Description
Chocolate turtle candies are a holiday classic, and so easy to make at home! Toasted pecans are topped with creamy caramel, chocolate, and a sprinkle of sea salt in this easy turtle candy recipe.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (2 cups) Pecan halves
- 36 squares of Kraft caramel candies, unwrapped
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) Heavy cream
- 8–10 ounces (about 1 ½ cups) Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons Coconut oil or Crisco
- Flaky finishing salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and spread the pecan halves in a single layer. Toast in the oven for 7-10 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes until lightly toasted. Remove and cool.
- Line up pecans on wax or parchment paper, and place 3 pecans halves so that the points meet in the middle. Make as many piles as you have pecans for. Optional: make a small circle of melted chocolate, then place the pecans on the melted chocolate. This will make a turtle that’s less sticky on the bottom, better for cookie platters!
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat the caramel and cream together in 30-second intervals, stirring each time until the mixture is melted and completely smooth. Do not overcook, or the caramel can become hard.
- Working quickly, drop 1- 1½ teaspoons of melted caramel in the middle of the pecans, spreading it out towards the edges. You may have to gently nudge them back together if not securing them on puddles of melted chocolate. If the caramel starts to become too hard to work with, return it to the microwave for another 10 seconds to loosen it back up. Place in a cool place for 10 minutes until the caramel hardens up.
- When the caramel is firm, melt the chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave, using 30-second intervals and then stirring between each round of heating. Working quickly, place about 1- 1 ½ teaspoons of chocolate on top of the caramel. For a neater look, use the back of the spoon to smooth it out slightly. While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle a small amount of sea salt on top of each turtle.
- Let the chocolate firm up on the counter or you can place it in the fridge until set.
Notes
- For best results, store leftovers between wax paper in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve. Bring to room temperature by placing on the counter for 20 minutes before serving. If stored at room temperature, it is best to keep them in a single layer so that they do not melt into each other.