If you love homemade southern candy confections, you will most certainly want to try the classic version of these pecan pralines. Or make a batch of fluffy, sweet homemade divinity. We have friends who live in Georgia who took us to Savannah when we went to visit them. While we were there, we walked down to River Street where there are some incredible candy shops that offer samples of fresh, sometimes warm, pecan pralines. If you have never had one, they are an absolute revelation as far as sweets goes. I think of them as a cross between a cookie and a candy. And you can get them in both the classic flavor and a deeply chocolatey flavor. I immediately came home and made the classic version for my American Eats series when I was working on Georgia recipes. But I only just recently got around to making the chocolate version. And it was so easy! My husband and kids LOVED these. I’ve been making quite a lot of sweets lately while gearing up for the holidays, and these were the thing that got eaten first by everyone.
Chocolate Praline Ingredients
Sugar: Both granulated sugar and brown sugar work together to create the rich, sweet praline base of this recipe. Butter: I always use salted butter in my baking and candy making. Evaporated milk: This ingredient is richer than regular milk and adds a wonderful depth of flavor. Cocoa powder: I used regular, unsweetened Hershey’s cocoa powder in this recipe because it’s so readily available to any home baker. Vanilla extract: Vanilla brings out the best in all the other ingredients and creates depth in sweets. Salt: It’s not a lot, but it definitely balances things out. Pecan halves: If you store your nuts in the freezer like I do (they last so much longer!), be sure to pull them out well in advance so you aren’t adding cold nuts to the hot praline mixture.
How to Make Chocolate Pralines
Why are my pralines gritty?
If you have a problem with your pralines turning out gritty, chances are that the mixture cooked too long or at too high of a temperature. You will see that the mixture turns crumbly and dry. You can sometimes save it by adding a teaspoon or two of really hot water at a time and stirring it in. At the same time, undercooking the praline mixture can result in candy that won’t set up. It’s why I highly recommend using a candy thermometer (affiliate link) (affiliate link) when making pralines.
How long does it take for pralines to set?
If the pralines are properly cooked, they will set up within about 20-60 minutes. I have heard that they won’t set up on a rainy or humid days, but so far haven’t experienced that myself. If that happens, you might try placing them in the fridge for a bit to see if that helps.
Storage
Chocolate pralines will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. You could also store them in the fridge.
More Recipes Like This
Grandma Nash’s Butter Almond English Toffee Old-Fashioned Divinity Homemade Peanut Brittle White Chocolate Cranberry Fudge Oreo Truffles Creamy Chocolate Fudge Homemade Cream Caramels Candy Coated Crispix Mix
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