Easy Pecan Pralines

Homemade pecan pralines on a cookie sheet.

5 from 1 vote

There's nothing like old-fashioned Easy Pecan Pralines, a delicious and creamy Southern candy that's ready in about 30 minutes!

Course Dessert, DIY, Snack

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 186kcal

Author Lise Sullivan Ode

Equipment

Ingredients

16 ounces light brown sugar
½ cup evaporated milk
2 tablespoons orange zest
2 cups chopped pecans
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter

Instructions

Whisk together the main ingredients (light brown sugar, evaporated milk, vanilla and butter) in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Keep whisking until completely combined
Boil until the sugar mixtures reaches the soft ball stage or 240° degrees F using a candy thermometer.
Remove from fire. Add zest and pecans; stir (while still hot) until combined.
Let it cool slightly (5 minutes), then use a cookie scoop to scoop dollops of the praline mixture onto parchment paper (or wax paper) lined sheet pan. Don't let it cool too much or it will be too thick to scoop. Once you have it scooped onto paper, let it cool until set. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

What is the soft-ball stage? A way of testing sugar syrup to see if it has boiled to the stage where it becomes candy. To find out, you drop a little bit of boiling syrup into cold water. If it forms a soft ball which will flatten on its own when removed, then it has reached that stage. On a candy thermometer the temperature would be 240°F.

Nutrition