Keto Pecan Pralines Recipe
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.
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.
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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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Keto Pecan Pralines
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecans toasted
- 5 tbsp butter divided
- 6 tbsp light cream (or heavy cream)
- 1/3 cup Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes)
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Combine 4 tbsp 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 tbsp 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.
Taryn, how much Lakanto sweetener would I use. I have monk fruit/ erythritol white and brown plus the powdered. Which would be best and how much? Thanks!
One and half times the amount would be equal to my sweetener. I have had readers use the white Lakanto monkfruit/erythritol blend in these.
What does that mean exactly? Like the original 1/3 cup plus another 1/3 cup, 2.5 tbsp and 1/2 tsp of the erythritol/monk fruit sweetener blend?
No. The original 1/3 cup plus 1/6 cup.
That equals 1/2 cup.
Can you use honey? I have a friend who would LOVE these but she is on an SCD diest and I’m not sure she can do these sweeteners!
-Thanks
I’m sorry but I’m not sure if honey would work.
I tried these with Truvia brown sugar. Because the Truvia is already brown it was hard to tell when it was done. I do not think I cooked it long enough because it was not the consistency of a praline. More like gooey caramel. Still tasted good but could not call them pralines. I think I would do better with a candy thermometer.
Sorry the Truvia didn’t work. I don’t recommend swapping out sweeteners in candy recipes because they are so particular.
Best low carb dessert I have ever made and I’ve been at this for over 2 years. Simply delicious! I used your sweetener recipe and they didn’t crystallize. Thank you!
I made it with mung swetener because that’s what I had on hand, and I loved them! Can’t wait for my dad who is obsessed with pralines to try them! Thanks!
These are amazing! I used Truvia and heavy cream. Love these!
How much Truvia?
Thanks!
I absolutely love this recipe! Thank you for posting it. I made my batch with Lakanto Monk fruit sweetener and it came out fabulous!
Hey!
I would like to use Lakanto as well. Did you use the Classic or Golden and was it the same amount?
Thanks!
How much monkfruit did you use?
I would like to give these as Christmas treats but find sometimes the candy turns white rather than remaining a rich golden brown. Any ideas or suggestions?
Fairly new to using sugar substitutes. Can I use monkfruit? If so what would my measurements be? Making today
Twice the amount would be equal to my sweetener. I have had readers use a monkfruit/erythritol blend like lakanto in these.
Whoo Hoo!!! You saved Christmas. I remember watching mom make these when I was a kid. They taste just like Christmas. My dad, aunt & uncle are diabetic. They’re gona LOVE these!
Delish! Love pralines!! I am from New Orleans and have had pralines always. I do have a comment about the “wiki” definition-I have never heard them called pecan candy 😂😂😂 I have made many of your recipes. Thank you for taking the time to create and make these for us to enjoy! Makes my THM lifestyle fun and interesting!
I altually always called them pecan candy, im on the texas lousiana border.
This will save me for Christmas! I am going to keep them made all the time. I used Truvia 1:1, so 1/3 cup and they turned out perfect.
I’m glad to hear Truvia worked! Thanks for coming back and leaving a review 🙂
I took these to a sleepover and was told I should sell them, they were so good! Plus the smell is just heavenly.
Made three batches today these are so delicious!
Does this get thick? Becuz it’s cooked forever and it’s just bubbles! Help! Lol
Yes. You may need to increase the heat. It will get thick like a caramel. Which sweetener did you use?
Once mine had streaks of dark brown I removed it from the heat. It was still very liquidy. I stirred with a wooden spoon for 3-5 minutes . As it cooled it thickened and the dark brown color became homogeneous.
I used coconut sugar b/c I can’t do the after taste of sugar substitutes. Tasted amazing but wondering if that still makes them keto friendly?
Coconut sugar does have a lower glycemic index than regular sugar but it isn’t really keto friendly, sorry.
Have you tried monk fruit? It’s so good.
Just made these for your brownie recipe. The first batch was hard in the pan and I had to break it up. They were wonderful though! Made a second batch and poured them over the brownies right away. I think it’s setting up harder than I wanted. I used Swerve and double per your comment below the recipe. Could it be too much Swerve or cooking too long? They are fabulous though! Will totally make them again.
It could be that using that much swerve is drying out the caramel. You can increase the amount of cream.
I can’t find the brownie recipe! Can you help me? Making the pralines now! I’m excited!
Here you go! https://joyfilledeats.com/pecan-praline-brownies/
Oh my! Mine turned out beautifully and so incredibly delicious and rich! I didn’t want extract to cook out so I added it closer to the end using half vamilla half maple. This would make a delightful frosting on brownies or add cocomut for a german chocolate type frosting. Can’t wait to try it on the THM Life by chocolate cake. Also used “gentle sweet” blend from this site and did a course chop on the pecans after roasting. My neighbors loved it too! Thank you!
I have used it on brownies. It is SO good. I’m glad you liked it 🙂 https://joyfilledeats.com/pecan-praline-brownies/
I tried twice. I used Stevia for the sweetener. The first time it separated. The second time it started to separate at 220 degrees so I pulled it off. It never got brown so they won’t set up. Not sure what I’m doing wrong.
You used pure stevia? Or a stevia blend? I do not recommend substituting sweeteners in candy recipes.
I used a 1/3 cup of Swerve. I cooked these at cooktop level 4, and they were a perfect dark caramel at 290 degree with no separation at all. These are so rich and spot on. The only thing marring them from absolute perfection was my use of swerve, which added the dreaded cooling effect. Will make again and again, but will use your sweetener recommendation. Thank you!!
Can I use Splenda for the sugar substitute?
No. Splenda will not work in this recipe. Sorry.
I would like to use regular sugar. Is that OK for this recipe and do I use the same amount?
Thanks
Hi Marilyn, I would look for a praline recipe that calls for regular sugar. I’m not sure it will work in this. If you try you will need 1.5 to 2 times the amount called for.