Turtle Candy With Pecans and Caramel

By
Elizabeth LaBau
Sweet Book of Candy Making Elizabeth LaBau
Elizabeth LaBau
A professional pastry chef, cookbook author, and writer, Elizabeth LaBau has published more than 600 articles on baking and candy making.
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Updated on 09/19/23
Tested by
Spruce Eats Test Kitchen
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Tested by Spruce Eats Test Kitchen
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Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Chill : 30 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Yield: 24 candies

Turtle Candies are a chocolate shop classic. Invented around 1918, these cute and delicious turtles have been available for purchase in-store for decades, with their original recipe unaltered: pecans, caramel, and chocolate. Modern takes on the recipe add other ingredients, but at the core of the confection lies a simplicity of ingredients and a powerfully decadent flavor.

Surprisingly easy to make at home, they just need three common ingredients to recreate the familiar chocolate treat. Double or triple the recipe to have enough to give to family and friends as a holiday treat, or as a party favor for showers or office celebrations. They are meant to be rustic looking, so don't worry about keeping the turtles round or about having some of the pecans poking through, that's the beauty of these confections. Eat them on their own, or use them as decorations for cakes, cheesecake, cupcakes, pies, or ice cream bowls.

Because few ingredients are needed, each is very important to the final flavor, so use good quality pecans and chocolate. Homemade caramel is always best—leftover caramel from a different recipe is great to use here—but using store-bought soft caramels will also make a tasty treat. That's also the fastest and easiest way of bringing these little turtles to life.

Chocolate caramel turle candies with pecan legs on parchment paper

The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ana Kelly, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

"Toasty pecans with soft, sweet caramel and slightly bitter chocolate balance each other perfectly. Once you have all the caramel centers in place, you can gently press the edges down to be sure the pecan halves are secured in the caramel." —Melissa Gray

Turtle Candy with Pecans and Caramel/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray

  • 6 ounces toasted pecan halves, about 1 1/4 cups (96 pecan halves total)

  • 11 to 12 ounces soft caramels, homemade or store-bought

  • 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, about 1 1/4 cups

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Prepare a cookie sheet by covering it with foil or parchment paper and spraying it with cooking spray. Set aside.

    Ingredients to make turtle candy

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ana Kelly, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

  2. Arrange the pecans in 24 clusters (4 each). Each pecan should point in a different direction resembling the four limbs of a turtle. Alternatively, you can just drop them in small clusters on the baking sheet but be sure they overlap to avoid the caramel oozing down the spaces between nuts.

    A parchment paper-lined baking sheet with small clusters of pecan halves, with four halves pointing in opposite directions

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ana Kelly, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

  3. Place the unwrapped caramels in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. If the caramel seems very stiff, add a spoonful of water to help soften.

    A glass bowl of melted caramel, being stirred with a silicone spatula

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ana Kelly, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

  4. Allow the caramel to cool slightly, about 3 minutes. Scoop a spoonful of caramel into the center of each pecan cluster (if desired, you can use a rubber spatula to help scrape the caramel off the spoon). If the caramel begins to stiffen, reheat in the microwave to soften, about 30 seconds.

    A parchment-paper lined baking sheet with small clusters of pecan halves with small dollops of melted caramel in the middle

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ana Kelly, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

  5. Add the chocolate to a medium microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on high until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Alternatively, use a double boiler.

    A glass bowl of melted chocolate being stirred with a spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ana Kelly, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

  6. Spoon the melted chocolate over the caramel to cover completely, letting some drip down the sides. Use the back of the spoon to help nudge the chocolate around, if needed.

    A spoon pouring a small amount of melted chocolate on top of the caramel holding the pecan halves together

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ana Kelly, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

  7. Place the baking sheet of candies in the refrigerator to fully set the chocolate and caramel, about 30 minutes. For the best taste and texture, serve the turtles at room temperature.

    A small plate of turtle candy

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ana Kelly, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

How to Store Chocolate Turtles

Extras can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. Unless it's very hot on your kitchen counter, don't place the turtles in the refrigerator, as the caramel can harden too much and make the turtles difficult to eat.

Flavorful Additions

Although these candies are pure perfection as they are, other ingredients can be added for texture or for a different flavor profile. Here are some ideas:

  • Use crushed pretzel between the caramel and chocolate layer for an extra crunchy bite.
  • Sprinkle sea salt or pink salt on top of the chocolate to complement the caramel and chocolate flavors.
  • Use half dark chocolate and half white chocolate and make black and white turtles, or use one as a drizzle to make beautiful designs on the shells.
  • Sprinkle coconut flakes on top of the chocolate for a tropical flavor.
  • Use other crushed nuts on top to decorate, either with a pattern or simply crushed on top. Before the chocolate hardens completely, use some nuts to make little eyes for the turtles.
  • Add 1 teaspoon of espresso powder into your melted chocolate for a more adult version. Use coffee beans to decorate and identify this variation.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
297 Calories
18g Fat
36g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 297
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 2mg 1%
Sodium 72mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 36g 13%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9%
Total Sugars 29g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 55mg 4%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 188mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)