Pecan turtle cookies are such a cute idea for a tasty cookie! These insanely delicious turtles are stuffed with gooey caramel, and topped with melted chocolate. They are so easy to make, and are seriously adorable!
What Do Pecan Turtle Cookies Taste Like?
This recipe is different from a traditional turtle cookie recipe. Turtle cookies usually consist of lots of chocolate and caramel swirled together in one flat cookie. In this recipe, the ‘body’ of the turtle is more of a ball, that is stuffed with sticky caramel. The legs and head of the turtle are made from pecans, and the shell of the turtle is decorated with a swirl of melted chocolate. The dough is not too sweet, and the caramel adds a nice smooth sweetness to each bite.
This recipe has actually been around since 1952 when it won the 4th annual Pillsbury Bake Off! Check it out HERE: Snappy Turtles by Beatrice Harlib. In my recipe, we change a few things up by adding the melted caramel center to the turtles, and we omit the imitation maple flavor (who has that, anyway?!).
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How To Make Chocolate Turtle Cookies:
This is such an easy cookie recipe you guys! To start, mix brown sugar, butter, egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix until a dough forms. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Once cooled, grab a small handful of dough and pop a piece of caramel in the middle of it. Smooth the dough over so the caramel is in the middle of the dough ball. Dip the bottom of the ball in beaten egg white, then press 5 pecans onto the bottom to look like a turtle (see pics).
While the cookies are baking, melt chocolate and butter in a sauce pan. Once melted, remove from the heat and add powdered sugar. When the cookies are done baking, let them cool for a while before frosting the shells. Enjoy your pecan turtles!
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When To Serve Snappy Turtle Cookies:
These turtle shaped cookies are great in a holiday cookie box because they are so different from traditional Christmas cookies. These pecan turtle cookies are also a great cookie for kids! Children love the fact that they look like adorable little turtles, making this a great kid-friendly cookie recipe to make with your kids for the holidays! Or make them year round, I won’t judge!
Frequently Asked Questions:
| Do I need to dip the bottom of the cookies in egg whites before pressing it into the pecans? | Nahh, you can skip this step if you are short on time. The egg helps to keep the pecans from falling off, and they do tend to fall off. But if this doesn’t bother you, skip it! |
| Do I HAVE to make the frosting? | Nope! Once again, if you are short on time, a jar of pre-made frosting works great! And if you want to get creative with your kids, try using frosting pens to decorate the turtle shells! |
| How long will these cookies last? | Pecan turtles should last for up to 1 week in an air tight container on your counter, which makes them perfect for your holiday cookie box! |
Pecan Turtle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, one whole, 1 separated
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup halved pecans
- 1/2 cup halved caramel squares
Chocolate Swirl Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp milk or heavy cream
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, combine brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter. Beat until combined, then add vanilla, 1 egg and 1 egg yolk. Mix in stand mixer until well combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt, and mix again until fully combined. Form dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour to firm.
- While firming up, cut the caramel squares and shelled pecans in half. Grease a cookie sheet. In a small bowl, whisk the left over egg white.
- Once cookies are done chilling, grab a small hand full of dough and form a 1 inch ball. Flatten the ball, and place 1/2 of a caramel in the center. Work the dough back over the caramel so it is hidden in the cookie.
- Dip the bottom of the cookie in the egg white, and place 5 halved pecans around it to make the turtle legs and head (see photos).
- Bake for 12 minutes, until the edges brown.
Chocolate Swirl:
- To make the chocolate swirl on top of the turtles, form a double boiler by filling a large sauce pan with about 2 inches of water, and placing a smaller sauce pan inside of the larger one so the bottom is touching the water. (this helps to prevent burning of the chocolate).
- With the heat on medium-high, add the chocolate chips, milk or cream and 1 tbsp of butter to the pot inside of the pot. Stir frequently until fully melted, remove from the heat and add the powdered sugar.
- Once the turtle cookies have cooled, top with the chocolate swirl and enjoy!
Notes
- To save time, you can always top the turtles with pre-made chocolate frosting. Or use frosting pens to made creative and unique turtle shells!
Did you like this Pecan Turtle Cookie recipe? If so, go check out my Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti recipe!
Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
This cranberry pistachio biscotti recipe is the best Christmas biscotti recipe out there! Red cranberries and green pistachios are mixed into the biscotti batter for a festive and delicious addition to your Christmas bakings! These biscotti are not too dry and are prefect for dipping in a hot cup of coffee or hot cocoa. What …
Cinnamon Rugelach