Homemade Chocolate Turtles

Homemade chocolate turtles are made with crunchy pecans, gooey caramel, and sweet chocolate. This melt-in-your-mouth candy recipe uses just 5 simple ingredients.

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Chewy, gooey, salty, and sweet, homemade chocolate turtles may become your new favorite candy recipe. With just 5 ingredients, it doesn't get easier or more delicious than these turtle chocolates. 

MORE RECIPES: Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies | Crockpot Chocolate Caramel Cake | Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

Homemade Turtle Chocolates

Crunchy pecans, gooey caramel, and sweet chocolate combine to make a melt in your mouth delicious candy treat. Fast and easy with just 5 ingredients, you’ll wow friends and family with these homemade delights. 

Chocolate turtles are a cinch to put together, making them perfect for holiday candy-making or last-minute hostess gifts. Wrap them up to give to friends and neighbors, or put them on a dessert tray with cookies and fudge. 

Homemade Chocolate turtles have the perfect ratio of caramel, chocolate, and pecan to create a soft chewy texture. Serve the turtles at room temperature for the best taste and texture. 

Homemade Turtle Chocolates Ingredients

• Pecans - whole pecan halves
• Caramels - individually wrapped caramels
• Heavy cream
• Chocolate chips - milk chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips
• Salt - sea salt, optional sprinkles

Avoid breaking the cute pecan turtle feet by lifting up the parchment paper from the pan and then separating the turtle from the parchment. This way you can bend the parchment paper back. To keep the turtles from sticking to other surfaces you may want to line any serving trays with parchment paper. When storing the turtles you can also line the container with wax paper, as well as placing wax paper between layers of turtles. 

Temper your chocolate in a microwaveable plastic or silicone bowl for the best results. A glass bowl will maintain the heat longer than desired as part of the tempering process is to cool the chocolate down a bit after melting. 

If you are giving the chocolate turtles as gifts you can package them individually by placing each turtle into a regular cupcake liner. For a fun variation, you can also use melted white chocolate for some of the chocolate turtles. 

How to Make Homemade Turtle Chocolates

FIRST STEP: Preheat the oven to 350*. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set it aside.

SECOND STEP: Evenly spread the pecan halves over the parchment paper. Bake for 5 minutes. Allow the pecan halves to completely cool.

THIRD STEP: Line 2 to 3 baking sheets with very lightly sprayed parchment paper, wax paper, or silicone baking liner. 

FOURTH STEP: Arrange the pecans in groups of 3-4 pecan halves. Make sure to space the pecan clusters at least 1 - 1 ½ inches apart.

FIFTH STEP: Remove the plastic wrap from the individual caramels, and place them in a medium-size heat-safe bowl.

SIXTH STEP: Add the 2 tablespoons of heavy cream to the caramels. Heat the caramel and cream at 45-second intervals. Stir well after each interval, until the mixture is smooth.

SEVENTH STEP: Once the caramel is smooth, immediately spoon 1 - 1 ½ teaspoons over the center of the pecan clusters.

EIGHTH STEP: Add the milk chocolate chips (or the dark chocolate chips) to a medium-size microwaveable plastic bowl or microwaveable silicone bowl. 

NINTH STEP: Heat for 30 seconds, stir well. Heat again for 30 seconds, stir well. Then heat for 15 seconds and stir well. The final heat would be 10 seconds if needed but you want to have a few whole chips still in the melted chocolate and not all the chips to be melted, risking overheating the chocolate. After this final heating stir the chocolate until all chips are melted and continue stirring the chocolate for 30 seconds to 1 minute. 

TENTH STEP: Spoon 1 - 1 ½ teaspoons of the melted chocolate over the center of the caramel. Use the tip or back of your spoon to make a little swirl onto the top of the chocolate. If you wish to garnish the top of the chocolate with sea salt, sprinkle just a dash on top of the chocolate. Allow the turtles to sit for at least 2 hours to ensure they set properly.

What kind of chocolate should I use? 

You can use dark chocolate chips or white chocolate instead of milk chocolate. For extra flavor, you can also use a combination of these chocolates, or use one as a drizzle to make designs on the tops. 

Can I use walnuts? 

You can use easily walnuts instead of pecans for your chocolate turtles as they are similar in texture and size. 

What toppings would be good on chocolate turtles? 

Use a pinch of sea salt, sprinkles, drizzled chocolate, or additional crushed nuts as a topping for your turtles.  

How to Store Homemade Turtle Chocolates 

ON THE COUNTER:  Store chocolate turtles on the counter in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. 

IN THE FRIDGE:  Homemade chocolate turtles can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.   

IN THE FREEZER: Turtles can be frozen for up to 2 months. Layer the chocolate turtles in an airtight freezer-safe container with wax or parchment paper between the turtles so they don’t stick. Defrost candy at room temperature before serving.

Homemade Turtle Chocolates

Homemade chocolate turtles are made with crunchy pecans, gooey caramel, and sweet chocolate. This melt-in-your-mouth candy recipe uses just 5 simple ingredients.

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Prep Time 15 days d

Cook Time 10 days d

Rest Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 48 servings

Calories 91 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• pecan halves 3 cups

Caramel Center

• bag (38) individually wrapped caramels 1 - 11 oz
• heavy cream 2 tbsp

Chocolate Topping

• bag milk chocolate chips ((you could also use 12 oz bag of dark chocolate chips)) 1 - 12 oz
• sea salt ((optional sprinkles)) 1-2 tbsp

DIRECTIONS

 

• Preheat the oven to 350*. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set it aside.
• Evenly spread the pecan halves over the parchment paper. Bake for 5 minutes. Allow the pecan halves to completely cool.
• Line 2 to 3 baking sheets with very lightly sprayed parchment paper, wax paper, or silicone baking liner.
• Arrange the pecans in groups of 3-4 pecan halves. Make sure to space the pecan clusters at least 1 - 1 ½ inches apart.
• Remove the plastic wrap from the individual caramels, and place them in a medium-size heat-safe bowl.
• Add the 2 tablespoons of heavy cream to the caramels. Heat the caramel and cream at 45-second intervals. Stir well after each interval, until the mixture is smooth.
• Once the caramel is smooth, immediately spoon 1 - 1 ½ teaspoons over the center of the pecan clusters.
• Add the milk chocolate chips (or the dark chocolate chips) to a medium-size microwaveable plastic bowl or microwaveable silicone bowl.
• Heat for 30 seconds, stir well. Heat again for 30 seconds, stir well. Then heat for 15 seconds and stir well. The final heat would be 10 seconds if needed but you want to have a few whole chips still in the melted chocolate and not all the chips to be melted, risking overheating the chocolate. After this final heating stir the chocolate until all chips are melted and continue stirring the chocolate for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Spoon 1 - 1 ½ teaspoons of the melted chocolate over the center of the caramel. Use the tip or back of your spoon to make a little swirl onto the top of the chocolate. If you wish to garnish the top of the chocolate with sea salt, sprinkle just a dash on top of the chocolate. Allow the turtles to sit for at least 2 hours to ensure they set properly.

Nutrition

Calories: 91kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 164mg | Potassium: 41mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 16IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg

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