Have you ever tried old-fashioned pecan pralines? Sometimes called New Orleans pralines or southern pralines, these decadent little bites are loaded with sweetness and make a wonderful treat to share during the holidays.

Old-Fashioned Pecan Pralines Recipe

The first time I took a bite of one of these old-fashioned pralines, I had hearts in my eyes.

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I definitely have a sweet tooth, and if pecan pralines don’t satisfy yours then nothing else will.

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I love these simple southern pecan pralines because they are quite easy to make. Even if you’ve been intimidated by candy recipes in the past, do give these old-fashioned pralines a whirl.

You’ll be so glad that you did!

Old Fashioned Pecan Pralines Recipe - these easy pralines will satisfy your sweet tooth!

I’m a total sucker for those old-fashioned recipes. Don’t miss my shoo-fly pie recipe and this amazing old-fashioned goulash.

I’m going to be making batches of these quick and easy pecan pralines for the holiday season.

I love them because they are easily stacked in a decorative Christmas tin. You can use sheets of parchment to separate the layers, although I’ve found that they stack nicely even without it.

New Orleans Pralines

Admittedly, this is not an old family recipe. I found this old-fashioned pralines recipe in a recent issue of Taste of the South.

It made me want to do a little digging online, and that’s when I found out about the history of New Orleans pralines.

You can get a little history about this type of southern praline on this site.

How to Make Pralines

My biggest tip for making pralines is that you must utilize a candy thermometer.

If you don’t have a candy thermometer, be sure to pick one up! Letting the praline mixture reach the appropriate temperature is imperative for your success.

To make these easy pralines, you’ll need to have a few tasty ingredients on hand, listed below.

1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup heavy whipping cream
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups pecan halves

Yes, these old-fashioned pralines are basically sugar disks and they are SO tasty. Below is the basic method.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
In a medium saucepan stir together the sugars, heavy whipping cream, and the baking soda.
Over medium heat bring to a boil stirring occasionally. Allow boiling until a temperature of 235 is reached. Remove from the heat immediately. Stir in the butter and the vanilla. Quickly add the pecans and vigorously stir for about 1 minute.
Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.
Allow cooling until set.

Here’s a tip, be sure you’re working quickly when dropping the cookies on the parchment paper as they will begin to harden quickly.

Easy Pecan Pralines

I hope you love these easy pecan pralines as much as I do! Be sure to pin the recipe and leave a comment on the post if you try them.

For more great desserts try my famous coconut magic bars and these easy corn flake cookies.

You should also check out my buckeye candy recipe!

Ingredients

1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup heavy whipping cream
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups pecan halves

Instructions

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
In a medium saucepan stir together the sugars, heavy whipping cream, and the baking soda.
Over medium heat bring to a boil stirring occasionally. Allow to boil until a temperature of 235 is reached. Remove from the heat immediately. Stir in the butter and the vanilla. Quickly add the pecans and vigorously stir for about 1 minute.
Working quickly, drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.
Allow to cool until set.

Notes

Adapted from Taste of the South: Pecan Everything special edition 2018

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Nutrition

Nutrition values are estimates, sourced from an online nutrition calculator. This information should never be considered a substitute for medical advice. Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Keyword: old fashioned pralines, pecan pralines, pralines

Did you make this?

I would love to hear from you! Make sure to leave your review below and follow on Pinterest for more!

4.46 from 61 votes (61 ratings without comment)

7 Comments

John says:

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Can you tell me how long they last?
We want to make for a party but don’t want to make last minute. Thanks in advance.

Rick says:

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Made these for Christmas and they turned out great, just follow the recipe and they turn out perfect

Yvette says:

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Easy to follow and delicious!

Carole says:

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Hahaha…if you double the recipe but quadruple the cream then you make 2 jars of delicious caramel frosting for the Christmas cinnamon rolls!

Penny skotzke says:

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How long will they stay fresh in a sealed container? The
Thank you for answering me,

Penny skotzke?

Millican Pecan says:

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Great pictures. Nothing quite like New Orleans Pralines! Of course, how can you go wrong with brown sugar, whipping cream, and butter, right??? Well done. Love them.

Susan says:

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These look SOO good. My mom used to make something similar.