This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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.
More Like This
Holiday Candy Recipes
Holiday Treats
Collections
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!!
Made these! Everyone loved them!!
These are my favorite holiday treats!
Very tasty and easy. Carmel is sticky but soft and easy to eat
Way too long for the pecans. They burned within 4 minutes. Caramel was at the right temp and balled in ice but still turned out too sticky/didn’t form enough to pick up without becoming a mess (tasty though).
Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try!
I used the caramel recipe for chocolate covered caramel.
Sounds so heavenly! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
These turtles are fantastic! Every Christmas I make turtles for a friend who loves them. She said these were the best she had ever eaten! So did two of my other recipients!! I agree! After reading a couple of reviews regarding the caramel not setting up enough I cooked mine to 240-245 degrees. That was perfect. I also weighed the sweetened condensed milk to be sure I was actually using the required 7 ounces. Thank you so much for this recipe! It will be the only one I use from now on!
You are so welcome! Glad it was a hit & thank you for letting me know!
Absolutely the best recipe ever! I have tried many and almost gave up. Decided I’ll try one more time. This turned out marvelously! My hubby is so happy perfect taste and consistency. Thanks so much!
I am glad you didn’t give up! Thank you for letting me know!
How far in advance can I make these without freezing them?
I think a few days would still be ok 🙂 But, that’s me..the fresher the better!
This is an excellent recipe and relatively easy to make. Had a small Christmas dinner and everyone raved about them! I am now making two batches and with that said, I discovered that the contents of a 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk is actually 10 oz. of the milk! So if you’re following this recipe as is, it’s actually 5 oz. of SCM. I also added a just a little sea salt to the top of one group. So yummy!
I am so glad you tried them 🙂 Happy they were a hit! Thank you!
Can I make ahead and freeze for a week
I personally have not put them in the freezer, but they should be fine. Just make sure you thaw them ahead of time, so the caramel can get soft 🙂