Vegan Pralines

These old-fashioned Vegan Pralines are the most delightful treat! Every sweet and crumbly bite melts in your mouth with scrumptious, crisp pecans to take them over the top. Easily whip up these homemade candies for parties, gifts, holidays, or just because!

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These classic pecan pralines are incredibly simple to make with only a handful of ingredients. They would also be a wonderful dessert to bring to Mardi Gras, Easter, Christmas, or get-togethers.

If you aren’t familiar with pralines, they taste similar to caramel, butterscotch, or dulce de leche, but have a fudgy yet crumbly texture. They are often filled with pecans that become soft and crisp while making them.

Southern pralines are quite the hit at candy shops in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Savannah, Georgia. I’m biased and absolutely love the ones made in Austin, Texas!

It is believed that pralines originated in France, and I find them to be very similar to Mexican jamoncillo candy. There are certainly some regional differences in pralines, but they are all so rich and delicious.

These pecan pralines are good on the counter for days and last even longer in the refrigerator or freezer. I like to freeze a few whenever I make a batch as reserves for my future sweet-tooth cravings, haha!

It’s incredible that all you need are 7 simple ingredients, yet the depth of flavors tastes so divine! An added bonus is that everything in these pralines is vegan and easy to find at most grocery stores.

All you need to do is heat the sugars, plant milk, vegan butter, and salt in a pot. Once the temperature reaches a certain point, take it off the heat. After a few minutes of cooling, stir in the vanilla and pecans.

You’ll know it’s time to start scooping when the glossy mixture changes into a creamy appearance right before your eyes. Let the mounds of candy cool down into solid heaps and enjoy!

If you’re looking for more delicious plant-based sweets, be sure to check out my Thin Mint Truffles, Bread Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce, Date Snickers, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars!

You Will Love These Pralines Because They…

• Have no dairy
• Are so easy to make
• Only need 7 ingredients
• Stand out as gifts or potluck treats
• Are the most delicious little homemade candies!

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Ingredients and Substitutions

• Sugar – Cane sugar and light brown sugar come together to form a lovely depth of sweetness. Make sure the label says “vegan” or “organic.”
• Salt – Just a little bit balances the sweetness while creating a distinct layer of depth to the flavors.
• Plant-Based Milk – Use any kind that you have on hand. Oat, almond, soy, etc. are all so tasty here.
• Vegan Butter – Salted vegan butter adds a buttery lusciousness. If yours is unsalted, simply add an extra pinch of salt (1/8 tsp).
• Vanilla Extract – Look for the kind of vanilla extract that says “pure” for the richest flavor. Another option is to use vanilla bean paste.
• Pecans – Their flavor and texture go so well with this sweet confection. Halved or chopped nuts also help create a lumpy mound-like structure. Other tasty alternatives that can be used include hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, peanuts, and even pistachios!

How To Make Vegan Pecan Pralines

Here are some quick visual steps. Find the full recipe with exact measurements on the recipe card below.

Add the sugars, salt, vegan butter, and plant-based milk to a medium-sized pot. Then, heat it over medium-low heat.

Note: I find that heavy pots with tall walls work best here for ease of stirring and in case the mixture bubbles up too high.

Stir this occasionally with a wooden spoon, but try to avoid scraping the walls of the pot to prevent a grainy texture to the pralines. The butter will melt, and eventually the mixture will come together and start to bubble.

Keep stirring until it reaches 235°F (110°C). This is known as the “softball stage” and should take about 30 minutes to get to.

Take the pot off the heat and let the mixture cool and rest for 10 minutes. Do not stir it during this time.

Add the pecans and vanilla. Gently stir this mixture regularly for about 5 minutes.

When it becomes tough to stir through, and the liquid loses its gloss, they are ready for scooping.

Use a cookie dough scoop to place mounds on parchment paper. Work fast at this point because the mixture will start to solidify as it cools. If it starts to crumble, stir in a small amount of hot water to give yourself more time to finish scooping.

Let the pralines cool down at room temperature for 1 hour. No worries if they form some crystallization on the surface as they cool. This is expected with pralines.

Enjoy them as soon as they cool down or save them for later!

Tips For Success

• Use a heavy pot that will stay in place while stirring.
• Taller pots work best in case the mixture bubbles up high.
• Try not to scrape the sides of the pot when stirring to prevent a grainy texture to the pralines.
• Work fast when scooping mounds.
• Stir in a tablespoon of hot water if it becomes too crumbly to scoop through.
• Making pralines in the morning or on cooler days helps decrease the amount of crystal clusters that form on the surface as they cool down. However, these are totally normal and expected with pralines.

Storage

These vegan pecan pralines store really well! Keep them in a covered dish at room temperature for 3 days, in the refrigerator for a week, or in the freezer for 2 months.

Variation Ideas

• Mix in 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder for chocolate-flavored pralines.
• Try making them with different nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, etc.
• Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top before they cool down.

I hope you loved this recipe! If you try it, please let me know what you think with a rating and comment below. Your feedback really supports my blog and is helpful to other readers! 🙂 You can stay updated on my latest recipes by following me on Pinterest and joining my Email List.

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