Easy Microwave Pralines Recipe (2024)

Posted: · Updated: · By Chrysa

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This Easy Microwave Pralines Recipe takes only minutes to make and creates a delicious candy treat for anytime snacking or gift-giving.

Easy Microwave Pralines Recipe (1)

Do you have a favorite nut? Pecans are definitely one of my favorites. I lovedit when my sister lived in Texas and she had a big ‘ol pecan tree in her front yard.

She would get SO MANY pecans from that one tree that she would have plenty to send to me. I had them stocked in the freezer!

While I now have to buy my pecans from the store I still love them and love pecan recipes like my butter pecan cake, pumpkin pecan crisp and, of course, these pralines!

Jump to:
  • What Are Pecan Pralines?
  • Giving Pralines As a Gift
  • 🧾 Ingredients Needed
  • 🥣 How to Make
  • How to Store Pralines
  • More Pecan Recipes You’ll Love
  • 📖 Recipe
  • Easy Microwave Pralines
Easy Microwave Pralines Recipe (3)

What Are Pecan Pralines?

Pecan Pralines are a classic candy especially popular in the South. They’re a patty-shaped candy featuring crunchy pecans in a mixture including sugar, butter and cream.

They’re not too hard to make even the traditional way, but this microwave method is even easier. You can have them finished and ready to cool in about 15 minutes.

The hardest part is waiting for them to cool before you eat them!

Giving Pralines As a Gift

These pralines make a great snack and they look so special that they also make a great gift. Just package them in a mason jar or a cute tin.

Easy Microwave Pralines Recipe (4)Christmas Nesting Cookie TinsEasy Microwave Pralines Recipe (5)Hallmark Home Holiday Round Nesting TinsEasy Microwave Pralines Recipe (6)3D Christmas Gift BoxesEasy Microwave Pralines Recipe (7)Christmas Holiday Round Nesting TinsEasy Microwave Pralines Recipe (8)Octagon Shaped Christmas TinsEasy Microwave Pralines Recipe (9)Holiday Snowflake Bakery Boxes

Personally, some of my favorite Christmas gifts are the kind I can eat!! As long as its something delicious (like this fudge is), it makes me happy to know that someone took the time to put their own effort into making me a gift.

Food gifts are even more fun when they are presented in a special way. While I am happy to take yummy treats that are just on a plain paper plate or packed in an old cool-whip container, it’s a lot more fun when they are bundled in pretty packaging!

I did a little bit of browsing and found all of the fun food containers listed above that are perfect for gifting your microwave pralines.

🧾 Ingredients Needed

📌 Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with quantities and step-by-step instructions!

🥣 How to Make

Cover a baking sheet with wax paper and grease with butter.
Combine sugar, cream, salt and butter in a large microwavable bowl.
Microwave for 3 minutes, add pecans and stir.
Microwave 6 more minutes or until temperature reaches about 240-245, stirring every 3 minutes or so.
Let mixture sit for 1 minute before adding vanilla and stirring.
Continue stirring for 2 more minutes.
Drop spoonfulsof mixture onto prepared sheet.
Let cool.

If you’re lucky enough to have a source of fresh pecans still in the shell (like we did when my sister lived in Austin), you will still have to shell them, which can be hard work!

A nut cracker can make that a lot easier and quicker. It protects you from beat-up fingers too. This is a pretty cool option that is particularly helpful for cracking pecans:

Easy Microwave Pralines Recipe (12)

How to Store Pralines

Store pralines in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.

More Pecan Recipes You’ll Love

  • Easy Pecan Pie Muffins Recipe – Only 5 Ingredients!
  • Toasted Butter Pecan Cake Recipe – YUM!!
  • Scrumptious Pecan Pie Bars Recipe
  • Delicious Slow Cooker Butter Pecan Pear Cake – SO Easy to Make!

If you tried this Microwave Praline Recipeor any other recipe on my site, please please leave a 🌟star ratingand let me know how it turned out in the 📝commentsbelow. I love hearing your about your results and thoughts!

📖 Recipe

Easy Microwave Pralines Recipe (17)

Easy Microwave Pralines

Chrysa

This Easy Microwave Pralines Recipe takes only minutes to make and creates a delicious candy treat for anytime snacking or gift-giving.

4.39 from 73 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 17 minutes mins

Course Candy

Cuisine American

Servings 32

Calories 98 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
  • 2/3 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1/8 tsp Salt
  • 3 tbsp Butter
  • 1 1/2 cup Pecan Halves
  • 1 tsp Vanilla

Instructions

  • Cover a cookie sheet with wax paper and grease with butter.

  • Combine sugar, cream, salt and butter in a large microwavable bowl.

  • Microwave for 3 minutes, add pecans and stir.

  • Microwave 6 more minutes or until temperature reaches about 240-245, stirring every 3 minutes or so.

  • Let mixture sit for 1 minute before adding vanilla and stirring.

  • Continue stirring for 2 more minutes.

  • Drop heaping tablespoons of mixture onto prepared sheet.

