Chocolate Praline Candy is the perfect compromise between creamy and crunchy textures and chocolatey and nutty flavors.
Made with toasted pecans surrounded by creamy caramelized chocolate praline coating, this homemade candy is perfect as a snack or for sharing with others.
What you will read about in this recipe.
What makes chocolate pecan pralines so good?
It is the contrasting chocolate and nutty flavors along with the complementing richness of smooth cocoa coating that make this homemade candy something special.
I like that this recipe can be easily customized by adding sprinkles on top or by swapping out the extract flavors.
Have you tried my Easy No Bake Frito Candy?
Made with corn chips, peanut butter, and chocolate chips, that mouthwatering snack has the perfect balance of salty and sweet flavors with a bit of crunch in every bite! Both this recipe for chocolate praline candy and that recipe for Frito candy are tasty candy recipes that are easy to make.
To make this homemade candy recipe more accurately, you should use a candy thermometer. You can find candy thermometers here.
What you need to make chocolate pralines.
- Pecans. Use pecan halves. If you use pecans that have already been toasted, you can skip the toasting step in this recipe.
- Sugar. Granulated Sugar (white) and Brown Sugar.
- Heavy Cream This is what makes the chocolate base so creamy. Use a full-fat heavy cream for best results.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. A good quality cocoa powder will give these candies a richer flavor.
- Butter If you are using unsalted butter, you can add a quarter teaspoon of salt to this recipe.
- Vanilla Extract. This adds a bit of flavor balance to this candy recipe.
How to Make Homemade Chocolate Praline Candy.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes .
- Cook Time: 10 minutes .
- Servings: 24 .
- How to Serve: Serve as a snack, share with others at a gathering such as a holiday party, or box these up to give to others as a gift.
- Notes: You will need a skillet, saucepan, whisk, wooden spoon, spoon, and baking sheet with parchment paper to make this recipe .
- Prepare. Gather your ingredients. Also, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
- Toast. To toast your pecans, place the pecans into your skillet over medium heat. Toast the pecans until fragrant, stirring occasionally. This should take about four to five minutes.
- Base. To make the chocolate caramel candy base, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine together the sugars (white and brown) along with the heavy cream. Use a whisk to occasionally mix the the ingredients until they reach a 'soft-ball' stage or 240°F using a candy thermometer. This should take five to seven minutes.
- Combine. Carefully remove the saucepan from the heat and use a wooden spoon to add the butter, toasted pecans, and vanilla extract. If you are using unsalted butter you can add the salt here as well. Stir the ingredients until well combined and the pecans are even coated with the chocolate caramel mixture.
- Drop Use a large spoon to drop spoonfuls of the mixture on to your prepared baking sheet from the first step, leaving about an inch between each candy. You can use your spoon to shape the candies so that they are similar in size and shape if needed.
- Set. Allow your candies to fully set at room temperature before enjoying. You can add sprinkles or toppings to your candies at this point if desired.
Tips for making the best praline candy.
When you are cooking your base in the third step, it is important that you do not overcook the ingredients as doing so can make the candy less creamy and more brittle. Cook the ingredients until they reach the soft-ball stage at around 240°F.
More helpful tips for you.
- When you are combining the ingredients do so quickly and carefully. The mixture should be 'glossy'. When the mixture starts to thicken and loses the glossiness, it is usually because it is hardening in the saucepan rather than on your baking sheet.
- Depending on the temperature and humidity in your kitchen, it could take up to an hour for the candies to fully set.
- Optional add-ins for this recipe include adding another kind of nut such as walnuts, swapping out your vanilla extract with another extract such as maple extract, or topping your candies with candy sprinkles (festive touch!) while they set.
How to store chocolate praline candy.
Once the candy has fully set, it can be stored in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers. When properly stored, praline candy should keep for up to for up to a few weeks at room temperature (if cool, dark, and dry), refrigerated for up to a few months, or frozen for up to six months.
Here are some more candy recipe ideas for you.
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Print the recipe for Chocolate Praline Candy
Chocolate Praline Candy,
Ingredients
- 1½ cups Pecans. -pecan halves.
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup Brown Sugar.
- ½ cup Heavy Cream
- 3 cups Unsweetened Cocoa Powder.
- 2 tbsp Butter -If you are using unsalted butter you can add a quarter teaspoon of salt to this recipe.
- 1½ tsp Vanilla Extract.
Instructions
- Prepare. Gather your ingredients. Also, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
- Toast. To toast your pecans, place the pecans into your skillet over medium heat. Toast the pecans until fragrant, stirring occasionally. This should take about four to five minutes.
- Base. To make the chocolate caramel candy base, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine together the sugars (white and brown) along with the heavy cream. Use a whisk to occasionally mix the the ingredients until they reach a 'soft-ball' stage or 240°F using a candy thermometer. This should take five to seven minutes.
- Combine. Carefully remove the saucepan from the heat and use a wooden spoon to add the butter, toasted pecans, and vanilla extract. If you are using unsalted butter you can add the salt here as well. Stir the ingredients until well combined and the pecans are even coated with the chocolate caramel mixture.
- Drop Use a large spoon to drop spoonfuls of the mixture on to your prepared baking sheet from the first step, leaving about an inch between each candy. You can use your spoon to shape the candies so that they are similar in size and shape if needed.
- Set. Allow your candies to fully set at room temperature before enjoying. You can add sprinkles or toppings to your candies at this point if desired
Recipe Notes
Also, please see the actual recipe post for further details on this recipe. See DiyandFun.com for details on this recipe.
originally posted:
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Nutrition
Please note: Nutritional data has been calculated using a tool that comes with this recipe card and not by me. This means that Nutritional Information is only an estimate and can vary especially with ingredients that you use. The accuracy of this tool may differ from other tools as expected. Also note that there is no instructional value to the video that may be attached to this recipe. It is only there for visual pleasure. For more information about the images in this recipe, please refer the the recipe instructions. Thank you!
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Chocolate Praline Candy, a delicious sweet recipe featuring toasted pecans surrounded by caramelized chocolate praline coating.
Please see recipe post for further details on this recipe.
Patty
This was really easy to make.
Mary_Hartman
I agree with you!