Vegan Peanut Pralines
These Vegan Peanut Pralines are soft sugar coated clusters of crunchy salty peanuts topped with flaky sea salt. This plant-based version of the southern classic is the ultimate sweet meets salty treat!
2024 Update: This recipe was originally shared in July 2019. This post has been updated to include new photos, detailed directions, and additional dairy-free tips. I hope you enjoy this vegan peanut pralines recipe!
What are Pralines?
The French-American version of pralines originated in Louisiana. They are a cream and sugar based confection typically surrounding nuts.
These soft yet chewy candy-like desserts are a decadent indulgence often surrounding peanuts, pecans, hazelnuts and more.
Why You’ll Love these Peanut Pralines
If you love a good sweet and salty dessert situation, these peanut pralines are the perfect treat. Some of the reasons we love to make these vegan pralines include:
- Salty + Sweet. These decadent pralines are the ultimate blend of salty and sweet. Crunchy salted peanuts coated in a sweet praline candy.
- Easy to make. Simply melt, beat, and cool for melt in your mouth delicious pralines!
- Versatile. Swap out the peanuts for pecans, slivered almonds, and more!
Vegan Changes to Peanut Pralines
This recipe contains two main ingredient swaps to make it a vegan praline recipe.
- Plant-based butter– In place of a traditional butter, I used vegan butter sticks.
- Full-fat coconut milk– Swap heavy cream with a full-fat coconut milk to keep these melt in your mouth delicious and dairy-free.
How to Make Vegan Peanut Pralines
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Vegan Butter- I like to use Country Crock’s Plant-Based baking sticks for a simple 1:1 swap.
- Brown Sugar– Used to sweeten these pralines.
- Coconut Milk– Full fat coconut milk works best in this recipe.
- Corn Syrup– I like to use light corn syrup.
- Salt– To balance out the sweetness of the pralines.
- Powdered Sugar– Because one sugar just isn’t enough.
- Vanilla– To boost the flavor.
- Peanuts– Salted peanuts add a little crunch to the praline.
- Flaky Sea Salt– A sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top helps balance out the sweetness of the peanut praline.
Simple Steps to Make Peanut Pralines
- Melt vegan butter– In a medium sauce pan, over medium heat, melt plant-based butter.
- Add sugar, syrup, coconut milk, and salt: Once butter is melted, add brown sugar, coconut milk, salt, and corn syrup.
- Stir mixture together and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, cook and stir the mixture for about 3 minutes while the color of the sugar darkens slightly.
- Remove from heat: After bringing the mixture to a boil remove from heat.
- Mix with powdered sugar: Pour mixture into stand mixer and mix powdered sugar and vanilla in on low until smooth.
- Add the peanuts into the sugar mixture.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes. This allows the mixture to thicken up. Stir the bowl every minute or so.
- Scoop drops onto mat: Using tablespoons, measure one tablespoon onto a sheet of parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- Continue making drops about an inch or two apart from one another, until all of your praline mixture is measured out.
- Allow drops to cool for 3-4 hours. Remove from non-stick surface and store in an airtight container.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
When you are ready to whip up a batch of these vegan peanut pralines, here are a few helpful kitchen tools you might need to use.
- Silicone baking mat– To cool the peanut pralines on for easy removal.
- Whisk– To stir the melted butter and sugar mixture in the sauce pan.
- Flaky Sea Salt– Used to sprinkle on the top of the finished peanut pralines.
How to Help Pralines Set During the Cooking Process
Sugar work can be a bit of a tricky task. Here are some tips to ensure the pralines set.
- Get the mixture up to 235°F-240°F while you are cooking it on the stove.
- Give the mixture 10 minutes to cool and thicken when you add the peanuts. I would suggest adding and stirring every few minutes to allow it to cool before pouring on a non-stick surface.
- If you pour your first Tablespoon drop on the parchment paper and it runs quickly, it is not cooled enough and might need more time to cool.
How to Help Vegan Pralines Set After Cooking
If you are finished making these pralines and they still haven’t set simply pop them in the fridge to finish the cooling process.
I have found that the weather/humidity in my home often impacts my praline efforts so I simply stick them in the fridge to finish the job.
Vegan Desserts to Make Next
If you tried this vegan peanut praline recipe please let me know in the comments below!
You can also share a picture of it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy so I can see all of your life after dairy adventures!
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Peanut Pralines
These creamy, melt-in-your-mouth vegan peanut pralines are a sweet Southern treat perfect for the holidays.
Ingredients
- 6 Tablespoons Vegan Butter
- 1½ cups Brown Sugar
- ½ cup Coconut Milk full fat
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1½ teaspoon Corn Syrup light
- 1⅔ cups Powdered Sugar
- 1½ teaspoon Vanilla
- 1½ cups Peanuts
- Flaky Sea Salt
Instructions
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Melt 6 Tablespoons vegan butter in a medium sauce pan, on medium heat.
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Once butter is melted, add 1 ½ cups brown sugar, ½ cup coconut milk, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 ½ teaspoon corn syrup.
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Stir mixture together and bring to a boil and cook about 3 minutes. Make sure you stir the mixture often, to prevent it from burning to the sides or bottom of the pan.
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After bringing the mixture to a boil remove from heat. At this point you can take two paths:
-pour mixture into stand mixer and mix 1 ⅔ cup powdered sugar and 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla in on low until smooth.
-add 1 ⅔ cup powdered sugar and 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla into the pot and mix using a hand mixer on low until smooth.
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Next add 1 ½ cups peanuts into the sugar mixture and allow to cool for 10 minutes. This allows the mixture to thicken up. Stir the bowl every minute or so.
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Using tablespoons, measure one tablespoon onto a sheet of parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Continue making drops about an inch or two apart from one another, until all of your praline mixture is measured out.
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Sprinkle the tops of the peanut pralines with flaky sea salt.
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Allow drops to cool for 3-4 hours. Remove from non-stick surface and store in an airtight container.
Recipe Notes
Adapted from Taste of South.
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