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    Home » Recipes » Cookies

    Chocolate Turtle Cookies

    Published: Oct 1, 2017 · Modified: Aug 9, 2021 by Heather · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 852 words. · About 5 minutes to read this article.

    Jump to Recipe
    Chocolate Turtle Cookies by The Toasty Kitchen
    Chocolate Turtle Cookies by The Toasty Kitchen
    Chocolate Turtle Cookies by The Toasty Kitchen

    Chocolate Turtle Cookies combine all of the flavors of the classic turtle candy: chocolate, caramel, and pecans. The caramel bits are soft and sweet - a perfect pairing with the crunchy pecan crust.

    A stack of pecan crusted cookies.
    Chocolate turtle cookies are a fantastic recipe any time you're looking for a rich, crunchy cookie. These soft chocolate cookies are filled with chewy caramel bits and rolled in crunchy chopped pecans.

    Cookies are a great treat for the holidays, and they are easy to make ahead of time. I like to make and freeze cookie dough, so that I can easily thaw as much or little as I’d like.

    This way, you can focus on friends and family during the holidays, instead of spending your days in the kitchen.

    Ingredients

    To begin making your cookies, gather your ingredients.

    Ingredients to make chocolate cookies. For this recipe, you'll need room temperature butter and eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, caramel bits, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, milk, and chopped pecans.

    Room temperature butter and eggs are needed because they will easily incorporate with the rest of your ingredients, making a smooth and creamy dough.

    Caramel bits

    For this recipe, I used Caramel Bits, which can be found on Amazon, or at Target, Walmart, or Kroger, to name a few places. Caramel bits are small, round, unwrapped caramel pieces that are ready to add to your cookie dough.

    If you can’t find caramel bits at your local store, you can also use caramel squares and roll them into the middle of the chocolate dough. Or, you can slice the caramel squares into pieces if you’d like the same effect as the caramel bits.

    How to make turtle cookies

    Mixing ingredients for a cookie dough.

    First, you'll mix your wet ingredients together.

    In a separate bowl, sift or whisk together your dry ingredients. Then, slowly mix your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients.

    Last, add your caramel bits into the dough and stir to incorporate.

    Cover the bowl, or form your dough into a disc and wrap in wax paper, and refrigerate. This give your flavors time to meld as well as firm up your dough to make it easy to roll into balls.

    Rolling cookie dough in pecans

    Rolling cookies in pecans and baking on a baking sheet.While your oven is preheating, Shape your dough into  balls and roll the balls in your chopped pecans.

    I find it easiest to roll the balls in the pecans on a hard surface (like a counter top). This helps press the pecans into your dough so they're less likely to fall off.

    After your cookies are done baking, you may notice some of the caramel bits may have melted and deformed the shape of your cookies. You can leave them as is, if this doesn't bother you. Or, use a spatula and gently reshape your cookies while they're still hot.

    Cookies on a cooling rack.

    A stack of pecan crusted cookies.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 2 reviews

    Caramel and Pecan Chocolate Turtle Cookies

    Chocolate Turtle Cookies combine all of the flavors of the classic turtle candy: chocolate, caramel, and pecans. The caramel bits are soft and sweet - a perfect pairing for the crunchy pecan crust.
    Prep Time15 minutes
    Cook Time10 minutes
    Resting Time1 hour
    Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
    Servings: 45 cookies
    Calories: 137kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
    • ¾ cup (160 g) brown sugar
    • ½ cup (99 g) granulated sugar
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 tablespoon milk
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 ¼ cups (270 g) all purpose flour
    • ¾ cup (63 g) natural cocoa powder
    • ¾ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 11 ounces (312 g) caramel bits
    • 1 ½ cups (171 g) pecans, chopped

    Instructions

    • In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Cream together until fluffy.
    • In a separate bowl, whisk (or sift) together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.
    • Gradually stir dry ingredients into butter mixture until just combined.
    • Add caramel bits and stir until just combined.
    • Cover bowl or wrap dough in wax paper. Chill for at 1 hour in the refrigerator. Refrigerating will help the flavors meld and also create a firmer dough to roll into balls.
    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • Remove dough from refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Scoop dough using a 1.5 tablespoon scoop or shape by hand into 1.5 inch balls. Roll balls in the chopped pecans.
    • Place cookie dough balls 2 inches apart onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until tops have started to crack. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Equipment Recommendations

    • Nordic Ware Half Baking Sheet
    • Nicewell Digital Kitchen Scale
    • OXO Cookie Scoops
    • Measuring Spoons

    Notes

    • Your cookies will keep for 5-7 days in a sealed container. To help keep cookies fresh, you can place a slice of bread in the container with the cookies. Replace the bread slice as needed.
    • You can keep raw cookie dough in the refrigerator for 3 days. Cookie dough balls (and baked cookies) freeze well, up to 3 months in a sealed plastic container or freezer bag. Allow frozen balls to thaw for up to 10 minutes on the baking sheet before baking, or add 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
    • If you can’t find caramel bits at your local store, you can also use caramel squares and roll them into the middle of the chocolate dough. Or, you can slice the caramel squares into pieces if you’d like the same effect as the caramel bits.
    • Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking cookies, based on reader comments and questions!

    Nutrition Estimate

    Serving: 0g | Calories: 137kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 85mg | Potassium: 66mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 141IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American

    More chocolate cookie recipes

    • Dutch Cocoa Cookies
    • Mint Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
    • Chocolate Butterscotch Chip Halloween Cookies
    • Whoopie Pies

    Chocolate Turtle Cookies by The Toasty Kitchen

    More Cookie Recipes

    • Strawberry Shortbread Cookies
    • 10 Tips for Baking Cookies
    • Soft Sugar Cookies
    • Heart Shaped Chocolate Chip Cookies

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    Heather of The Toasty Kitchen

    Hi, I'm Heather of The Toasty Kitchen. I love cooking with real, unfussy ingredients, and I want to help you make homemade meals with ease.

    More about me →

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