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Homemade Chocolate Turtles
This homemade Chocolate Turtles recipe has clusters of homemade microwave caramel and toasted pecans dipped in chocolate. They are soft, chewy, and so EASY to make.
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 20
Calories: 317 kcal
Course:
Dessert
Cuisine:
American
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar , packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups pecan halves
- 16 oz almond bark or high quality chocolate*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Toast and chop pecans: spread pecans out onto a baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes, stirring once, until toasted and fragrant (but not burned!). (Alternately, you can heat them in a hot skillet stirring constantly until they are fragrant, about 5 minutes). Once cooled, roughly chop the pecans and set aside.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat liner. Set aside.
- Microwave Caramel: Place butter in a large microwave safe bowl and heat in microwave until melted. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, sweetened condensed milk, and corn syrup and stir well to combine. Return bowl to microwave and cook mixture on HIGH power for about 6-8 minutes, or until it reaches about 235 degrees on an instant read thermometer, or use the ice water bath test.
- (For Ice bath test, spoon a small spoonful of the caramel into a cup of ice water. Use your fingers to pinch the caramel—it should come together into a soft ball. If it won't come together to form a ball in your fingers, return it to the microwave for an additional 30 seconds, and test again.)
- Use hot pads to carefully remove the bowl from the microwave. Stir vanilla into hot caramel. Stir in chopped pecans.
- Form Turtles: Drop large spoonfuls of the mixture onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet to create individual mounds of caramel candy. (I usually get about 20, but you can make the candies as small or large as you like). Refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes.
- Melt almond bark or chocolate in microwave )or use a double boiler), stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth.
- Dip: Drop a pecan cluster into the melted chocolate and use a fork to coat it all over. Lift the cluster up with a fork, and tap it several times to allow excess chocolate to fall through the tines of the fork, into the bowl. Place dipped clusters on the parchment paper to set up.
- Store turtles in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- Microwave Caramel: My caramel takes about 7 minutes in the microwave, but time may vary depending on the wattage of your microwave.
- Chocolate: I prefer Almond Bark because it sets up really well at room temperature (and still tastes great). If using pure chocolate, make sure it's high quality so it will melt well, like Bakers chocolate bars or Ghirardelli brand chocolate chips.
Nutrition Information
Calories
317kcal
(16%)
Carbohydrates
39g
(13%)
Protein
2g
(4%)
Fat
18g
(28%)
Saturated Fat
10g
(50%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
2g
Monounsaturated Fat
5g
Trans Fat
0.1g
Cholesterol
12mg
(4%)
Sodium
50mg
(2%)
Potassium
78mg
(2%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
38g
(76%)
Vitamin A
131IU
(3%)
Vitamin C
0.3mg
(0%)
Calcium
35mg
(4%)
Iron
0.3mg
(2%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 20Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 317
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 317kcal | 16% |
| Carbohydrates | 39g | 13% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 18g | 28% |
| Saturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Trans Fat | 0.1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 12mg | 4% |
| Sodium | 50mg | 2% |
| Potassium | 78mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 38g | 76% |
| Vitamin A | 131IU | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 0.3mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 35mg | 4% |
| Iron | 0.3mg | 2% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.