Indulge your taste buds in a symphony of sweet delights with our delectable Pecan Turtle Cookies. This irresistible treat begins with a tender sugar cookie base. The cookie is topped with a luscious homemade caramel sauce, creating a chewy and gooey sensation that is nothing short of heavenly. The caramel is then topped with a velvety layer of decadent chocolate. Each cookie is finished with a perfectly placed pecan to complete this divine ensemble, adding a nutty crunch.
Pecan Turtle Cookies Recipe
These cookies offer a perfect balance of simplicity and sophistication. The combination of buttery caramel, velvety chocolate, and crunchy pecans is a favorite classic candy. Pecan Turtle Cookies will become the centerpiece of your dessert repertoire whether as an after-school snack, on a dessert board, or as part of a Christmas cookie tray.
Pecan Turtle Cookies
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Pecan Turtle Cookies Ingredients
- Butter
- Sugar
- Vanilla
- Egg white
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Caramel candies
- Heavy whipping cream
- Milk, dark, or semi-sweet chocolate chips – depending on your preference.
- Pecan halves
- Salt flakes (optional)
You will also need a round cookie cutter.
Pecan Turtle Cookies Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line your baking sheet(s) with parchment and set aside.
Make the Cookie Dough
Cream together the sugar and softened butter.
Add in the vanilla and egg white and mix thoroughly.
Add in the flour and baking powder. Mix until a dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Cut out the Cookies
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface until it is 1/4 – 1/2″ thick.
Using a 3-in or similar size round cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as you can and transfer them to the lined baking sheet. Save the scraps and reroll until the dough is gone.
You can use any size cookie cutter you prefer. If you use a smaller or larger size, you may end up with a different number of servings.
Bake the Cookies
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 6-8 minutes until the edges are set and the bottoms just start to brown. If the cookies are overbaked, they will be more dry and not as soft. Allow to cool while preparing the toppings.
Make the Caramel Topping
Combine the unwrapped caramel pieces and the heavy whipping cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds at a time and stir well between each interval.
The caramels will scorch if overheated, so heat them in short increments and stir them often. You can also melt them in a small pan on the stove over low heat.
Transfer the melted caramel to a piping bag. Working quickly, pipe spirals of caramel on each cookie. Alternatively, you can use two spoons or a spatula to spread the caramel on each cookie, but using a piping bag is quicker and less messy. Allow the caramel to cool and harden at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the fridge for 10 minutes.
Once the caramel has cooled and reset, melt the chocolate. Melt the chocolate in 30-second increments using a microwave-safe bowl and stir between intervals. Again, do not overheat the chocolate, as it can scorch easily.
Once smooth, scoop a dollop of chocolate and spread it across the caramel on each cookie using the back of the spoon or a spatula.
Place one pecan half (or a sprinkling of chopped pecans) over the chocolate. OPTIONAL – sprinkle with additional flaked sea salt.
Allow the cookies to set and the chocolate to solidify before serving. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for three days or frozen for three months.
Pecan Turtle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg white
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 20 caramel candies unwrapped
- 2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups milk chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup pecan halves
- 1 teaspoon Salt flakes optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line your baking sheet(s) with parchment and set aside.
- Cream together the sugar and softened butter.
- Add in the vanilla and egg white and mix thoroughly.
- Add in the flour and baking powder. Mix until a dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface until it is 1/4 – 1/2″ thick.
- Using a 3-in or similar size round cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as you can and transfer them to the lined baking sheet. Save the scraps and reroll until the dough is gone.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 6-8 minutes until the edges are set and the bottoms just start to brown.
- Combine the unwrapped caramel pieces and the heavy whipping cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds at a time and stir well between each interval.
- Let the caramel cool slightly. Transfer the melted caramel to a piping bag. Working quickly, pipe spirals of caramel on each cookie. Alternatively, you can use two spoons or a spatula to spread the caramel on each cookie, but using a piping bag is quicker and less messy. Allow the caramel to cool and harden at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Once the caramel has cooled and reset, melt the chocolate. Melt the chocolate in 30-second increments using a microwave-safe bowl and stir between intervals. Again, do not overheat the chocolate, as it can scorch easily.
- Once smooth, scoop a dollop of chocolate and spread it across the caramel on each cookie using the back of the spoon or a spatula.
- Place one pecan half (or a sprinkling of chopped pecans) over the chocolate. OPTIONAL – sprinkle with additional flaked sea salt.