You guys will never believe how EASY these Foolproof Microwave Southern Pralines are! Made 100% in the microwave, they require NO special candy thermometer and are made in minutes yet taste like traditional, authentic Southern Pralines!
YOU GUYS. Sorry for screaming but also I’m not sorry because these pralines.
They are a GAME CHANGER. A life changer. Seriously INCREDIBLE. You are going to flip!!
I am a HUGE praline fan. In fact, it is one of my favorite candies but I almost never have them. California is ahead of the curve for many things, but Southern candy specialties is not one of them. It is virtually impossible to find southern-style pralines anywhere in California – our claim to fame seems to be salt water taffy which, meh.
The first time I had a praline, I was in the Atlanta airport, of all places. I walked by a Savannah Candy Kitchen store while I was killing time in between flights and decided to try these candies which I’d been lusting after for so long. I bought four or five pralines, thinking I’d share some with my family when I got back home… but I ate ALL of them before the flight home even began. Oops! They are just so irresistible! Besides my brief foray at the ATL airport, I’ve only ever been to Texas and Arkansas, so I have yet to try New Orleans pralines!
The reason why I never tried to make them prior to my airport experience was because I had an irrational fear of candy thermometers for the longest time. There’s something about boiling, molten sugar and precision with a thermometer that just gave me the heebie jeebies. Not to mention all that stuff about “hard crack, soft ball, hard ball” and the “tips” about dropping hot candy into water to see if it threads…????? I mean, that is WAY too technical for me.
But then I got over my fear of candy making equipment and made these pralines which are my favorite! Pretty simple and taste awesome!
But THESE Foolproof Pralines are really, really easy. Like, SO foolproof/goofproof/idiotproof that anyone can make them without candy making experience necessary. I made them twice, consecutively, and both times yielded the most amazing, perfect, authentic tasting pralines.
If you’ve never had a praline before, they are a candy that’s firm but yielding to your bite with a melt-in-your-mouth texture that’s studded with toasty pecans. So divine.
These pralines are made with similar ingredients to a traditional recipe: heavy whipping cream, granulated sugar, a pinch of salt, butter, pecans and vanilla. So delicious.
Everything is done in the microwave, of all places, which is the beauty of this recipe. The microwave is the unsung hero because it just does all the work for you. All you have to do is set the timer and stir it when the recipe states to. Once it’s done in the microwave, you’ll beat it with a wooden spoon until thickened and then drop mounds of it onto parchment-lined baking sheets to cool and set.
This is going to be one of my go-to praline recipes from now on. It’s just so stinkin’ simple! I think you’ll agree!
Foolproof Microwave Southern Pralines
Ingredients
- 1½ cups granulated white sugar
- 1 cup sweetened condensed milk or heavy whipping cream
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 cups chopped pecans
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- First: know the wattage of your microwave. This recipe works best on a 1000-watt microwave. If your microwave is less than 1000-watts, you may need to increase the cooking time. If it is higher than 1000-watts, you may want to decrease the cooking time.
- In a large plastic microwaveable bowl, add in the sugar, heavy cream, salt, butter, and pecans. Do not stir. Microwave on HIGH power for 3 minutes. Remove from the microwave and stir for 30 seconds. Microwave again on HIGH power for another 3 minutes. Remove from the microwave and stir for about 45 seconds. Lastly, microwave once more for 2 minutes and 30 seconds on HIGH power.
- Remove from the microwave and add in the vanilla. Beat the mixture with a wooden spoon, stirring vigorously until mixture becomes thickened and cloudy/dull in color, about 2 minutes or so.
- Working quickly, drop heaping spoonfuls of the pralines onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Allow pralines to cool and set at room temperature before storing in an airtight container.
These pralines are so buttery, melt-in-your-mouth and DELICIOUS. I know you’re going to love them!
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
Maryann says
Amazing girl you are a genius! Can’t wait to try them!
thedomesticrebel says
Thanks, Maryann!
Pegi says
Are the pecans roasted or raw?
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Pegi, you can certainly toast them before proceeding with the recipe, but I left mine raw.
Miranda says
Looks wonderful. How long do they stay good? I’m thinking of Christmas gifts.😊
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Miranda, I would say they’d be good airtight for about a week!
Linda says
Hi, made these with my daughter this past weekend using your recipe with the sweeened condensed milk. They were as easy as you say and a huge hit. My question is what is the difference in outcome with this new recipe formulation?
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Linda! You can actually use heavy cream or sweetened condensed milk in this recipe. There is no difference, really – both will yield virtually the same results.
Linda says
Thanks! We are going to make another batch as a hostess gift for Thanksgiving! Great recipe.
Kelly says
Does it not make them too sweet using sweetened condensed milk instead of heavy cream?
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Kelly, yes, pralines are notoriously very sweet, and the sweetened condensed milk does make them quite sweet! You can always use heavy cream instead.
Cindy says
Easy but grainy and not as shiny
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Cindy! I went ahead and re-tested the recipe using more heavy cream/sweetened condensed milk. I found the condensed milk gives the shinier appearance, so use that in place of heavy cream. And hopefully now you’ll find they aren’t grainy.
Nikki says
I plan on trying out this recipe tonight.. What brand of butter do you use?
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Nikki, honestly whatever is on sale, ha! I like using unsalted butter so I can control the salt in the recipe. But if you use salted butter, just omit the actual salt from the recipe.
Alexandra-Sanja says
Hello dear, would you be so kind to give us recipe in European measurements?
Taylor says
Hi! How many pralines will this make, and do you suggest doubling the recipe or just making multiple batches? I am making quite a lot for Christmas gifts and came across this recipe to save me some time versus my usual method 🙂
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Taylor! Depending on the size of your spoon/scoop and how much you scoop, this could make anywhere from 8-10 large-ish ones, or maybe 12-15 smaller size ones I’d think! And as with any candy recipe, I recommend making multiple batches rather than doubling up. It just makes for more consistent results, as I do feel that doubling the recipe would change the consistency and/or the texture since I feel like the cook time would also be affected.
Rob says
Why the plastic bowl instead of glass?
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Rob! I generally prefer to stay away from glass pans and bowls because I find they conduct heat differently and yield inconsistent results.
Sheryl says
Will the outside weather affect the outcome of this recipe?
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Sheryl, yes, rumor has it that humid temperatures outside may affect candy outcomes. It may make it harder for the pralines to set up. However, I would still try it anyway!
Adela says
Great recipe i tryed it with whiiping cream not heavy did on a 1200 watts for 10 minutes everyone loved them thanks