New Orleans Pecan Clusters are a taste of the city’s two famous flavors. Toasted and salted pecans pair with warm notes of cinnamon in a mixture of melted white chocolate. It’s a blend of NoLa’s famous desserts — king cake and caramel pralines — all in one.

If you’ve ever been to the French Quarter, then you’ve passed by the narrow chocolate shops interwoven throughout the historical district. In the front windows, caramel cooks in huge copper vats to later be used to make a variety of pralines. (yes, there’s more than just one flavor of pralines!). In the back are display cases upon display cases of chocolates — truffles, cream, caramels, and clusters— ready to be weighed out, paid for, and devoured. This recipe for New Orleans Praline Clusters is a love ballad for those delightful chocolate shops. A simple mix of ingredients are utilized to make a bite of sweet, heavenly bliss.

Seriously, this recipe is crazy simple. Looking at the ingredient list, you’ll see how little is needed to create an amazing treat. Since there are so few ingredients, coaxing out the flavors of the pecans is crucial. In a pan, toast the pecans until you smell their aromatic nuttiness. Remove the pecans from the pan and toss with fine salt, which will counter the sweetness of the chocolate.

Using the double boiler method, melt the white chocolate until smooth and then whisk in the cinnamon.

Toss in the pecans.

Fold until everything is all combined.

Scoop the pecan-white chocolate mixture onto the prepared parchment and let the clusters harden in the refrigerator.

One cluster isn’t enough — you’ve been warned!

These New Orleans Pecan Clusters are surprisingly balanced thanks to the toasted and salted pecans and the ground cinnamon. No one flavor is too overpowering.

These are great during the holiday time or a great no-bake treat to whip up with kids on the weekend. It’s extremely versatile and makes for an impressive gift, even if it’s a gift to yourself!