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Turtle candy has a baked pecan base covered in delicious homemade caramel and melted chocolate. They are the perfect treat for sharing!
You also need to try Turtle Thumbprint Cookies and Turtle Cheesecake, which have all the same flavors as these candies.
We Love Chocolate Turtles!
These chocolate turtle candies are a family favorite (my mom’s all-time favorite) and are often sold and made year round, but they’re especially popular during Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Here’s why we absolutely love them:
- Flavor combination. The crunchy pecans, the chewy caramel, the chocolate that melts in your mouth. Simply incredible.
- Homemade. This version is better than any turtle candy I have ever purchased. Plus, they’re less expensive to make than buy.
- Simple. Don’t be intimidated about the candy-making process, this turtle candy recipe is really quite simple to make and is great to gift.
If you’re on the hunt for candies and cookies to give out around the holidays, make sure to include these homemade turtles!
Why is it called turtle candy? If you use your imagination, the pecans covered in caramel and chocolate look like little turtles – hence the name!
Ingredients
- whole pecans
- butter – If you use salted butter reduce the amount of added salt.
- brown sugar
- corn syrup – light or dark corn syrup
- salt
- sweetened condensed milk – Do not use evaporated milk.
- vanilla extract
- chocolate chips – I used milk chocolate chips, but you can use semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips.
- vegetable oil – or shortening
How to Make Turtle Candy
- PECANS. Place 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.
- CARAMEL. 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.
- CORRECT TEMP. Continue cooking and stirring till the mixture reaches 235-240°F.
- I like to 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 the chocolate chips and 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.
Variations
- Start with a pretzel base, top with chocolate, then add caramel and pecans.
- Top with sea salt to give more contrast in flavors.
- Use melted white chocolate on top instead of milk chocolate.
Store-bought caramel
If you are running short on time, you can use store-bought caramels.
- Use about 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 end result. Pour over the pecans to solidify them together.
Recipe Tips
Use these simple tips when making caramel for this recipe!
- Use a candy thermometer to ensure the caramel reaches 235-240°F.
- Elevation may play a role in how long to boil the caramel and what temperature it should reach. To test, use the following tips:
- 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.
storing info
- STORE. Store chocolate turtle candy at room temperature in an airtight container so the caramel stays soft.
- FREEZE. For long-term storage, place caramel turtles in a freezer-safe container and freeze for 4-6 weeks. Set them out on the counter to soften, or you may be asking Santa for your two front teeth.
For more holiday candy, try:
Turtle Candy Recipe
Turtle candy has a baked pecan base covered in delicious homemade caramel and melted chocolate. They are the perfect treat for sharing!
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole pecans
- 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 like to 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
- STORE. Store chocolate turtle candy at room temperature in an airtight container so the caramel stays soft.
- FREEZE. For long-term storage, place caramel turtles in a freezer-safe container and freeze for 4-6 weeks. Set them out on the counter to soften, or you may be asking Santa for your two front teeth.
Nutrition
Serving: 36g, Calories: 172kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 37mg, Potassium: 63mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 115IU, Vitamin C: 0.3mg, Calcium: 37mg, Iron: 0.4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Recipe inspired by Jamie Cooks It Up!
Thanks for sharing this recipe with us Kara! For more amazingly delicious recipes by her, head over to Creations by Kara!!
6200 calories in a setving!? Must be for all 36 turtles!
Thank you for sharing this recipe
I’ve always wanted to know how to make these candy.one of my favorite. Merry Christmas and have a happy new year.!
You are welcome!! I hope you like it! Happy Holidays!
6200 calories per serving??? Wow!
I’m excited to try these turtles – it’s one of our favorite holiday treats!
Not that I’m sure they will last more than a few days, but how long would the turtles keep? Counter top or fridge. I am getting my holiday baking done early 😊
I am excited for you to try them! I would keep them on the counter, covered for up to a week or two.
Hi, I made these yesterday and they turned out great! My only problem is that the caramel never really set… I was hoping to hand them out in little cellophane gift bags, but they would all stick together. Is there anything I can do to make the caramel harden? Thanks
They should eventually harden. It can take awhile. You can always try sticking in the fridge to help it faster. Hope that helps 🙂
any idea why my chocolate has white swirlS or little white SpeCkles? The flavor is there and they taste great but the cHOcolate looks like its old once it sETs. I am using neStle tollhouse milK chocolate. Please help! Thanks.
I could just be ingredients that haven’t melted all the way or maybe chips that were a little old. It happens to me sometimes too.
Think I finally found the turtle recipe that I made years ago ty
Woohoo!! Glad to hear that! Thank you!
These turtles taste better than nestle turtles and they are so easy. My son and I doubled the recipe and substituted soy milk. we made three cookie sheets of turtles. they taste so good even without addition of chocolate. these are to die for!
Awe, that makes me so happy! Thank you so much for letting me know that!
Easy to make! First time making caramel and it turned out great! my caramel was too hot the first minute or so and it really ran everywhere. so I went back after it had cooled down and thickened up and put more caremel on top of the pecans. Worked great! the only problem I had was with the chocolate. after 4 hours the chocolate still hadn’t set. I’ve put them in the fridge and hope that works. Any suggestions? i want to be able to layer them in my container and definitely can’t.
I am glad you tried these! It does take a while for the chocolate to set. Did the fridge help? I was going to say, I like sticking them in there to set faster! I hope they did.
The recipe calls for 1/2 tsp shortening or vegetable oil, but does not say how to use it. Can you explain, please. Thanks.
It is in step 5 🙂 You mix it with the chocolate chips.
Can coconut oil be used in place of veg oil or shortening?
Yup! I made mine with coconut oil and they are PERFECT!!! I LOVE this recipe! Thank you!!