Turtle Cookiesrn

close up shot of Turtle Cookies stacked on top each other

Enjoy our chocolate turtle cookies when you have a craving for ooey-gooey caramel and soft, chewy chocolate cookies.

Table of Contents

Turtle Cookies Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How To Make This Turtle Cookies Recipe
How To Serve
Storage
More Recipes You’ll Love
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These delicious turtle cookies are soft and chewy with a rich chocolate and caramel flavor. The chocolate thumbprint cookies are coated with crunchy pecans and topped with a creamy puddle of gooey caramel for the ultimate in decadence.

Turtle Cookies Ingredients

Turtle Cookies raw ingredients that are labeled

This soft chocolate cookie is rich and decadent, creating the perfect nest for the gooey caramel.

The milk chocolate glaze that tops these turtle cookies pulls all the flavors together with its creamy sweetness, balancing out the salty nuts in a delectable combination that’s simply irresistible.

For these delectable cookies, you’ll need:

1½ cups of all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon of baking powder
½ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon of salt
¾ cup of unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup of white sugar
¾ cup of light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, divided into one egg plus one yolk and the separated egg whites
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 cups of finely chopped pecans
30 caramels
¼ cup of heavy cream
1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips, for chocolate drizzle

Substitutions And Additions

CARAMEL: You can also use homemade caramel in this turtle cookie recipe. You want a caramel that is thick enough to set but not hard, which would make it difficult to bite into.

PECANS: If you’re not a fan of pecans or have an allergy, you can easily substitute them with other nuts like walnuts or almonds. These nuts have a similar texture and will still give your cookies a delightful crunch. If you’re looking for a nut-free option, consider using sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.

SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS: If you prefer a different type of chocolate, feel free to swap the semi-sweet chocolate chips with milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or even white chocolate chips. For a fun twist, you could also use butterscotch or peanut butter chips.

VANILLA EXTRACT: If you’re looking for a more complex flavor, consider substituting the vanilla extract with almond extract. It will give your cookies a slightly nutty and unique flavor. However, almond extract is stronger than vanilla, so use about half as much.

How To Make This Turtle Cookies Recipe

With just a few simple ingredients and minimal effort, you’ll be able to whip up a batch of these delightful goodies in no time.

Once the chocolate cookie dough is made, you will coat the cookie dough balls in chopped pecans. Place them on the cookie sheet and create a thumbprint in the flattened dough. Finally, add the creamy caramel to the center of the cookies and bake.

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F.

STEP TWO: Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

STEP THREE: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

Since these are thumbprint cookies, using just a small amount of baking powder helps the cookies to retain their compact thumbprint shape.

flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder stirred in a bowl

STEP FOUR: In a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

STEP FIVE: Beat in one egg plus one egg yolk (reserve the whites) and vanilla until well mixed.

egg and egg yolk and vanilla blended with the baking powdered mixture in a bowl

STEP SIX: Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and beat just until well mixed. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.

dry ingredients poured into the wet ingredients and blended together in a bowl

STEP SEVEN: Use a 1½ tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough. Roll into balls between your hands.

STEP EIGHT: Whisk the reserved egg white in a small bowl until very frothy/foamy.

STEP NINE: Coat the dough ball in frothy egg whites, then roll in the chopped pecan pieces.

PRO TIP:

The egg whites help the pecans to stick to the dough ball and stay in place while baking.

dough ball coated with frothy egg whites and chopped pecans

STEP TEN: Place each of the chocolate cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart.

STEP ELEVEN: Using the back of a teaspoon, press about halfway down into each cookie to create an indent for the caramel.

create an indent in the middle of the cookies

STEP TWELVE: Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until the bottoms look slightly browned.

PRO TIP:

Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cookies at the lower end of the recommended baking time.

STEP THIRTEEN: Remove the cookies from the oven. If the centers have puffed while baking, use your teaspoon to gently re-press the indentation.

