These Keto Pecan Pralines are creamy and sweet with toasted pecans throughout. My Pecan Pralines Recipe cooks in about ten minutes and is ready to eat in under an hour. They are low carb, sugar-free, gluten-free, grain-free, keto, and a THM S.
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Ever since my husband and I went to New Orleans for our first anniversary pralines have been one of my favorite treats. I was thrilled to come up with a low carb sugar-free version.
My first attempt was good, but not great. Those were too crunchy. More like Candied Pecans. Those are great for salad. One of my favorites is fresh baby spinach with strawberries, feta, and some of my chopped candied pecans.
But this creamy pecan pralines recipe is just like the ones sold in New Orleans. Ever since our 1st anniversary trip to NOLA I've occasionally ordered Aunt Sally's Pralines online. Now I don't have to. There are several types of pralines throughout the world. These are the best.
When I decided to play around with my original recipe today I had high hopes and they were fulfilled.
How to Make Pecan Pralines
To make pralines you basically make a caramel type sauce, add the pecans, and let them set. It is easier than you think and my method doesn't even require a candy thermometer.
Just cook some of the butter with sweetener and cream. Add the rest of the butter, vanilla, salt, and your toasted pecans. Drop spoonfuls onto parchment paper and let them cool. That's it!
How do I know when my keto pecan pralines are done?
The photo above is a good representation of the color you are looking for when cooking this praline recipe. You want the mixture to get thick, turn golden, and smell fragrant.
I do not use a candy thermometer because it is hard to temp such a small amount of caramel. If your caramel looks like my photos you are good!
How do I toast pecans?
I simply put a cookie sheet of pecans in a 400-degree oven for 5-8 minutes. I check them frequently. Nuts are pricey and I've burned enough to know not to forget about them.
You want to take them out with the edges get slightly darker and they smell fragrant. If you taste one the flavor should be stronger than with a raw nut.
How to store pralines:
I recommend storing these at room temp and eating them within 2 days. If you want to store them longer you can refrigerate them but they will get a little firmer and the sweetener may crystallize turning them whiteish. They are still delicious!
American cream-based pralines
French settlers brought the recipe to Louisiana, where both sugar cane and pecan trees were plentiful. During the 19th century, New Orleans chefs substituted pecans for almonds, added cream to thicken the confection, and thus created what became known throughout the American South as the praline.
Pralines have a creamy consistency, similar to fudge. They are usually made by combining sugar (often brown), butter, cream or buttermilk, and pecans in a pot over medium-high heat, and stirring constantly until most of the water has evaporated and it has reached a thick texture with a brown color. This is then usually dropped by spoonfuls onto wax paper or a sheet of aluminum foil greased with butter, and left to cool.
'Pralines and Cream' is a common ice cream flavor in the United States and Canada. In New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pralines are sometimes called "pecan candy". Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praline
If you love this Creamy Pecan Pralines Recipe make sure to also take a look these:
Pecan Praline Brownies - fudgy brownies topped with a rich praline topping
Pecan Praline Ice Cream - homemade vanilla ice cream with ribbons of praline running through
Pecan Praline Cookie Bars - just like a pecan pie, but a bar instead
Chocolate Pecan Pralines - the classic but with chocolate
Keto Toffee - layers of chocolate around a crisp nutty toffee
Did you realize yet how much I love these pecan pralines?
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📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecans toasted
- 5 tablespoon butter divided
- 6 tablespoon light cream (or heavy cream)
- ⅓ cup Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes)
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Combine 4 tablespoon of the butter with the sweetener and cream over medium heat. Stir until sweetener is dissolved.
- Cook until it is a deep golden brown. As soon as it reaches that deep color (right before burning) remove from the heat and immediately add the other 1 tablespoon butter and vanilla. Stir until smooth.
- Add the salt and toasted pecans. Drop by spoonfuls onto on wax paper. Refrigerate just until firm.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Originally Published March 9, 2016. Revised and Republished March 16, 2020.
Kim Souder says
So YUMMY! I had to be careful not to eat them all at one time.
Georgia Took says
I fell in love with pralines when I moved to New Orleans in '96. These taste just like the ones I can get in the French Quarter. They're better of course because they don't have sugar in them. I can eat them guilt (and glucose spike) free.
Pam says
I haven't made these yet but they look so yummy! One and only time I have ever had pralines was when I went to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. They were amazing so I cannot wait to try these!
Annie says
I've made these multiple times because they are so different and satisfying compared to a lot of low-carb or keto recipes. I've tried different sweeteners in place of your Joy Filled Eats sweetener with interesting results. When I made them with Swerve, they had an "icy cup" texture. Remember those? Now I only make them with your recommended blend. I like it so much that I use it for all my low-carb baking regardless of what the recipe calls for. I love how it has no after taste, creates good texture and isn't too sweet. I am genuinely so grateful for this sweetener blend recipe. Thank you!!
Jamie A says
This recipe made ones that were pretty close to the regular kind I've made before. They were really good.
FYI, I used half and half and land o lakes light butter (the kind in the green tub) to help cut calories and used half Lakanto Golden and half Lakanto Brown. They worked out great. I also used a candy thermometer and pulled them at 236 degrees (different sweeteners have different temps though; my first attempt I used allulose and at 236 I ended up with slightly burned caramel instead of a praline [which when coated with melted Lilly's Chocolate Chips serendipitously made pretty yummy candy bars]).
Marian says
Great recipe! They are sooo good you think you are eating something you shouldn’t. Have used heavy cream and half n half, they both do fine.
Alexis says
I used Swerve confectioners sugar (the same measurement the recipe called for) and it turned out great!!!
Shirleen McCorkle says
Absolutely delicious! I used swerve granulated & they turned out perfect!!
Anne says
I made these several times with monk fruit and they’re amazing. I never thought about adding chocolate, but the next batch may have a few chips on top.
Edith says
I used allulose and 2 short squeeze’s of Splenda zero and cooked to 260 degrees. I topped mine with Hershey sugar free melted chocolate.
Janice says
Followed the recipe to a tee but mixture did not thicken or turn golden brown?
They still taste fabulous but don't look like yours?
Taryn says
Hi Janice, which sweetener did you use? You may need to cook it longer next time.
Carrie Alexander says
Love these!!
Beth Weston says
You are my favorite Keto Cook. The sweetener recipe is THE BEST!!! It’s was worth waiting for the order to come. Thank you for making our keto journey filled with a sweet end of the day, literally. The Magic Caramel Cookie bars was a big hit, too. 75 pounds lost so far and I’m amazed we can enjoy wonderful treats like this. Thank you for all your hard work!
Anna says
Delicious!
Dayna says
They are absolutely amazing they remind me of when my parents and I use to go to the R.V show and dad use to get these
TinaTina says
Hi today will be the 4th time making these and each time I have used granulated monkfruit sweetener because that’s what I always use and have stocked. They are absolutely amazing. Especially at Christmas time I put them in these cute Christmas tins with clear tops. I just have a sweet tooth today and need to make these. I’ll try the lemon pound cake next since I have all the ingredients for it. Thanks for the recipe
Dawn Hite says
Fabulous, they remind of me of the ones my Aunt Margaret used to make! I used 1/4 cup Monk Fruit and 1/4 cup allulose as that is what I had and coarsely chopped the nuts (personal preference), they were fantastic, thank you!