The praline was named after a French diplomat from the early 17th century, Marshal du Plessis-Praslin. The creator of the praline is believed to be his personal chef, Clement Lassagne. French settlers brought the recipe for this sweet confection to New Orleans. The original recipe used almonds; however, cooks soon began substituting the nuts of the native Louisiana pecan tree. As a thriving port city, people from all over the world came through New Orleans, and it didn’t take long for the praline recipe to spread across the country.
Recipe Servings: 30
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Total Time
30 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (300 g) sugar
- 1½ cups (330 g) brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup (237 ml) evaporated milk
- ¼ cup (56 g) butter
- 2 cups (286 g) toasted pecans
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
Directions
- Place sugar, brown sugar, and evaporated milk in a large saucepan set over medium heat, cooking and stirring often for about 11 minutes or until a candy thermometer reaches 228°F (109°C).
- Add butter and pecans, stirring constantly until the mixture reaches 236°F (113°C).
- Remove mixture from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Beat mixture using a wooden spoon for 1–2 minutes or just until it begins to thicken.
- Drop heaping spoonfuls of the mixture onto parchment spaced apart.
- Let pralines rest at room temperature until firm.
Notes
- Toasted almonds or hazelnuts may be used in place of toasted pecans.
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