Chocolate Caramel Pecan Turtles

The holidays are not all about the pies, these chocolate caramel pecan turtles are also a must! They are an easy Christmas dessert that you can make up with only a few ingredients.

Have you heard of the homemade turtle candy like our chocolate caramel pecan turtles? They are soo good, and great for any Christmas cookie exchange recipe that you have coming up.

These pecan turtles will wow anyone you decide to share these chocolate caramels with. What I like is that they don’t take up a bunch of room and ship wonderfully. 

Chocolate caramel pecan turtles have become a Christmas dessert tradition in our house. Since it has only a few ingredients I love to make up the caramel and assemble it all together with the kids. 

You can store them in a glass jar on the counter to have around as a treat or you can package them up in cute little tins as gifts.       

Recipe Ingredient Notes

To make Chocolate Caramel Pecan Turtles, you will need the following ingredients:

• Pecan halves
• Butter
• Brown sugar
• Corn syrup
• Sweetened condensed milk
• Vanilla extract
• Milk chocolate chips
• Shortening

Equipment Needed

For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:

• Sheet Pan (Quarter)
• Parchment Paper
• Saucepan (Medium)
• Bowls (Microwave Safe)

How To Make Chocolate Caramel Pecan Turtles

1. Toast pecans at 300 degrees on a cookie sheet for 5 to 6 minutes until fragrant. Let cool.
2. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper and spray lightly with non stick cooking spray.
3. Arrange the pecans on the sheet in small groups of 3.
4. To make the caramel, melt butter in a medium sized sauce pan. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk. Cook and stir over medium high heat until it reaches 235 degrees on your candy thermometer or the soft ball stage. (Clings together well when you drop ½ teaspoon of caramel in cold water).
5. Then remove the caramel from heat and stir in vanilla. Carefully spoon caramel over each nut cluster covering all the nuts.
6. For the chocolate topping melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl or big glass measuring cup. Heat for 30 seconds at a time stirring after each interval until all melted and smooth.
7. Then add in 1/2 teaspoon shortening to the melted chocolate chips. Stir all together until its blended in.
8. Spoon the melted chocolate over the caramel and spread around with the back of a spoon.
9. Once they set up you can eat them or store them in an airtight container.

Storing and Other Tips

Keep the best chocolate turtles in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. 

Why are Caramel and Chocolate Called Turtles?

The flavor of the caramel and chocolate combination came from a candy produced from the DeMet’s candy company that featured chocolate, caramel, and pecans. 

According to Wikipedia, one of the dippers at a commissary back in the early 1900’s told the salesman that the candy looked like the shape of a turtle and the name stuck ever since. 

And now most things that contain the caramel and chocolate use the term “turtle” to describe the dessert.

Will Dark Chocolate Work Instead?

For this recipe you can use dark chocolate, it will definitely taste good! However, it might be a little harder to get the dark chocolate to melt and become nice and smooth. You might have to up the amount of shortening just slightly to get the right consistency.

Enjoy More Delicious Caramel Recipes

Making homemade candy makes us feel less guilty about our sweet tooth. Check out our comprehensive collection of candy recipes here.

• Halloween Mickey Mouse Caramel Apples
• Homemade Caramels
• Homemade Chocolate Caramels with Sea Salt
• Homemade Microwave Caramels