National Pralines Day is on Thursday, June 24, 2027, and it falls on June 24 every year. It celebrates the sweet, creamy pecan candy that’s a New Orleans signature. Made from sugar, butter, cream and pecans, a good praline melts in your mouth.
When Is National Pralines Day?
It’s always June 24. It’s an unofficial food day, not a federal holiday. Candy shops in New Orleans and across the South sometimes mark it with samples or specials.
Where Did Pralines Come From?
No founder or start year has been documented for the food day. The candy itself traveled a long way to reach Louisiana.
A French sugared almond
The name is tied to a 17th-century French diplomat, the comte du Plessis-Praslin. The story says his cook created the treat and named it for him, though 64 Parishes notes it may be legend.
That first praline was an almond coated in caramelized sugar. Both were costly, so it was a treat for the wealthy.
The New Orleans pecan praline
A popular tale says Ursuline nuns brought pralines to New Orleans in the 1720s. 64 Parishes calls that a “fanciful bit of Crescent City mythmaking.” The earliest known written mentions come from late 1800s newspapers.
In Louisiana, cooks swapped almonds for local pecans and added butter and cream. Saveur notes that enslaved cooks in colonial kitchens likely made these changes. The result was softer and creamier than the French original.
Black women became the face of the candy. Called pralinières, they sold pralines from baskets on New Orleans streets. Free women of color sold them in the French Quarter before the Civil War, and many Black women did after it.
Their work made them some of the city’s early women entrepreneurs, Country Roads Magazine notes. Their recipes were rarely written down. In 1918, a trade journal reported that a New Orleans firm had started making pralines commercially.
Why Celebrate Pralines?
Pralines carry a slice of New Orleans history in every bite. The day honors the candy and the women who built its reputation, often with little credit.
It’s also a fun challenge for home cooks. Candy-making takes patience, and pralines reward careful timing.
How to Celebrate National Pralines Day
- Use a candy thermometer: cook the mixture to the soft-ball stage, about 235°F, for a creamy texture.
- Watch the pot: sugar can scorch quickly, so stay close and stir as directed.
- Work fast: spoon pralines onto buttered parchment as soon as the mix thickens. It sets quickly in the pot.
- Toast the pecans: a few minutes in a dry pan deepens their flavor.
- Pick a dry day: many cooks find candy sets better when the air isn’t humid.
- Try a twist: add vanilla, a pinch of salt, or a little coconut for variety.
- Shop local: buy pralines from a New Orleans candy maker, many of them family-run.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are pralines made of?
New Orleans pralines are made from sugar, butter, milk or cream, and chopped pecans. Some recipes add vanilla, molasses or caramel.
What’s the difference between French and Southern pralines?
French pralines are almonds coated in hard caramelized sugar. Southern pralines use pecans and cream, giving a soft, fudge-like candy.
Why are my pralines grainy?
Graininess usually means the sugar crystallized too soon. Cooking past soft-ball stage, stirring too long or a humid day can cause it.