How to Make Praline Paste

Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Learn how to make praline paste from scratch using 4 simple ingredients! This French condiment consists of caramelized almonds and hazelnuts ground into a dangerously addictive nut butter! Use it to make desserts or spread it on crêpes, pancakes, and waffles!

Prep Time : 25

Cook Time : 20

Total Time : 45

Servings 650 g

Calories 104 kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

Roast the nuts

Roast the nuts. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out the almonds and hazelnuts in an even layer. I recommend separating the almonds from the hazelnuts so it will be easier to remove the skin from the hazelnuts later. Roast the nuts for 17-18 minutes or until the hazelnuts are golden brown.
Remove the hazelnuts' skins. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the hazelnuts to a clean kitchen towel. Rub with your hands to remove their skins. Note: There is no need to remove the skin from the almonds, only the hazelnuts, as their skin is bitter.
Set aside. Next, discard the hazelnut skins and transfer both the hazelnuts and almonds to a bowl or deep plate. Set aside.

Make the caramel

Prepare a baking sheet. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and very lightly oil it. Set aside.
Heat the sugar. Add the granulated sugar and water to a light-bottomed saucepan or skillet. Heat it over medium heat for about 5-6 minutes or until the sugar dissolves and the water starts to boil.
Caramelize it. Once there is no more water, the sugar will crystallize and become hard. This is normal. Keep heating over medium heat until the sugar melts again and starts to caramelize. This step might take another 2-3 minutes. Do not stir.

Caramelize the nuts

Add the nuts. Once your caramel has a nice golden brown color, immediately add the nuts and vanilla bean to the pot. Stir quickly using a wooden spatula to coat the nuts with the caramel. Heat for another 2 minutes, constantly stirring to coat the nuts evenly. Tip: Do not heat for too long, or your caramel might burn.
Transfer to the baking sheet. Carefully transfer the caramelized nuts to the prepared baking sheet and flatten them into a thinner layer using a wooden spatula. The caramel will harden very quickly. This is normal. Allow the caramel and nuts to cool down for at least 30 minutes.
Break it into pieces. Once the caramel is hard, carefully break it into large pieces. Be very careful, as the caramel can be very sharp.

Process into a paste

Process. Transfer the caramelized nut pieces to a food processor bowl. Pulse a few times until you get smaller pieces. Continue to process until it turns into a paste, about 5-7 minutes, depending on your food processor. At first, it will turn into a powder, but as you keep processing, it will turn into a thin paste.
Transfer to a jar. Once the caramelized nuts have turned into a liquid praline paste, transfer it to a clean glass jar.
You can store praline paste at room temperature for months. However, it might separate after a while, so make sure to stir it well before using it.

Notes

Don't over-roast the nuts.

After about 15 minutes in the oven, keep a close eye on the nuts. The skin of the hazelnuts should be cracked and very dark. You can test the doneness by taking a hazelnut or an almond out of the oven and slicing it in half. The inside should be evenly golden brown.

Keep an eye on the caramel.

Just like with the nuts, it's crucial to not overcook the caramel, either. A very dark caramel will give your praliné a bitter taste. On the other hand, a caramel that is too light won't deliver a deep caramel flavor. Aim for a caramel with a color similar to maple syrup.

Be careful with the hard caramel!

As the caramelized nuts cool down, the caramel will harden and may have sharp edges. Be careful not to cut yourself when handling them.

Adjust the texture to your liking.

You can easily adjust the consistency to your liking by processing the nuts for a shorter or longer time. Process for a short time if you want a rustic texture with small bits of caramelized nuts, or process longer for a super smooth consistency.

Nutrition

Ingredients US CustomaryMetric