STEP FOURTEEN: Heat the caramels and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds at a time in the microwave. Stir until smooth.

STEP FIFTEEN: Spoon the melted caramel filling in the center of each baked cookie’s indentation. Allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.

melted caramel spooned in the center of the cookies

STEP SIXTEEN: Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, heating for 30 seconds at a time and stirring between, until melted. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cooled cookies.

chocolate drizzled over the cookies on a tray

How To Serve

Nothing complements a plate of warm and delicious turtle cookies quite like a nice glass of cold milk or our extra creamy homemade hot chocolate. For an even more unforgettable experience, serve turtle cookies with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

These incredible cookies would be a welcome addition to any holiday cookie tray, along with our Christmas pinwheel cookies and snowball cookies.

Craving more delicious recipes? Our Twix cookies and chocolate pudding cookies are two extra chocolatey treats.

MORE COOKIE RECIPES

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Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

Storage

Whether you’re planning to make these cookies ahead of time, or you’re just looking to enjoy the leftovers, here’s everything you need to know about storing your homemade turtle cookies.

MAKE AHEAD: These turtle cookies are a fantastic option for make-ahead treats. Simply prepare the dough, shape the cookies, and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Instead of baking, slide the whole tray into the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

When you’re ready to bake, just preheat your oven and pop them in. This method not only saves time but also allows the flavors to meld together, resulting in an even more delicious cookie.

ON THE COUNTER: Store these easy turtle cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

IN THE FREEZER: Freeze this chewy chocolate cookie for up to 3 months, sealed in an airtight container. Label the container to make sure you enjoy your cookies at their best.

These rich chocolate cookies taste just like turtle candies in a delightful cookie form. No one will be able to resist the rich chocolate or the creamy caramel centers. We recommend trying one of these turtle cookies before you share them with anyone else because we guarantee they will disappear fast!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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

You could use walnuts instead of pecans to coat the outside of these cookies.

Can I freeze these pecan turtle cookies?

These turtle thumbprint cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to three months.

What are thumbprint cookies?

Thumbprint cookies are ones where the dough is rolled into balls, flattened slightly, and then, using your thumb, a slight indent is made. This is then filled with a sweet filling such as jam or caramel.

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Turtle Cookies

5 from 26 votes

Enjoy our chocolate turtle cookies when you have a craving for ooey-gooey caramel and soft, chewy chocolate cookies.

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 11

Total Time 1 56

Servings

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Ingredients

1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup white sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar packed
2 large eggs, divided into one egg plus one yolk and the separated egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups pecans, finely chopped
30 caramels
¼ cup heavy cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, for chocolate drizzle

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Beat in one egg plus one egg yolk (reserve the whites) and vanilla until well mixed.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and beat just until well mixed. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
Use a 1½ tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough. Roll into balls between your hands.
Whisk the reserved egg white in a small bowl until very frothy/foamy.
Coat the dough ball in frothy egg whites and then roll in the chopped pecans.
Place each ball on the prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart.
Using the back of a teaspoon, press about halfway down into each cookie to create an indent for the caramel.
Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until the bottom edges look slightly browned.
Remove cookies from the oven. If the centers have puffed while baking, use your teaspoon to gently re-press the indentation.
Heat the caramels and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds at a time in the microwave. Stir until smooth.
Spoon the melted caramel in the center of each baked cookie’s indentation. Allow cookies to cool completely.
Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, heating for 30 seconds at a time and stirring between, until melted. Drizzle the chocolate over the cooled cookies.

Notes

Since these are thumbprint cookies, using just a small amount of baking powder helps the cookies to retain their compact thumbprint shape.
The egg whites help the pecans to stick to the dough ball and stay in place while baking.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cookies at the lower end of the recommended baking time.

Nutrition

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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

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!

Stephanie Keeping Publisher
Layne Kangas Marketing
Lexus Monroe Editorial Assistant