Looking for an authentic, Southern pecan pralines recipe?
This Savannah pralines copycat recipe combines butter, sugar, vanilla, whipping cream, and pecans for a rich decadent sweet.
The creamy buttery flavors melt in your mouth with every crunchy bite.

They are perfect for a simple dessert, a special treat, Christmas candy, or a homemade hostess gift.

Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients for this praline recipe:
- brown sugar-I prefer light brown sugar for pralines.
- heavy whipping cream-Do not substitute with regular whipping cream.
- butter- You can use salted or unsalted for this recipe. If you use unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt when cooking on stovetop.
- vanilla extract
- powder sugar
- chopped pecans- Chopped pecans work best for this recipe. I found that the whole pecans are too big for the confection to bond onto correctly and some pieces ended up crumbly rather than whole.
Watch video how to make

Steps
Follow these simple steps to make homemade Southern pecan pralines.
- In a sauce pan, combine brown sugar, heavy whipping cream, butter, and vanilla extract.
- Cook over medium heat and bring to a boil stirring continuously. (Do not break on stirring or they will burn.) Boil for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar.
- Stir in chopped pecans.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Drop heaping spoonfuls of praline mixture on parchment paper. Allow to cool to harden (approximately 30 minutes).
- Store in an airtight container until ready to eat.
How long do they last?
Pralines will last up to two weeks in an airtight container.
However, they are better fresh. Towards the end of the two weeks, they can become dry and crumbly.
Can you freeze pralines?
Pralines can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
It is best to align the container with wax paper to prevent the candy from freezing onto the container.

This recipe is featured in Women's View Magazine. I invited Alice (pictured above) to help make these with me.
Alice is one of my dear sweet neighbor friends.
She is a clever, spirited, beautiful 10-year-old who dreams of becoming a chef and running her own restaurant when she grows up.
In the meantime, I enjoy her company creating fun and sweet things in my kitchen.
If you enjoyed this recipe, try some of these other delicious homemade candies:
- Peanut Butter Bon Bons
- Crockpot Candy-Chocolate Peanut Clusters
- Peppermint Oreo Truffles
- Haystacks
- Bourbon Brown Sugar Fudge
When you make these pecan pralines, tell me what you think in the comment section! I would love to hear back! My readers will too.
Also post your picture of your sweets on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtags! I will share with my followers! xoxo!
Recipe

Pecan Pralines Recipe
Equipment
- cookie baking sheet
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a sauce pan, combine 1 cup brown sugar, ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream, ¼ cup butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Cook over medium heat and bring to a boil stirring continuously. (Do not break on stirring or they will burn.) Boil for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat. Stir in 1 cup powdered sugar.
- Stir in 1 cup chopped pecans.
- Drop heaping spoon-fulls of praline mixture on parchment paper. Allow to cool to harden (approximately 30 minutes).
- Store in an airtight container until ready to eat.
Susan Pridmore
I'm starting to think about gifts for the holidays - hostess gifts and Christmas presents. I love to do gifts from the kitchen, and these are perfect!
Liz
These literally melt in your mouth! YUM!
Megan Ellam
I love how simple and delicious these are. Thanks for such a great recipe.
Priya Maha
I had some leftover pecans in the fridge and used them to make these pralines. My boys really loved them!
veenaazmanov
Best option for all the sweet lovers. Delicious and easy to make too. Perfect dessert after meal or snack box option too.
Linda
Never thought these pecan pralines are so easy to make! And they're so good, too
Allyssa
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! Tasted good and super easy to make! Will have this again! Highly recommended!
Sara LaFountain
These pecan pralines were amazing! Disappeared in one day. Will be making them again for sure.
Amy Liu Dong
This is so delicious and so easy to make. My sister loves pecan's a lot, and this is a perfect gift for her.
Natalia
This recipe is so easy and delicious. I made 2 batches, 1 without toasting pecans and 1 with toasting the pecans, and I would have to say they both are delicious but toasting the pecans brought it to the next level.
Nicole
Girl! You are speaking to my heart. I love Pralines.Thanks for the recipe!!!!!
Moop Brown
Being from the South, pecan pralines have always been one of my favorite treat and I really appreciate your take on it.
Kari | Chef and Steward
I have a serious complaint about this ma’am! They are just so addictive! OMG soooo good! You have to make and share immediately. Don’t be like me. Please.
Shirlene
I am 69 years old and have never made pralines before because I thought they would be too much work and time consuming. When I read through your recipe, I thought it sounded easy enough and let me just say, I am so glad I tried them. Made a double batch! Couldn’t have been easier and OMG are they delicious!!! Will definitely be saving this recipe to use again and thank you for sharing!! Happy Holidays!!
Melanie
What a foolproof, delicious recipe! I didn’t have heavy whipping cream and used half and half instead and they turned out great! Thanks for sharing!
Wendy Uhls
A friend made these and shared with me for Christmas, the sent me this link for the recipe. I do not see the amounts for each ingredient listed on this recipe. Am I just missing something ?
Katie Crenshaw
The recipe card is at the bottom of the post. You can hit recipe at the top of the post and it will jump to the recipe card, or you can scroll to the bottom. There you will find all the ingredients and measurements.
Gordon Eugene Amisano
The taste is great, but they are a little soft. Maybe I should boil them a little longer?
Ann
I am just started to create my holiday baking list, and this one is definitely getting added to the list! Thanks for the share!
May
These were really tasty! I used plant-based ingredients for the dairy ingredients, still turned out wonderfully.
Sarah James
I love finding new recipes to try for my Christmas hampers I make each year. Your pecan pralines will be a delicious new edition. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Mindy
Made it for a holiday party this weekend and got rave reviews from everyone!
Laura
The buttery flavor from these pralines is simply amazing. Making them again for Christmas! Thank you!
Kari Heron | Chef and Steward
Oh my, what have I discovered here! This is definitely a recipe I’m printing out to make over the holidays!
Tristin
These pralines are a favorite around Christmas time, so these are on my must make list! Saving for later.
Cathleen
Wow, these look amazing!! I have a lot of pecans that need using, so I am excited to make this tomorrow night!
Moop Brown
Being from the South, pecan pralines have always been one of my favorite desserts and I'm looking forward to trying this recipe for them.
Anna
These are fantastic! So quick and so easy to prepare. The only trouble is that it is super hard to stop eating them once you start! 🙂
LaKita
Love making pecan pralines this time of year and your version is the perfect balance of nutty sweetness!
Tempest Murray
This was so fast and easy and delicious. I will be making this a lot. My family’s going to want them often
Dee
I have never tried making Pecan Praline Candy,
My first taste was of a “soft and chewy” version, not a “crunchy recipe. Is there anything I can do to make this a softer caramel like version, instead of crunchy?
Katie Crenshaw
I think if it was chewy, you will need a recipe with corn syrup... and that is a total different type of recipe. I am sorry. This recipe should turn out soft and crunchy.