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This simple caramel turtle recipe has a baked pecan base smothered in chocolate and homemade caramel – a perfect treat for sharing!
A Favorite Flavor Combo
Caramel-covered turtle candy is a family favorite (our mom’s all-time favorite)! And how could it not be with chocolate, pecans and caramel all over?!
This turtle-shaped candy is often sold and made year-round but is especially popular during Thanksgiving and Christmas. We always include them on our treat plates for holiday gifting and love to add them to party plates and Charcuterie boards for family gatherings since we love them so much.
Our turtle recipe includes homemade caramel for melt-in-your-mouth perfection! If you love the flavor combo of turtles, you also need to try Turtle Thumbprint Cookies and Turtle Cheesecake.
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- Flavor combination. The combination of crunchy pecans, chewy caramel, and chocolate is incredible.
- Homemade. This version is better than any turtle candy we have ever purchased. Plus, they’re less expensive to make than buy.
- Simple steps. Don’t be intimidated about the candy-making process, the steps are simple and there are plenty of tips!
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 15 minutes
REST TIME: 1 hour
- 3 cups pecan halves
- ½ cup butter – if using salted butter reduce the amount of added salt
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup corn syrup – light corn syrup
- dash salt
- 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk – (half of a 14-ounce can) Do not use evaporated milk.
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups chocolate chips – milk chocolate chips, or try semi-sweet, dark chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips
- ½ teaspoon vegetable oil – or shortening
- optional topping – sprinkle with flaky sea salt
Use Store-Bought Caramel
Use 25-30 soft store-bought Kraft caramels or a bag of caramel bits. Melt them in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between.
If the caramels are a bit tough, add a little spoonful of half and half to yield a smoother result.
How to Make Our Turtle recipe
- PECANS. Place 3 cups pecan halves in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes or till lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool. Arrange in clusters of 3-4 on silicone liners or parchment paper (not wax paper).
- CARAMEL. Combine ½ cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup corn syrup, and a dash of salt in a 6-quart pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk and ½ teaspoon vanilla.
- CORRECT TEMP. Continue cooking and stirring. Use a candy thermometer to ensure the caramel reaches 235-240°F.
- I use the ice water test, it’s more accurate. Drop a small spoonful of the hot caramel into a bowl of ice water. When you take it out, you should be able to roll it into a ball. Then it’s done.
- ASSEMBLE. Quickly spoon the caramel over the pecan clusters, making sure the caramel is touching each of the pecans. Let sit to harden.
- CHOCOLATE. Melt 1½ cups chocolate chips and ½ teaspoon oil in the microwave at half power, stirring often till smooth. Spoon chocolate on top of each layer of caramel (sprinkle with salt if desired). Let sit for 1-2 hours, or till hardened.
PRO TIP: High Elevation
In general, subtract 2° from the stated temperature for every 1,000 feet above sea level. For example, if you are 4,000 feet above sea level, subtract 8° from the stated recipe making it 227-232°F.
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Turtle Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups pecan halves
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup corn syrup
- dash salt
- 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk, half of a 14-ounce can
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups chocolate chips, I used milk chocolate chips
- ½ teaspoon vegetable oil, or shortening
Instructions
- Place pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes or till lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool. Arrange in clusters of 3-4 on silicone liners or parchment paper.
- Combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a 6-quart pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla.
- Continue cooking and stirring till the mixture reaches 235-240°F.
- I use the ice water test, it's more accurate. Drop a small spoonful of the hot caramel into a bowl of ice water. When you take it out, you should be able to roll it into a ball. Then it's done.
- Quickly spoon the caramel over the pecan clusters, making sure the caramel is touching each of the pecans. Let sit to harden.
- Melt the chocolate chips and oil in the microwave at half power, stirring often till smooth. Spoon chocolate on top of each layer of caramel. Let sit for 1-2 hours or till hardened.
Video
Notes
- If the caramels are a bit tough, add a little spoonful of half and half to yield a smoother result.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Store chocolate turtle candy at room temperature in an airtight container or freeze it in a freezer-safe container for 4-6 weeks. Set them out on the counter to soften before eating.
Thanks for sharing this recipe with us Kara! For more amazingly delicious recipes by her, head over to Creations by Kara!!
What’s better than Carmel, chocolate and pecans!! Delicious treat!!
We just finished making these and they were so easy. We made some with white chocolate and decorated it to look like the face of a snowman, with black eyes and orange nose and smiley mouth.
These look delicious. Can’t wait to make some
These are a family favorite. Never can make enough. 😊😍
Super easy and yummy, you can’t go wrong with this one!
These are amazing! I make them every year for Christmas and everyone loves them.
Excellent! I will NEVER EVER buy turtles again!
These don’t look like turtles. You should pour chocolate on sheet put pecans pointing out like feet. Then caramel then chocolate over all. The shape then appears to be a turtle, hence the name. Yours are simply candy not turtles.
It’s pretty typical for the pecans to be layered on the bottom with the caramel and chocolate taking on the “shell” of the turtle on top. Thanks for the suggestion though… that would be fun to try that way as well!
I think you should make them they way you want. I’ve been eating turtles for over 50 years and I’ve never had them in the shape of a turtle. They qere perfectly fine made as instructed, and EVERYONE knew exactly what they were.
Love your site! I tried these for the first time and the caramel was still a little too soft even the next day. I used a candy thermometer and let the mixture get to about the 240ish mark. I think next time I will try a little less corn syrup. I also found that I had to wait about 10 minutes for the caramel to cool and thicken enough to spoon over the nuts. I followed Natasha’s recommendation and added a little sea salt on top. Yum!
Thanks for sharing what you did for the candy. I’m so glad you love the site! Thanks for being here. 🙂
These are the first turtle candy that I have made. I was nervous making them for the holidays without practicing first. I found this recipe was incredibly easy and they tasted amazing.
Hooray! I’m so glad that they were easy and you enjoyed them!!