Home » Cookies » Chocolate Turtle Cookies
by Danielle on Dec 1, 2016 (updated Jan 19, 2021) 49 comments »
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4.88 from 8 ratings
A recipe for easy chocolate cookies stuffed with caramel and coated in chopped pecans. These Chocolate Turtle Cookies are the ultimate dessert!
Are you in full cookie baking mode yet? I sure hope so, because this is the time of year for cookies galore!
While I was growing up in Arkansas, we always celebrated the holidays with traditional southern food. But one thing that was always on our dessert table was some sort of turtle dessert. So, I decided to transform a classic dessert that everyone around here enjoys into a cookie. And these Chocolate Turtle Cookies were born.
Let me tell you, these Chocolate Turtle Cookies are incredibly hard to resist. Just look at all of that gooey caramel in the center!
Ingredients for This Recipe
These caramel chocolate pecan cookies have a simple ingredient list:
- All-purpose flour:I used Bob’s Red MillOrganic Unbleached All Purpose White Flour, but any brand will work.
- Cocoa powder:Be sure to use unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe.
- Baking soda:Gives the cookies a little lift.
- Salt:Enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Unsalted butter:I recommend using unsalted butter since the amount of salt in salted butters can vary between different brands.
- Sugar:I prefer to use a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar in all of my cookie recipes. Brown sugar adds extra flavor, a little more moisture, and makes the cookies slightlychewier.
- Egg:Should be room temperature before being mixed into the dough.
- Vanilla extract:Pure vanilla extract will deliver the best flavor.
- Soft caramel candies:Not all “soft caramels” are created equally. In fact, some soft caramels can be a little hard to chew. So, find a caramel that is actually soft. If you use a soft caramel in the center of these cookies, the caramel will continue to stay soft once the cookies have cooled.
- Pecans: Make sure to chop the pecans on the smaller side so they stick better to the cookies.
How to Make Turtle Cookies
To make these pecan chocolate caramel cookies, you’ll start out by making an easy chocolate cookie dough. I’ve been using this recipe for quite some time now and it is absolutely delicious! The cookies always turn out so soft, chewy, and chocolatey.
You’ll whisk the flour together with some cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Then comes the best part, the butter and sugar. Once you’ve creamed together the butter and sugar for a minute or two, you’ll mix in your egg and vanilla extract.
Then, you’ll slowly mix in the dry ingredients and boom, your cookie dough is finished. I told you these were easy, right?
I suggest chilling the dough for about 30 minutes before you stuff the cookies and bake them. Once the dough is chilled, stuff a caramel in the center of each ball of cookie dough.
Then, roll your cookies in some chopped pecans and bake them for about 10 to 12 minutes.
Do I Have to Chill the Cookie Dough?
Yes, I recommend chilling the dough for this turtle cookie recipe. Chocolate cookie dough can be a little sticky to work with sometimes. By chilling the dough first, itwill be much easier to work with and the cookies will bake up thicker too!
Storage Instructions
The cookies may be stored on the counter in an airtight container for up to five days. Cookies may also be frozen for up to three months, simply thaw to room temperature before serving.
Baking Tips
- I only used half of a caramel candy in these pictures. If your caramel candies aren’t too large, you can use a whole oneto add alittle extra caramel goodness inside your cookies. I have also tried using a whole caramel inthesecookies and they turned out wonderfully!
- I used Werther’s original soft caramel candies in this recipe.
- Don’t use caramel sauce in place of the caramel squares. Caramel sauce will ooze right out of the cookies.
More Chocolate Cookie Recipes to Try!
- Nutella-Stuffed Cookies
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Brownie Cookies
- Classic No-Bake Cookies
- Peppermint Patty Chocolate Cookies
Chocolate Turtle Cookies
4.88 from 8 ratings
Prep Time: 20 minutes mins
Cook Time: 10 minutes mins
Chill Time: 30 minutes mins
Total Time: 1 hour hr
A recipe for easy chocolate cookies stuffed with caramel and coated in chopped pecans. The Chocolate Turtle Cookies are the ultimate dessert!
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Ingredients
Servings: 18 cookies
- 1 and 1/3 cups (165 grams) all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (30 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter , softened
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg , at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 9-10 soft caramel candies , unwrapped and cut in half
- 3/4 cup (90 grams) chopped pecans
Instructions
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a hand-held mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for 1-2 minutes; mix in the egg and vanilla extract until fully combined.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Cover the cookie dough tightly and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, measure out two tablespoon sized pieces of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Flatten each piece of cookie dough, place half of a soft caramel candy in the center, then wrap the dough back around the caramel, and roll the dough into a ball. Roll the top and sides of each ball of cookie dough into the chopped pecans.
Place each piece of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, making sure to leave a little room between each one. Bake in two separate batches at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheets for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Caramel:If your caramel candies are not too large, feel free to use a whole caramel candy in each cookie.
Storage instructions:Cookies may be stored on the counter in an airtight container for up to five days. Cookies may also be frozen for up to three months, thaw at room temperature before serving.
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Danielle
Did you make this recipe?Mention @livewellbakeoften on Instagram or tag #livewellbakeoften.
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Christmas Cookies
originally published on Dec 1, 2016 (last updated Jan 19, 2021)
49 commentsLeave a comment »
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49 comments on “Chocolate Turtle Cookies”
Danielle —Reply
Thank you, Alyssa!
Danielle —Reply
Thank you, Puja!
Beth —Reply
These look glorious and are the perfect addition to my list of Christmas Cookies! Thank you! It’s the first new recipe for the year!
Danielle —Reply
Thank you, Beth! I hope you enjoy the cookies!
Betsy —Reply
Can you use homemade Carmel sauce in place of the Carmela?
