What Are Pralines And What Do They Taste Like?

From s'mores to chocolate-covered strawberries, some of the simplest desserts to whip up in the kitchen are also some of the best. Pralines are an underrated yet perfect candidate for this category. You can make these candies with just three ingredients, and they're ready in just a few minutes. If you're unfamiliar with this staple dessert, let's dig into it.

Pralines can take on a few different forms, and their definition varies according to region, but at their most basic, they are sweet Southern candies made from heating sugar, butter, nuts, and cream on a stovetop. In the U.S., most candy makers opt to use pecans, while in Europe, pralines usually consist of other ingredients such as caramel and almonds. After you've combined and heated the components of your choice in a saucepan, pour this mixture onto some wax paper and let it cool. This process leaves the pralines soft, smooth, and not as tough to chew as other candies like brittle. Now, gently break your concoction into pieces and get ready to eat. 

Some dip their pralines in chocolate or sprinkles, but these additions are not traditional. These treats have a smooth caramel-like flavor, and with the satisfying crunch of pecan in the mix, plenty of fans are hooked on them.

Pralines have a long history that goes back not to the American South but to 17th-century France. While there are many ideas about its origins, French pastry chef Clement Lassagne is largely credited with being the first maker of this treat — the original he made with almonds and caramel. Allegedly, Lassagne was the personal chef of the first Duke of Choiseul, also known as César, duc de Choiseul, comte du Plessis-Praslin, who the treat is named after.

When French nuns began to migrate to the United States years later — New Orleans, to be exact — they brought the recipe with them. Since New Orleans had many pecan trees native to Louisiana and almonds were scarcely available, Americans started making the French treat with the other nut variety. Thus, pecan pralines became the new thing. Today, both types of pralines remain a popular treat worldwide, but it is an especially famous treat still in the American South.

While the French and American versions of the praline remain similar, other regions have changed what pralines mean entirely in their regions. For example, a praline in Belgium and other areas of France comprises a smooth coca paste with ground nut pieces inside. This paste is used as a filling for chocolate bonbons. Others still consider candied pecans to be another version of pralines when, in reality, candied pecans are simply pecans coated in a praline-like glaze. Still, the chopped nuts and caramel variety of pralines remain one of the most popular.

In one Reddit thread, two fans of the Southern pralines dubbed it the best variety out of all the others. Other users took time to appreciate the fudge-like textures of the simple candy. Users on TripAdvisor shared some of their favorite spots to grab the pecan treat in its birthplace of New Orleans, while others encouraged people to try and make it at home, thanks to its simple recipe. Whatever version you think you prefer most, we recommend you try them all before you decide.