Chocolate Turtles

Combine chewy buttery caramel, rich creamy chocolate, and nuts together to make these chocolate turtles — a homemade treat that’s every bit as yummy as the original!

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Table of Contents

Turtles Chocolate Ingredients
Turtle Chocolate Candy Substitutions
How to Make Chocolates Turtles
How to Serve Turtles Chocolate Candy
Storing Turtle Candy
Turtles Chocolates FAQs
More Recipes You’ll Love
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These soft and chewy homemade chocolate turtles are the perfect desserts to whip up for a party. They have delicious clusters of homemade caramel filling, rich chocolatey goodness, and are packed with baked pecans.

close up shot of a bunch of Chocolate Turtles

Turtles Chocolate Ingredients

Chocolate Turtles raw ingredients that are labeled

You’ll need:

3 cups whole pecan halves
11-ounce bag (38) individually wrapped caramels
2 tablespoons of heavy cream
12-ounce bag of milk chocolate chips
1 to 2 tablespoons of sea salt

Turtle Chocolate Candy Substitutions

HEAVY CREAM: You can use milk and butter as an easy substitute for heavy cream. Use ¼ cup of melted butter with ¾ cup of milk to make 1 cup of heavy cream.

PECANS: Walnuts are a great alternative to pecans as they are similar in texture, size, and taste. Use a 1:1 ratio for this.

DARK CHOCOLATE CHIPS: You can use dark chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate if that is more to your taste. You can use a 1:1 ratio.

TOPPINGS: Use sprinkles or another kind of candy to top your turtle candy.

BLACK & WHITE TURTLES: Use dark and white chocolate chips to make “black and white” turtles.

How to Make Chocolates Turtles

STEP ONE: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

STEP TWO: Evenly spread the pecan halves over the parchment paper and bake them for 5 minutes. Allow the pecans to completely cool after taking them out of the oven.

PRO TIP:

Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your pecans as the suggested baking time approaches.

STEP THREE: Line 2 to 3 baking sheets with a lightly sprayed layer of parchment paper.

You can also use a silicone liner on your baking sheet.

STEP FOUR: Arrange the pecans in groups of 3 to 4. Make sure to space the pecan clusters at least 1 to 1½ inches apart.

pecans added into clusters on a baking sheet

STEP FIVE: Remove the plastic wrap from the individual caramels and place them in a microwave-safe medium-sized bowl.

STEP SIX: Add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream to the caramels. Heat the caramels and cream in 45-second intervals.

Stir your mixture well after each interval, until the mixture is smooth.

caramel spooned onto the cluster of pecans

STEP SEVEN: Once the caramel is smooth, immediately spoon 1 to 1½ teaspoons of the hot caramel over the center of the pecan clusters.

STEP EIGHT: Add the milk chocolate chips into a medium-sized microwave-safe plastic or silicone bowl.

STEP NINE: Heat the chocolate chips for 30 seconds and stir them well. Heat the chocolate again for 30 seconds and stir again. Heat for a final 15 seconds and stir.

If needed, you can heat it again for 10 seconds, but you want to have a few whole chips still in the melted chocolate.

Not all of them should be melted, as this might overheat the chocolate. Stir the chocolate until all the chips are melted.

PRO TIP:

Tempering the chocolate in the microwave is best done in a microwavable plastic or silicone container. This is better than using glass because glass maintains the heat, and if you are melting chocolate, it’s better to cool the chocolate down quickly after melting it.

STEP TEN: Spoon 1 to 1½ teaspoons of melted chocolate over the center of the caramel. Use the tip of the back of your spoon to make a little swirl in the chocolate on top of each turtle.

STEP TEN: If you want to use garnish on top of the chocolate, you can use sea salt! Just sprinkle a dash of salt on top of the chocolate.

STEP ELEVEN: Allow the turtles to sit for at least 2 hours to let the chocolate and caramel set properly.

turtles peeled away from the parchment paper

To get your turtle candies off the pan, the easiest way is to lift the parchment paper from the pan and separate the turtles from the paper, bending the paper back.

When you try to just lift the turtle flat off of the pan, you can easily break the cute little turtle feet!

How to Serve Turtles Chocolate Candy

Giving homemade candy as a gift is a thoughtful and personal gesture that is sure to be appreciated.

Turtle chocolate candies are a staple during the holiday season and they’re a fantastic choice for homemade gifts.