Danielle —Reply
I wouldn’t recommend caramel sauce, it will just bake into the cookies. You could use homemade caramel candies though.
Gary Shake —Reply
I’m going to try this recipe out for my wife this holiday season she absolutely loves turtle dessert so I’m sure she will love this I make amazing cookies so wish me luck thank you for the recipe and directions if you have anymore please email them to me so i can try them if you have any grilled chicken recipes please please please let me get one please
Jennifer —Reply
I put the batter in the fridge for 30 minutes got it out and it was too sticky to work with. Is the batter suppose to be like that?
Danielle —Reply
Hey, Jennifer. I’m so sorry to hear that! Chocolate cookie dough can be quite a bit stickier than other cookie doughs. You can try refrigerating it longer or even popping it into the freezer (to speed up the process) for a little bit to help firm the dough up and make it easier to work with. If you find that it’s still too sticky even after that, you can wet your hands with a little water to help keep it from sticking too much to you. I hope that helps!
Danielle —Reply
Thank you, Jess!
Oh man, that gooey caramel center is KILLING me!! These cookies are absolute perfection, Danielle, and I can’t even stop drooling!
Danielle —Reply
Thank you, Sarah!
Kiara —Reply
What brand of caramel candies did you use?
Danielle —Reply
I like to use Werther’s original soft caramel candies, they work great!
Mark Paris —Reply
Can you add semisweet chocolate chips to this recipe?
Danielle —Reply
Hi, Mark! It would probably be okay. I would try about 1/2 cup, since there’s the caramel candies and pecans in this recipe too! Hope that helps 🙂
Mark Paris —Reply
Sarah. Made your cookies but cut up caramels into fourths and added 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips and they turned out GREAT!!! Thanks for your recipe and help. Mark
Danielle —Reply
So glad to hear you enjoyed the cookies, Mark!
Nicole —Reply
Greatest cookies ever!! I needed to bake them for 16 minutes though. Thank you for the recipe!
Danielle —Reply
So glad you liked the cookies, Nicole! 🙂
Alli —Reply
I’ve made these a few times and loved them! The longest I’ve ever let them chill is an hour because I’ve always made them day-of, but I am wondering if it’s okay to let the dough chill overnight and bake in the morning. Thank you!
Danielle —Reply
So glad to hear that you loved the cookies, Alli! You can chill the cookie dough overnight, if it’s a little hard to scoop at first just let it sit on the counter for 20-30 minutes and that should help.
Elle —Reply
I made these for my family tonight and they absolutely loved them! They will be included with my Christmas cookies box, thankyou !!
Danielle —Reply
So happy to hear that, Elle!
Allison —Reply
This has become one of my go-to cookie recipes, they’re always a hit and super easy to make!
Danielle —Reply
So glad you liked the cookies, Allison!
Elle —Reply
Love this recipe. I’ve made it twice now and it’s turned out wonderful each time. In high school I remember they used to have these amazing gooey chocolate turtle cookies and I was looking everywhere for a recipe like that. This meets those requirements. Still trying to figure out how to put even more caramel inside without it falling apart lol all the caramel please
Mary —Reply
Came out so good and even made as many cookies as the recipe stated!
Stacy Pierson —Reply
Looking forward to making these this week for a cookie swap. I have a co-worker that needs gluten free. Do I use the same amount of gluten free flour as the regular flour?
Danielle —Reply
I’ve never tried these with gluten-free flour. If you have a brand of gluten-free flour that you’ve had success substituting 1:1 in other recipes, it may be okay to do that.
Melanie —Reply
These are amazing and so easy to make! My friend is allergic to nuts so I used pretzels instead and they turned out great!
Shivani —Reply
Hi. Is It Possible To Make It Eggless ?
Danielle —Reply
You may be able to use a flax egg, but I haven’t personally tested it in this recipe.
Marie —Reply
Do the caramels stay soft inside or do they harden back up??
Danielle —Reply
They will firm back up once the cookies cool. I do recommend feeling the caramels and making sure you use once that is soft. You can also warm the cookies in the microwave for just a few seconds and that will soften the caramel back up again.
Lindsay —Reply
Question: should I toast the chopped pecans before coating the cookie balls with them? Baking shows seems to insist nuts are always toasted to being put better nutty flavor. Thanks.
Danielle —Reply
You can if you prefer, but I don’t find it makes a huge difference. If you do, just make sure to toast the pecans first and let them cool completely before you use them.
Christine Clowe —Reply
Hi there! Just to clarify, do you use 1 Tbsp of dough, flatten, add caramel, then wrap it with another 1 Tbsp dough to make the ball-so a total of 2 Tbsps dough per cookie?
Thank you, ChristineDanielle —Reply
Yes, that’s correct.
Janet —Reply
Hello, didn’t try the recipe yet. Wondering if I can use caramel bits as that is what I happen to have on hand.
Danielle —Reply
I think it would be fine, just keep in mind that once the cookies cool completely the caramel bits will harden. You will probably need to microwave the cookies for a few seconds, then let them cool slightly, to help soften the caramel again.
Amy —Reply
These are very tasty! Just the flavor i was looking for..yummy! Definitely rich..could only eat one but they ate for Christmas.
Tina —Reply
Haven’t tried but just reading this doesn’t make any sense. How can a ball turns into a flat cookie was not mentioned at all. That’s not helpful and clear.
Danielle —Reply
The cookie dough will spread when you bake it in a hot oven..
M —Reply
Hi! Why do you need white sugar and brown sugar. Do we need to use the white sugar at all?thank you.
Danielle —Reply
Brown sugar adds moisture to the cookie dough and white sugar is one of the ingredients that helps the cookies spread when they’re baking in the oven. You do need both in order for the cookies to turn out right.
