Praline: What you Should Know Before Making This Confectionary Treat

By Richard Hawke

Praliné was not something I learned to make at school. And when I began my professional career in France, every kitchen I worked in simply used praliné straight from a bucket. So, the first time someone told me I needed to make a praline, myself, I was a little intimidated. Was it difficult? Would it take ages? The short answer is… no. The most important element of the entire recipe is the quality of the nuts you use.

What is praliné?

Before going any further, we need to be clear about what praliné is: roasted nuts combined with caramelised sugar, ground into a paste. To be labelled as praliné, the mixture must contain at least 50% nuts. Beyond that, the nuts may be a single variety or a blend, depending on the desired final flavor. Adding a neutral oil can also help achieve a smoother paste when a stone grinder (mélangeur) is not available.

Equipment

• A professional-grade food processor is recommended, ideally with the following features:
• A stainless-steel bowl, durable enough to withstand repeated praliné production.
• A minimum speed of 1,700 RPM, with 3,500 RPM being optimal for efficient grinding and forming a smooth paste.
• A fine, serrated blade, which is particularly well-suited to praliné preparation.

Definition

A praliné can be named by the nut and its percentage (e.g. Almond Praliné 60%) or by the ratio (e.g. Almond Praliné 60/40).

The final texture can range from thick and very crunchy to completely smooth, depending on your intended use and/or preference.

Then comes the choice of flavor profile:

• a sweeter, more caramel-forward result (usually around 50% nuts)
• or a more intense nutty flavor, in which the sugar is reduced and the nuts increased (around 70% nuts)

Techniques

There are several techniques for making praline.

Sablage Method

Meaning “sandy” in French, this is without question the most flavourful method. The sugar is typically cooked with water (about one-third of the sugar weight) to 115°C, before adding the warm — sometimes lightly roasted — nuts off the heat. You then return the mixture to a gentle heat and stir continuously to caramelise the sugar evenly around the nuts. This heating stage also continues to roast the nuts in the process.

HAZELNUT PRALINÉ 60% (SABLAGE)

• 400 g sugar       
• 120 g water                    
• 600 g hazelnuts, skinned

Total: 1000 g

1. Cook sugar with water to 239°F (115°C ) before adding warmed hazelnuts off the heat. Continue to stir until the syrup coats nuts and masses (turns white).
2. Place back onto low heat, constantly stirring to caramelise.

• Remove from heat, pouring onto a tray lined with baking paper or a silicon mat and leave to cool. Process in a food processor to a paste texture.

Dry Caramel Method

This method is particularly well-suited to larger productions, as substantial batches of caramel can be cooked, poured, cooled and then divided for use in multiple recipes. Its main advantage is that, even in smaller operations, a single caramel base can be used to produce several different praliné preparations.

It is also possible to prepare a wet caramel by adding water to the sugar. However, not only is there a greater risk of the mixture crystallising, but the final flavor is generally less complex than that of a dry caramel.

ALMOND PRALINÉ 65%

• 655 g almonds, whole
• 280 g caster sugar
• 3 g salt 
• 65 g grapeseed oil         

Total: 1000 g

1. Roast almonds at 303°F (150°C) for approximately 30 minutes.
2. Cook a dry caramel with sugar before pouring onto a tray lined with a silicon mat or baking paper.
3. Cool before blending to a paste in a food processor with the salt. Once a paste starts to form, add oil to finish blending.

Cold Praliné

This method is useful when you don’t want a caramelized note. It is particularly interesting for pistachios, as it helps preserve both the natural flavor and the vibrant color of the nut.

PISTACHIO PRALINÉ 70% (COLD)

• 700 g pistachios, green 
• 250 g pure icing sugar   
• 50 g grapeseed oil (neutral oil)  

Total: 1000 g

1. Roast pistachios at 302°F (150°C) for 10 minutes. Cool before blending in a food processor with icing sugar. Add oil and form a paste.

Chef’s tip: it is recommended to use pure icing sugar, as icing mixtures generally contain starch.

It is equally possible to use the sablage technique form, with a hazelnut praliné of 60%, but stopping after stirring to masse the sugar syrup.

Caution with the production process

When producing praliné, you should generally not exceed 40–45°C. If the mass overheats, it is best to pause — or cool it — before continuing, as higher temperatures tend to create a fattier final texture. Nevertheless, in some situations, praliné may be deliberately blended above this range to reduce its viscosity.

Choice of Ingredients

When selecting a nut to transform into praliné, you must consider several factors:

• Varieties within each nut offer different flavor profiles and varying fat contents.
• Blanching can produce a cleaner, more delicate flavor than using nuts with their skins. The fiber in the skin also absorbs more liquid within a recipe, which can alter the final texture.
• Fat content differs significantly among nuts. A hazelnut praliné can be substituted with pecan, for example, but not directly with almond due to its much lower fat content.

Storage

It is ideal to store praliné:

• in an airtight container
• away from light
• away from heat and humidity

The shelf life is from 3-6 months at room temperature. Increasing the shelf life is possible with refrigeration (9-12 months) or freezing (more than one year). The exception to this is pistachio praline which contains chlorophyll that gives the pistachios their green color. This oxidises the pistachios and they lose their color and flavor faster than normal.

However, during this time, the oils from the nuts will separate.

This is normal, but it is important to emulsify the paste before use. Various options are available:

• Remove and set aside the oil before placing the hard paste into a planetary mixer with a paddle attachment. On low speed, gradually add the oil to form a homogeneous paste.
• Place the mass into a food processor and emulsify it. (This option is sometimes time-consuming, as a food processor is generally very small compared to the amount of the praline).
• Another (DIY) solution is to attach a paddle mixer to a drill and place it directly into the bucket with praline. This method is the fastest as you don’t need to handle the praliné.

Conclusion

By understanding fundamental techniques and ingredients, we can adapt our pastry more intelligently and with greater precision.

Producing your own praliné adds real versatility to your business, allowing you to create a range of recipes and textures that can set you apart from the competition.

Although a food processor represents a significant investment, the time required to make praliné is minimal, and, given the high cost of commercial praline, the equipment quickly pays for itself.

Photos by Richard Hawke

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Richard Hawke is an international pastry demonstrator and consultant, based in France and originally from Sydney, Australia. Passionate about pushing boundaries, he has explored gluten-free, lactose-free and plant-based pastry, and continues to pursue new knowledge and innovation.

(This article appeared in the Winter 30 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)