Chocolate turtles are a simple homemade treat made of chewy caramel, creamy chocolate, and toasted pecans with sea salt on top. These are fun to nibble, great for gifting, and come together quickly with just 5 simple ingredients.
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Turtle chocolate
These candies go by different names – chocolate turtles, turtle chocolate, turtle clusters, and pecan turtles. Chocolate turtles are nothing but simple homemade candy made to look like a turtle.
Pecan nuts are formed into a cluster to resemble turtles and the candy is made by combining chewy caramel sauce, and creamy chocolate that gets poured over toasted pecan nuts giving it a turtle look. A hint of sea salt sprinkled on top is pure heaven!
Every bite of this candy gives you a soft, sweet, chewy, rich, crunchy taste.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need-
- 4 ounces pecans, toasted lightly
- 8-ounce caramel, individually wrapped (I used about 25 individually wrapped caramel)
- 1 ½ tablespoon heavy cream
- 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- Sea salt for sprinkling on top
Pecans – halved. Choose a pecan that holds its shape. Lightly toast it on the stove top on medium-low heat or in the oven. Don’t leave the nuts while toasting either in the oven on over the stove top. It will go from getting toasted to burnt in split second. Lightly toast pecans, no need to toast until it changes color.
Caramel – I used ready-made caramel wrapped individually. Brands I recommend are Krafts, Peters, or Werthers. Feel free to use homemade caramel if you have one. To melt caramel to make the pourable caramel sauce, heat caramel with heavy cream on medium heat.
Heavy cream – is used along with caramel to make the pourable caramel sauce.
Semi-sweet chocolate – you’ll need baking chocolate for this, chocolate that can be melted easily. Semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate barks can be used. Melt chocolate in 20 seconds intervals with constant stirring until chocolate is shiny and smooth.
Tip: ¼ teaspoon of coconut oil can be added to chocolate before melting. It helps chocolate melt into a shiny smooth sauce.
Sea salt – sprinkle sea salt on top of the chocolate turtle for a heavenly taste. The rich and creamy taste of caramel chocolate sauce is balanced by sea salt.
Ingredients substitutions
- Pecans can be substituted with whole walnuts.
- Substitute heavy cream with milk and butter to make caramel sauce. For every 1 cup of heavy cream use ¼ cup butter and ¾ cup milk.
- Semi sweet chocolate can be substituted with dark chocolate or a mix of milk and dark chocolate.
- Sea salt can be substituted with sprinkles.
How to make chocolate turtle candy
Toasting nuts
You can toast nuts on the stove top or in the oven. If using the oven preheat the oven to 350 F. Line the baking tray with parchment paper. Bake nuts in preheated oven for 3 to 5 minutes. Keep a constant eye on nuts. Remove before it gets burnt.
If using the stovetop, spread nuts on a large skillet. Toast it on stove top on medium-low heat. Keep constantly tossing nuts to prevent them from burning. You don’t have to toast nuts until it changes their color. Remove the pan from the heat before so the nuts don’t get burnt.
Caramel sauce
Unwrap caramel from plastic wrap and add it to a small saucepan along with heavy cream. Heat on low heat with constant stirring until caramel is fully melted.
Remove from heat, and set aside.
Melt chocolate
Melt semi-sweet chocolate in microwave (optional – add ¼ teaspoon coconut oil) in 20 seconds interval, stirring regularly. Do this until chocolate is fully melted into smooth shiny sauce. Set it aside.
Chocolate turtles
Arrange toasted pecan in groups of 3 to 5 nuts on a tray lined it parchment paper or silicon mat. Lay it one-top-of-another into a cluster or arrange as shown in picture to resemble turtle head, limbs and tail.
Pour 1 tablespoon (or as you desire) hot caramel sauce on top of arranged pecan clusters. Allow caramel to set (if not fully, slightly) before you pour melted chocolate.
Once caramel is fully or partially set, pour 1 ½ teaspoon melted semi-sweet chocolate over caramel. Using the tip of the spoon swirl the chocolate around to form shell of the turtle.
Sprinkle sea salt on top.
Allow turtle chocolate to set completely. You can pop the tray inside refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours so turtle chocolate candy set properly.
Once fully set, lift parchment paper and carefully separate turtle candy from the paper without breaking it.
Note: don’t try to lift the turtle right off the tray, you can break the cluster. Always lift parchment paper and gently separate turtles so it doesn’t break.
Store away in air tight containers without overlapping each other.
TIP: use cupcake liners to store each candy so it doesn’t stick to each other.
Best to store these inside refrigerator. If you store on counter top there are changes of caramel and chocolate turning soft.
Enjoy as it is. It’s great for gifting purpose too.
FAQS
Yes, walnuts are a great alternative to pecans. Walnuts are great to make chocolate turtle recipes for their shape and size.
Yes, this candy can be frozen for up to 2 months. Store chocolate turtles in airtight containers without overlapping each other and store them in the freezer.
Yes, you can use any of these semi-sweet, dark chocolate or white chocolate, or milk chocolate. To make dark and white turtles use dark chocolate and white chocolate as toppings.
Best to store this inside refrigerator. If you store it on the counter top there are changes in caramel and chocolate turning soft.
Get cute little packaging for gifting purposes. You can get cut boxes or small glass jars or use cute cupcake liners for economical packaging.
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📋Chocolate Turtles Candy
Ingredients
- 4 ounces pecans toasted lightly
- 8- ounce caramel individual wrapped (I used about 25 individually wrapped caramel)
- 1 ½ tablespoon heavy cream
- 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- Sea salt for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Line the baking tray with parchment paper. Bake nuts in preheated oven for 3 to 5 minutes. Keep a constant eye on nuts. Remove before it gets burnt. If using the stove top, spread nuts on a large skillet. Toast it on stove top on medium-low heat.
- To a small saucepan add caramel and heavy cream. Heat on low heat with constant stirring until caramel is fully melted. Remove from heat, and set aside.
- Melt semi-sweet chocolate in the microwave (optional – add ¼ teaspoon coconut oil) in 20 seconds intervals, stirring regularly until fully. Set aside.
- Arrange toasted pecan in groups of 3 to 5 nuts on a tray lined it parchment paper or silicon mat. Lay it one top-of-another into a cluster or arrange it as shown in the picture to resemble a turtle’s head, limbs, and tail.
- Pour 1 tablespoon (or as much as you desire) hot caramel sauce on top of arranged pecan clusters. Allow caramel to set (if not fully, slightly) before you pour the melted chocolate.
- Pour 1 ½ teaspoon melted semi-sweet chocolate over caramel. Using the tip of the spoon swirl the chocolate around to form the shell of the turtle.
- Sprinkle sea salt on top. Allow turtle chocolate to set completely.
- Devour it.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Notes
- You can use ¼ teaspoon of coconut oil can be added to chocolate before melting. It helps chocolate melt into shiny smooth sauce.
- Don’t try to lift the turtle right off the tray, you can break the cluster. Always lift parchment paper and gently separate turtles so it doesn’t break.
- Use cupcake liners to store each candy so it doesn’t stick to each other.
Created by Jyothi Rajesh
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Jyothi Rajesh is the founder of the food blog, Curry Trail. She lives in Bangalore, India and is the mom of two beautiful kids. Her passion is creating and sharing delicious and easy recipes for the home cook. She’s been blogging since 2007 and many of her recipes have appeared in both online and print publications over the years. Learn more about Jyothi Rajesh.
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