Description
Delicious homemade Turtle Chocolates featuring toasted pecan halves topped with creamy caramel and rich milk chocolate, finished with an optional sprinkle of sea salt for a perfect sweet and salty treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 3 cups pecan halves
- 11 ounces caramels (38 individually wrapped)
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 12 ounces milk chocolate chips (or dark chocolate chips)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons sea salt (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare baking sheet: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside to use for toasting the pecans.
- Toast pecans: Spread the pecan halves evenly over the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. This enhances the flavor and crunch. Once toasted, allow the pecans to cool completely.
- Prepare baking sheets for assembly: Line 2 to 3 baking sheets with lightly sprayed parchment paper, wax paper, or silicone baking liners to prevent sticking when assembling the turtle chocolates.
- Arrange pecans: Group the cooled pecans into clusters of 3 to 4 halves each on the prepared baking sheets. Leave about 1 to 1½ inches of space between each cluster for easy handling and topping.
- Melt caramel: Remove plastic wrappers from caramels and place them in a medium heat-safe bowl. Add 2 tablespoons heavy cream, then heat in 45-second intervals in the microwave, stirring after each until the caramel is smooth and creamy.
- Top pecans with caramel: Spoon 1 to 1½ teaspoons of the melted caramel over the center of each pecan cluster immediately, allowing it to slightly melt the nuts together.
- Melt chocolate: Place the milk or dark chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring well each time, then follow with a final 15-second heat and stir. Continue stirring until all chips are melted but some chips remain partially intact to avoid overheating, stirring for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute to smooth the chocolate.
- Add chocolate topping: Spoon 1 to 1½ teaspoons of melted chocolate over the caramel on each pecan cluster. Use the tip or back of the spoon to swirl the chocolate decoratively.
- Optional sea salt garnish: If desired, sprinkle a light pinch of sea salt over the chocolate-topped turtles to enhance flavor with a touch of saltiness.
- Set chocolates: Let the assembled turtle chocolates sit undisturbed for at least 2 hours at room temperature to allow the caramel and chocolate to fully set before serving or storing.
Notes
- Be careful not to overheat the chocolate to preserve texture and prevent burning.
- For a richer flavor, dark chocolate can replace milk chocolate chips.
- Store finished turtle chocolates in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
- Allowing the pecans to cool completely before assembly ensures the caramel doesn’t melt too much upon contact.
- Sea salt garnish is optional but adds a lovely contrast to the sweetness.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: turtle chocolate, caramel pecan clusters, homemade candy, chocolate pecan treats, easy dessert
