Chocolate Turtle Cookies Recipe
Modeled after the popular chocolate covered candy, these chocolate turtle cookies start with a decadent chocolate cookie that's filled with creamy chocolate chips, gooey caramel, and nutty toasted pecans. They're a mix of sweet, salty, gooey, chewy, and crunchy.
Servings: 24 cookies
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (42g) chopped pecans1
- 1 and ¼ cups (150g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
- ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons (36g) Dutch processed cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (85g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup chopped caramel squares2
Instructions
- In a medium size saucepan over medium heat, heat the shelled pecans to toast them. Keep them moving with a spatula until they start to lightly brown and smell fragrant. Allow to cool until you can touch them (about 10 minutes), then coarsely chop and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.1 and ¼ cups (150g) all-purpose flour, ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons (36g) Dutch processed cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (approximately 2-3 minutes). Turn the mixer speed down to medium, add the egg and vanilla, and beat again until combined.½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- With the mixer on low, slowly add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Add the chocolate chips, caramel pieces, and pecans, and continue mixing until evenly dispersed. Cover the dough tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days. You can also portion out the dough and chill it in balls, if you prefer.⅓ cup (42g) chopped pecans1, ½ cup (85g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, ⅓ cup chopped caramel squares2
- When you are ready to bake the cookies, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350ºF (177ºC).
- Using a cookie scoop (I use this #50 cookie scoop for all of my standard size cookies), roll the dough into balls and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until edges are set and center is no longer shiny.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. I like to press some extra chocolate, caramel, and pecan pieces into the tops of hot cookies for aesthetics, but this is optional. Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature up to 1 week. Baked cookies can be frozen, up to 2 months. Rolled cookie dough can be frozen, up to 3 months. Place on baking sheet and add 1-2 minutes to baking time.
Notes
- Pecans: I like to use pre-chopped pecans, but if you want to use whole pecans and chop them yourself, I urge you to start with about ½ cup to start. If you want extra pieces for pressing into the tops of hot cookies, toast more than the ⅓ cup called for in the recipe.
- Caramel pieces: I like to use the individually wrapped squares, approximately 10 of them (aim for about 75g total). Use a knife to cut them into small pieces. I cut each of my squares into 6-8 pieces. My preferred brand is Kraft. You can use caramel bits in a pinch, but they won't create gooey "puddles" of caramel in the same manner.
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Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 60mg | Potassium: 101mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 132IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg
