Learn how to make quick and easy homemade chocolate turtles with simple ingredients. This candy recipe is composed of crispy pecans, chewy caramel and creamy chocolate.
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These are such a cute, fun, and easy recipe that you can even do with kids. Plus, they are definitely a crowd pleaser and you can easily double the batch for a party. If you enjoy the unique flavor of pecans like I do, then you'll also want to check out my recipes for Butter Pecan Cookies, Easy Pecan Pie (No Fail Recipe), and Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars (No Corn Syrup).
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Key ingredients
- Caramel- Make your own or buy some from the store.
- Pecans- Make sure they are whole and not chopped.
- Chocolate- The higher quality, the better tasting.
Variations
- Add a topping- Such as sprinkles, toffee bits, mini candies, chopped up candy bars, or crumbled cookies, like Oreos.
- For additional chewy factor- Top off with shredded coconut, freeze dried berries, or chopped dried fruits.
- Replace pecans with other nuts- Such as walnuts, peanuts, almonds, or cashews.
- For a sweet and salty treat- Sprinkle some sea salt on top of the melted chocolate before it sets or you can also use salted caramel.
- Toast pecans- To enhance and deepen the overall nutty flavor.
- Use these as fun and rustic cupcake toppers- These would go great on my Easy Biscoff Cupcakes (With Cake Mix).
- Stuff them inside cookie dough- For a delicious treat. I think they would pair well with these Easy Maple Cookies (Soft and Chewy).
- Use a different type of chocolate- I used semisweet chocolate but you can also use melted white chocolate, dark chocolate or even milk chocolate.
- Chill the caramel pecan cluster in fridge- And then dip the whole thing in melted chocolate.
- Add mini pretzel twists- On top of caramel prior to pouring melted chocolate for a different look and extra crunch. You can also crumble some pretzels on top of the original recipe.
How to make easy homemade chocolate turtles recipe from scratch?
1. Arrange pecans- In clusters of 4 pieces.
2. Pour melted caramel- On top of each cluster.
3. Once caramel sets- Pour melted chocolate on top.
4. Let the chocolate set- At room temperature and then enjoy.
Tips and techniques
- Homemade caramel sauce- Cannot be used because the consistency is too thin. You need to make homemade caramel or melt caramel bits or caramel squares.
- Line tray with wax paper This prevents the caramel from sticking to the pan.
- If you are planning to give this as a homemade gift- Make sure to check out my Food and Cookie Packaging Ideas.
- The size of the pecans- Will determine how many treats this recipe will make.
- When storing- Be sure to use small squares of wax paper to keep them separated. otherwise they will all stick together.
Recipe FAQs
You can use a double boiler on the stovetop or microwave in 30 second increments. Just be sure not to burn or overcook it.
Microwave in short 30 second increments or us a nonstick saucepan on the stovetop. Either way, make sure not to burn it.
Simply put, it is because this treat takes the shape of a turtle.
Storage
- Room temperature- Place in a sealed container separated with squares of wax paper for up to 1 week.
- Refrigerate- These can be placed in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Be sure they are separated with wax paper so they don't stick together.
- Freeze- Separate individually with wax paper, place in sealed container, and allow to thaw (soften) efficiently before eating.
- Make ahead- These can easily be made up to one week before serving.
More homemade candies
- Crockpot Candy (Chocolate Peanut Butter Clusters)
- JELL-O Marshmallow Candy (Pinwheels)
- Chocolate Crunch Bars (Peanut Butter)
- White Chocolate Fudge (2 ingredients)
- Peanut Brittle (Microwave)
Recipe
Easy Homemade Chocolate Turtles (Caramel Pecan Candy)
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Ingredients
- 2 cups Pecan halves Not chopped
- 2 cups Melted caramel Use Kraft caramel bits or caramel squares
- 2 cups Melted chocolate Semisweet
Instructions
- Line a baking tray with wax paper.
- Make multiple pecan clusters. To do this, arrange 4 pecans together so that it looks like a "turtle."
- Pour 1-2 teaspoons of melted caramel on top of each each cluster.
- Let it set at room temperature until it's not sticky to a gentle touch.
- Then pour about 1 teaspoon of melted chocolate on top of the caramel.
- Let the chocolate set and enjoy.
Notes
- For a sweet and salty treat, sprinkle sea salt on top of the melted chocolate before it sets.
- Other topping options include sprinkles, chopped candy bars, crushed Oreos, shredded coconut, dried fruits or even freeze dried berries.
- Be sure to line your pan with wax paper to prevent these candies from sticking. It also makes clean up easy.
- The number of candies you get from this recipe will depend on the size of your pecans. Some pecan halves are huge while others are very small.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature, separated by small squares of wax paper, for up to 1 week.
- Read additional tips and variations above.
Nutrition
An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.
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