Creamy Bananas Foster Pecan Pralines

This post is sponsored by Diamond of California Nuts.

Pralines! New Orleans’s famous candy – or is it a cookie? I think of them as more of a hybrid with their rich and nutty flavor and cookie-like texture. And at this time of year pralines can be bundled together as a holiday gift or as an enticing new alternative for a holiday cookie swap.

Creamy Bananas Foster Pecan Pralines

More About the Recipe

In the French Quarter of New Orleans the cobblestone streets are lined with stalls peddling t-shirts and other tourist knick-knacks as well as local favorites. When I was there, I bought a variety of brands of the famous pralines at one of the shops so that I could taste test them for myself.

My favorite was a creamy bananas foster version of the sweet treat. I brought back a bunch of them to California, but they didn’t last long. I knew I needed to recreate these pralines so that I didn’t have to travel all the way back to Louisiana just to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Notes on Cooking Sugar

Cooking sugar can be fickle because so much of it comes down to exact temperatures. The goal of this recipe is to get the sugar to the point where it crystallizes but remains pliable similar to maple syrup candy. I tried a few different versions for cooking methods and times and the best consistency was achieved by bringing the sugar mixture to the “soft ball stage” then letting it cool slightly before spooning the pralines out onto parchment paper to cool.

How to Make Bananas Foster Pecan Pralines

1. Cook the base. In a medium saucepan over medium heat fitted with a candy thermometer, stir together the sugar, evaporated milk, molasses, corn syrup, butter and ¼ cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly so it doesn’t overflow, until thick syrup forms and the temperature reads 240ºF (or soft ball stage).
2. Add the nuts and continue to cook. Stir in the pecans and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the temperature again reaches 240ºF. Stir in the banana extract and cinnamon and remove the pot from heat.
3. Cool the pralines. Let sit until the mixture cools to 200ºF. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and drop rounded tablespoons onto the paper, leaving about 3 inches between each mound, as the pralines will spread. Allow the pralines to set and cool completely and solidify, about 2 hours.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

• Bananas Foster Whole Wheat Waffles
• Pumpkin Spice Almond Milk
• Roasted Carrots with Burrata and Glazed Walnuts

Creamy Bananas Foster Pecan Pralines

Print Pin

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 day d 30 minutes mins

Serves 24

US Customary – Metric

Ingredients:

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• ¾ cup evaporated milk
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups Diamond Nuts chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon banana extract
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions:

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat fitted with a candy thermometer, stir together the sugar, evaporated milk, molasses, corn syrup, butter and ¼ cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly so it doesn’t overflow, until thick syrup forms and the temperature reads 240ºF/ 115.5ºC (or soft ball stage).
• Stir in the pecans and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the temperature again reaches 240ºF (115.5ºC). Stir in the banana extract and cinnamon and remove the pot from heat.
• Let sit until the mixture cools to 200ºF (93ºC). Line a baking sheet with wax paper and drop rounded tablespoons onto the paper, leaving about 3 inches between each mound, as the pralines will spread. Allow the pralines to set and cool completely and solidify, about 2 hours.

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This post is sponsored by Diamond of California Nuts – all opinions expressed are my own.