Nutrition

Calories: 98kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 1gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 22mgPotassium: 38mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 108IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 0.2mg

I am not a nutritionist. These values were calculated automatically with the Spoonacular Food API.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Easy Microwave Pralines Recipe (18)

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Easy Microwave Pralines Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why won't my pralines get hard? ›

If you beat too long, the candy will seize and start to crumble. If you don't beat it long enough, then pralines won't set properly and will stay soft and sticky.

How do you soften pecan pralines? ›

Since the problem is mostly that the sugar in the pralines gets hard and crystallized, you might try softening them the way you'd soften hard brown sugar. Place a terracotta sugar saver in the container or something else that's slightly damp, like a few slices of apple or a slice of fresh bread.

Why do pralines turn white? ›

Pralines are a much-appreciated festive treat, but come to think of it, they're simply delicious at any time of the year. When your pralines turn white, you are seeing the recrystallization of sugar. And you are right that honey does technically slow down the rate at which crystals form in candy.

How do you stop pralines from crystallizing? ›

A little crystallization in pralines is inevitable but adding a bit of corn syrup can help keep crystals from forming. In this recipe I also butter the sides of the pot and only stir before the sugar comes to a boil. After the candy reaches soft-ball stage, it is left to cool for 10 minutes without agitation.

Why won't my homemade candy harden? ›

If the sugar mixture is not cooked to the proper temperature (the hard-crack stage 300-310° F {149-154° C.} or if you are working in a kitchen with high humidity, chances are your candy is retaining too much moisture.

Can you overcook pralines? ›

Pralines should be cooked to 236°F (soft ball stage) so that it is still pliable when it cools and so it maintains the smooth sandy texture typical of pralines. This is impossible to determine without a thermometer, and if you overheat the sugar, you are guaranteed to make pralines that are too firm and grainy.

Why is my praline bitter? ›

Just make sure you buy your nuts raw and not already roasted. The main reason for that is that we will cook the nuts in a pan for 10-15 min. If you do this with roasted nuts, they will end up being over-roasted and your praline will taste very bitter.

What is the difference between butter pecans and pecan pralines? ›

Butter pecan is a flavor combination of pecans, butter, and pure vanilla flavoring, making this a sweet treat you want to bite your teeth into. Pecan pralines are another popular treat option using pecans. However, pecan pralines are much sweeter and more sugar forward compared to butter pecan.

What is the soft ball stage for pralines? ›

235° F–240° F

At this temperature, sugar syrup dropped into cold water will form a soft, flexible ball. If you remove the ball from water, it will flatten like a pancake after a few moments in your hand. Fudge , pralines, and fondant are made by cooking ingredients to the soft-ball stage.

Should pralines be refrigerated? ›

They will keep at room temperature, stored in a cool and dry place, for at least five days or longer. Pralines ship very well, so they make a good care package gift!

How long are pralines good for? ›

They never go “bad,” but after a week or so the sugar starts to crystalize and they lose the characteristic snap that you enjoy when biting them. Our Creamy Pralines are more fudge-like and they will last for up to eight months from production.

How long can you store homemade pralines? ›

Pralines will keep well for 1 or 2 weeks at room temperature. After that, the sugar will begin to crystallize and the candy will get harder and gritty. To ensure they stay fresh, proper storage is key. Pack them in an airtight container as soon as the candy hardens and use parchment or wax paper to separate layers.

Why are my pralines gooey? ›

sometimes I have no idea why they won't harden. But if your pralines are still gooey after 30-40 minutes, you may have to scrape them back into the pan and heat them again. Add a tablespoon of milk, melt the sugar, and as before, stir constantly while you bring them to a boil.

Can pralines go bad? ›

Pecan pralines last up to three weeks. So it is better to consume the pecan pralines in the first two to three weeks after you make them. After three weeks, the pralines will not go bad but the sugar will begin to re-crystallize and so they will lose their delicious creaminess and will get a little harder to chew.

What are the ingredients in Aunt Sally's pralines? ›

100% cacao gets mixed into our rich, Creamy Praline recipe of fresh cream, sugar, and locally-sourced Louisiana pecans. All fudge, chocolate, and sweet lovers will adore these Creamy Chocolate Pralines. All of Aunt Sally's Pralines are 100% gluten-free.

Why does my hard candy get soft? ›

It's all about moisture. Soft food gets hard because the water in it evaporates. Hard or crisp food gets soft(er) because it absorbs water from the atmosphere.

What makes hard candy harden? ›

The process of turning sugar into a hard, smooth, transparent confection involves heating a sugar/corn syrup/water solution to 300 – 310° F. {150 - 155° C.}, or what is known as the hard crack stage of sugar. The use of a candy thermometer is not essential, but highly recommended and accuracy is critical.

Why did my praline crystallise? ›

Sometimes, as syrup boils, sugar starts to form back into crystals, which turn hard and cloudy. Crystallisation can be caused by stirring, or a grain of something other than sugar getting into the pan, or often just bad luck.

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