they should more or less hold their shape, especially in the middle. I like mine sprinkled with just a little bit of kosher salt–it kind of offsets the super sweet sweetness and adds another flavor dimension. The texture should be similar to fudge, not chewy like caramel or hard like toffee or peanut brittle.
Frequently Asked Questions
That usually means the sugar mixture didn’t reach the proper temperature long enough. Make sure it cooks to the recommended stage before dropping onto sheets.
It’s a candy-making term, when a bit of the hot syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft, pliable ball. A candy thermometer is a must for this recipe, and is an easy way to gauge this.
Orange zest adds a subtle citrus note that brightens the sweetness. It’s optional but gives a nice complexity if you include it.
Crystallization can happen if sugar splashes on the sides of the pot or if the mixture isn’t stirred properly early on. Using a clean pot and stirring gently helps. You want to avoid sugar crystals on the sides of the pan at all costs.
Yes. They set at room temperature and keep well for several days, so they’re great to make in advance.
New Orleans-Style Pralines
Ingredients
- 1 quart whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup light or dark
- 1 pound white sugar
- zest of 1 orange optional
- 1 ½ cups chopped pecans
- light sprinkling of kosher salt optional
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, combine the cream, corn syrup, sugar, and orange zest (if using). Cook over low to medium-low, stirring occasionally. In the early stages, be careful not to let it boil over.
- When the mixture starts to thicken, start stirring constantly. The mixture will gradually turn golden brown and become thick and bubbly.
- When it reaches 240°, add the pecans and cook, stirring constantly (and into all the nooks and crannies of the pot, but being careful not to splash up the sides too much) until your mixture reaches 248 degrees. Remove from heat.
- Using two dessert spoons or a half-tablespoon cookie scoop, spoon the pralines onto the lined baking sheets. If desired, lightly sprinkle with kosher salt.
- Allow to stand for at least 30 minutes, but it could take up to a day or two for these to become solid. The consistency should be similar to fudge, maybe slightly drier. It shouldn’t be chewy like caramel, or hard like toffee.
- After they set up, they can be stored for up to a week in an airtight container.
Questions & Reviews
I see this is a 13 year old post, but I’m going to comment anyway, lol… I’m from New Orleans, and I definitely say PRAH-leen! When I watched Emeril Lagasse on tv from his New York set, he took time out from his demonstration of making pralines to look into the screen and say, “IT’S PRONOUNCED ‘PRAH-LEEN’!” I can never bring myself to say it “wrong.” ha!
Anyway, my late mother-in-law had the best pralines in my opinion, and in all my years of eating these delectable treats, I think I’ve only tasted one that was 99% comparable. I won’t give the recipe here, as she never shared it with anyone but me, her son-in-law, whom she trusted even more than her 3 daughters to protect it. She’s been gone for 19 years now, and I still make them for the family and also sell them from time to time. Her recipe is so good that you’ll think you’re eating a cookie and forget you’re eating a wad of sugar! People have many different recipes for pralines, and for me, I find that corn syrup lends to much to a softer, fudgier candy. I prefer that happy medium between soft and solid. Not “hard”, but solid. I don’t recall if I’ve ever had Brennan’s praline. But I’ve had their rum punch! 🤪
Hi Kate – I ended up with “caramel pralines” which from Googling around, I understand is a failed attempt! 😛 Still tastes so yummy however. Any magic solution to prevent caramel, and get the right texture? Thanks!
I’m another Barbara who would love to know what that cute pink thermometer is and where to buy one. I don’t like the glass ones at all because I break them. And I am in desperate need of a pra-leen (I only call them prah-leens when I’m in NOLA)fix, because they are my favorite candy. Or maybe they are second, after toffee. Or first. I can’t decide. But I’d sure love to have a cute pink thermometer. Sigh.
Barbara, that’s a Thermapen. They’re pricey, but I can honestly say it’s the only thermometer you’ll ever need, it’s worth the dough!
This post make me crack up laughing. I live in New Orleans and have started my own little Praline business, Creole Confections. There is a debate between my friends and I over the whole “pray-leen vs prah-leen”. I even had a poll going on my FB page for a while. My recipe is quite different from this one, so I am looking forward to trying yours for fun.