Since we live in coastal Georgia, we have been to the Savannah Candy Kitchen countless times to enjoy their incredible pralines. After lots of research and some recipe testing, we think that our recipe for Southern pecan pralines comes pretty close! Make these creamy, crumbly pralines in just 30 minutes and enjoy this traditional Southern candy.
Love easy candy recipes? Don't miss our recipes for classic peanut brittle and chocolate peanut butter fudge.
Quick Look: Southern Pecan Pralines Recipe
- ⏲️ Prep Time: 30 minutes
- ⏲️ Cooling Time: 1 hour
- ⏲️ Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- 🍽️ Yield: 18 pralines (2½ inches in diameter)
- 🥕 Dietary Info: Vegetarian, Gluten Free
- ⚡ Calories: 230 calories per serving (based on nutrition facts in recipe card)
- 🧈 Ingredients: pecan halves, brown sugar, granulated sugar, evaporated milk, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, and salt.
- 🥣 Method: Stovetop
- ⌛ Time-Saving Hack:
- 🔪 Equipment: instant read thermometer, 2 quart saucepan, parchment paper, and 11x17-inch cookie sheets.
- ⭐ Expert Tip: If the mixture starts seizing or hardening, add 1-2 tablespoons of boiling water and stir until the mixture is smooth.
- 🌰 Flavor & Texture: These pecan pralines are creamy, smooth, and nutty without being gritty or overly sweet.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Tested & Locally Approved: We've tasted the pralines in Savannah many times, and after testing this recipe, both our family and our friends agree that it's very close to the Savannah Candy Kitchen's pralines!
- Perfect Texture (No Graininess!): Unlike many praline recipes, this recipe is made with evaporated milk and cooked to the right temperature to ensures that you get smooth, creamy pralines with a crumbly texture and no graininess.
- Not Overly Sweet: The candy mixture is made with a mixture of white and brown sugar for the best flavor, and when paired with the pecans, it's surprisingly not incredibly sweet.
- Classic Praline Flavor: This recipe replicates the taste and texture of your favorite candies from the Savannah Candy Kitchen!
Featured Comment
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "The praline has just the right amount of sweetness and the nuts add a good crunch. They are soft and creamy and all around delicious!!"
- Alex
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Ingredients
Curious what ingredients you'll need for this traditional Southern candy? Grab these key ingredients, along with a few others, and you'll be ready to start.
- Pecans: Pecans are the traditional nut used in pralines since they grow abundantly throughout the Southeastern US. Either pecan halves or pieces work well in this recipe; we've tested both and enjoyed them.
- Evaporated Milk: This type of milk brings a great creaminess to the candy. You can substitute with heavy whipping cream, but we find that evaporated milk works best.
- Sugars: We use a mixture of brown and white sugar for the best taste and texture.
- Butter: We recommend using unsalted butter, as it allows you to control the amount of salt in the recipe, and is also usually fresher than salted butter.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- Don't Have Evaporated Milk? Substitute with an equal volume of heavy whipping cream.
- Don't Like Pecans? Walnuts or almonds are the best nuts to try instead.
- Dairy Free/Vegan Option: Use vegan/dairy free butter and coconut cream.
How to Make Southern Pecan Pralines
- Place the brown and white sugars, evaporated milk, butter, and salt in a heavy based, 2-quart saucepan.
- Whisk over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved completely.
- Cook until the mixture reaches 235-240°F on a thermometer. Be sure to stir continuously!
- Immediately remove the pan from the heat and add the pecans. Stir for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened.
- Use two spoons to drop the mixture onto parchment-lined cookie sheets. Try to make the pralines about 2½ inches in diameter.
- Let the pralines harden at room temperature, about 1-2 hours. They will have more of a matte finish.
- Peel the pralines off of the parchment paper and place them on a serving plate (or in a metal cookie tin for storage).
- Enjoy these beautiful homemade pecan pralines!
Southern Pecan Pralines FAQs
One of the most important things is ensuring that the mixture is cooked up to the proper temperature of 235-240°F (the soft ball stage) to ensure that it hardens properly. Also, stirring the mixture continuously as it cooks is vital to prevent burning or crystallization.
The best pralines shouldn't be chewy or crunchy; they should be crumbly and melt in the mouth. The sugar part should be creamy and smooth with a crunch from the pecans.
Pralines take anywhere from 45 minutes (if your kitchen is cooler) up to 2 hours to harden. Don't put them in the fridge; the high humidity in the fridge will make the candy weep (get wet and sticky) and won't help it set.
Serving Suggestions
This Southern candy tastes great with other favorite sweets, like coffee truffles, French chocolate truffles, or candied orange slices. If you're looking for more Southern recipes beyond desserts, try Georgia Brunswick stew, Southern collard greens, or pimento cheese spread.
Expert Tips
- Cut the sweetness by adding extra salt.
- If the praline mixture begins to harden while you're spooning out the pralines, stir in boiling water 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture has softened.
- Store leftover pralines in a metal cookie tin at room temperature.
Other Candy Recipes You'll Love
Recipe
Best Southern Pecan Pralines
Ingredients
- 2 cups pecan halves
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Equipment
- 2 quart saucepan heavy based
Instructions
- Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper and pull out two soup-size spoons. Measure out all the ingredients before starting.
- Place the sugars, evaporated milk, butter, and salt into a medium saucepan and stir over medium heat until the sugars have dissolved completely.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high and stir constantly until the mixture reaches 235-240°F on a candy thermometer (the soft ball stage). It's important to stir continuously to prevent it from burning, seizing, or turning grainy. Immediately remove the pan from the heat.
- Dump in the toasted pecans and stir for about 2 minutes, until the mixture has thickened, lightened in color, and lost its glossy sheen. Also, the pecans should no longer sink down to the bottom.
- Place a spoonful of the praline mixture onto a prepared cookie sheet, using another spoon to push the hot mixture off the spoon. Repeat until all the pralines are on the cookie sheets. If the mixture starts seizing, add 1-2 tablespoons of boiling water and stir gently until the mixture is smooth again. Work quickly before the praline mixture hardens; get someone to help you if you can.
- Allow the pralines to set completely (about 1-2 hours) before removing from the parchment and serving. You will probably notice cloudy crystals forming on them as they set; this is called blooming, and is perfectly normal on even the best pralines.
Video
Notes
- Cut the sweetness by adding extra salt.
- If the praline mixture begins to harden while you're spooning out the pralines, stir in boiling water 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture has softened.
- Store leftover pralines in a metal cookie tin at room temperature.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Beth
The best way to eat pecans! There is nothing better than a soft, just-set praline that’s filled with pecans. They’re the perfect sweetness and wonderfully buttery.
Emma Fajcz
That's wonderful, Beth. Thanks so much for your kind words!
Alex
The praline has just the right amount of sweetness and the nuts add a good crunch. They are soft and creamy and all around delicious!!
Emma Fajcz
Thanks so much for your review, Alex! We're so glad that you enjoyed them!