Almond Praline Paste is a cornerstone of modern patisserie — smooth, rich, and naturally glossy. This version uses a reduced-sugar 70:30 ratio (70% toasted almonds, 30% caramelised sugar) to create intense flavour and balanced sweetness. Unlike the traditional 50:50 formula, this variation delivers a stronger nut profile without being overly sweet.
Use it as a base for mousses, ganaches, buttercreams, ice creams, or gianduja. It also works beautifully in tart fillings, laminated doughs, and layered entremets. Or keep it simple – just spread it on toast. Made with only two ingredients and no additives, this almond praline paste is shelf-stable, freezer-friendly, and designed for professional results at home.
Almond Praline Paste Recipe – Video Tutorial
Looking for a smooth, intensely nutty almond praline with less sugar and more flavour? This recipe uses a 70:30 nut-to-sugar ratio, giving you a deep roasted taste and natural sweetness without additives. Watch the step-by-step tutorial below to see how I caramelise the sugar, blend the toasted almonds, and create a glossy praline paste you can use in mousses, ganaches, spreads, and more.
Almond Praline Paste
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scales
- Oven
- Baking tray
- Silicone mat or baking paper
- Heavy saucepan
- Food processor (high power)
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 420 g toasted almonds
- 180 g caster sugar
- 2 g sea salt
Instructions
- Toast almonds. Preheat oven to 165°C (329 °F), fan forced. Spread almonds in a single layer on a tray and toast for about 15 minutes, or until they develop a golden colour when broken open. Taste to confirm a deep toasted flavour. Keep the almonds warm 35-45°C (95-113 °F) until blending.
- Make dry caramel. In a heavy saucepan, caramelise the caster sugar using the dry method. Cook until medium amber 175-180°C (347-356 °F). Immediately pour onto a silicone mat or baking paper and allow to cool completely.
- Break caramel. Once fully cooled and hardened, break the caramel into small shards.
- Blend to praline paste. Combine the warm almonds and caramel shards in a powerful food processor. Pulse to break down, then blend continuously until smooth and fluid. Scrape the bowl as needed. This can take 8-15 minutes depending on your machine.
Video
Praline recipe: Nut and Seed Variations, and Sugar Ratios
Almond praline paste isn’t limited to almonds – you can use the same method with a wide variety of nuts and seeds. Hazelnuts, pistachios, pecans, peanuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds all work beautifully using this caramelised sugar technique. The process stays the same: roast the nuts or seeds, make a dry caramel, and blend until smooth.
This recipe uses a reduced-sugar 70:30 nut-to-sugar ratio for a stronger roasted flavour and less sweetness, but you can easily adjust the formula. The traditional praliné ratio is 50:50, which gives a sweeter, more classic profile often used in old-school French patisserie. Use 50:50 when you want a sweeter base, or 70:30 when you want the nut flavour to dominate – both ratios produce a smooth, spreadable praline paste suitable for mousses, ganaches, fillings, and more.
Why Make Almond Praline Paste at Home?
Making almond praline paste at home gives you full control over flavour, texture, and quality. Unlike commercial versions, this recipe contains no added oils, emulsifiers, or fillers – just toasted almonds and caramelised sugar. You can choose how dark you want the caramel, how deeply roasted the nuts should be, and whether to keep the paste slightly textured or ultra-smooth. This level of control lets you customise the praline to suit each application, whether you’re folding it into mousse, blending it into ganache, or layering it in a tart.
How to Use Almond Praline in Patisserie
Almond praline paste is one of the most versatile base recipes in modern pastry. You can use it to flavour mousses, enrich buttercreams, or blend with chocolate to create homemade gianduja. It pairs beautifully with milk chocolate, dark chocolate, caramel, or coffee elements — and works especially well in layered entremets or filled tart shells. If you’re working with laminated doughs, you can even incorporate a thin layer of praline for added depth. A small amount goes a long way, and the flavour it adds is rich, nutty, and unmistakably professional.
One excellent example is this Irish Coffee Tart, where almond praline enhances the coffee notes and adds a subtle caramelised nuttiness — see the full application here: https://andbonbons.com/irish-coffee-tart-recipe-024/. For those looking to explore a similar technique with a different flavour profile.
How to Store Almond Praline Paste
This almond praline paste is naturally low in water activity and highly shelf-stable. Once prepared, store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 months. Keep it in a cool, dry place, away from heat and direct sunlight to preserve flavour and prevent oxidation.
There is no need to refrigerate the paste. Stir before use if natural oil separation occurs. Over time, the flavour and aroma will slowly fade — for best results, use within 6 months to enjoy the full roasted nut character.
Craving more behind-the-scenes moments, step-by-step videos, and sneak peeks of upcoming recipes? Join me on Instagram @andbonbons for a closer look at the process, pastry tips, and plenty of chocolate inspiration.
This almond praline recipe is such an easy method. The classic way of caramelising nuts and sugar in one pot is always hit and miss for me, but with this approach I have full control over the caramelisation. Thank you.
Absolutely love that. This almond praline recipe really does give full control – toasting the almonds separately and caramelising the sugar on its own keeps everything even and predictable. Glad it worked so well for you.