Put them in a pretty box or jar, and include a handwritten note to make it extra special. You could also add them to a gift box or decorative tin along with a variety of chocolates, including our buckeyes and chocolate fudge.

Note: Make sure your candy is fresh by packaging it properly until you’re ready to give it as a gift.

MORE CHOCOLATE RECIPES

No Bake Desserts

Chocolate Lasagna

Baked Desserts

Chocolate Trifle

Storing Turtle Candy

ON THE COUNTER: It’s best to store your chewy caramel and chocolate candy on the counter for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.

IN THE FRIDGE: You can keep these turtles in the fridge for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.

IN THE FREEZER: Layer your homemade candy in an airtight container with wax or parchment paper between turtles, so they don’t stick.

You can freeze these turtle candy for up to 2 months and then defrost them at room temperature before serving.

close up shot of Chocolate Turtles with a bite taken out of it

Skip the store-bought version and make these classic gourmet chocolate turtles at home. This quick, easy chocolate turtle recipe is perfect for an after-dinner treat or gift.

You can’t go wrong with crunchy pecans, creamy caramel, and rich milk chocolate combined into one amazing treat. This dessert is simple, yet incredibly rich and delicious.

For another delicious, rich chocolate and caramel dessert, try our crockpot chocolate caramel cake. Our caramel apple dip great caramel dessert to make for a party, the holidays or night in with the family.

Turtles Chocolates FAQs

Can I freeze chocolate turtles?

This great recipe can be frozen in an airtight container for up to two months.

Should turtles be kept in the fridge?

While they are fine at room temperature, in order to ensure the chocolate and caramel don’t get too soft.

Can I use a different type of nut for this recipe?

You could use walnuts instead of pecans for this recipe.

Why are they called chocolate turtles?

This treat is called a turtle as they resemble a turtle, with the pecans on the sides resembling turtle feet and the chocolate on top like their shell.

What are chocolate turtles called?

Chocolate turtles are also referred to as bear claws, chocolate candy clusters, or chocolate caramel nut clusters,

What does chocolate turtle taste like?

Chocolate turtles taste like a combination of gooey caramel, rich milk chocolate, and toasted pecans.

How long are chocolate turtles good for?

Chocolate turtles will keep on the counter or in the fridge for up to two weeks and in the freezer for up to two months.

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Turtle Chocolate Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Combine chewy buttery caramel, rich creamy chocolate, and nuts together to make these chocolate turtles — a homemade treat that’s every bit as yummy as the original!

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 2 25

Servings

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Ingredients

3 cups pecans halves
11 ounces caramels, 38 individually wrapped
2 tablespoons heavy cream
12 ounces milk chocolate chips (you could also use 12-ounce bag of dark chocolate chips)
1 to 2 tablespoons sea salt, optional sprinkles

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
Evenly spread the pecan halves over the parchment paper. Bake for 5 minutes. Allow the pecan halves to cool completely.
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 to 4 pecan halves. Make sure to space the pecan clusters at least 1 to 1½ inches apart.
Remove the plastic wrap from the individual caramels and place them in a medium-sized heat-safe bowl.
Add the 2 tablespoons of heavy cream to the caramels. Heat the caramel and cream in 45-second intervals. Stir well after each interval until the mixture is smooth.
Once the caramel is smooth, immediately spoon 1 to 1½ teaspoons over the center of the pecan clusters.
Add the milk chocolate chips or the dark chocolate chips to a medium-sized microwaveable plastic bowl or microwaveable silicone bowl.
Heat for 30 seconds and stir well. Heat again for 30 seconds and stir well. Then heat for 15 seconds and stir well. You can 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 to 1½ 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.

Notes

You can use wax paper or silicone liner as well on your baking sheet.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your pecans as the suggested baking time approaches.
Tempering the chocolate in the microwave is best done in a microwavable plastic or silicone container. This is better than using glass because glass maintains the heat, and if you are melting chocolate, it’s better to cool the chocolate down quickly after melting it.
If you are giving the homemade turtles as gifts, place the turtles in regular cupcake liners.
To get your turtle candies off the pan, the easiest way is to lift the parchment paper from the pan and separate the turtles from the paper, bending the paper back. When you try to just lift the turtle flat off of the pan, you can easily break the cute little turtle feet!

Nutrition

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This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

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Turtle Chocolates