Chocolate Caramel Pecan Clusters (Turtles)
Every Christmas, I have made these homemade Turtles and they are always a hit! Toasted pecans, chewy caramel and salted chocolate is a combo that is always well received. This is a very easy recipe but over the years I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks to make them amazing every single time.
These would make a great housewarming gift, or bake sale addition (if you have enough self control to not eat them all yourself). Also, this one is a fun one for the kids to help out with!
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Ingredients explained:
Pecans - I like using halves, but pieces would be fine too. Toasting them is key for optimal taste.
Caramel - Use whatever store bought caramel you like to eat. I like Werthers, so that’s what I use. You could also make your own homemade caramel, of course I would never deter anyone from doing that. You want to make a caramel that is chewy, so keep that in mind. A good caramel would be this recipe here, used for making caramel apples.
Chocolate - For a classic Turtle, I use milk chocolate, but use whatever chocolate you like to eat. Please, stay away from chocolate chips for this recipe. Chocolate chips just don’t melt very well. Use a good bar of chocolate or baking chocolate.
Sea Salt - This is optional to balance the sweetness of the caramel and chocolate. I like using flaky sea salt.
Tools required:
2 baking sheets
Silicone sheet or tin foil
Rolling pin
Microwave safe bowl or double boiler
Spoon
The recipe
Chocolate Caramel Pecan Clusters (Turtles)
Ingredients
3/4 cup pecan halves or pieces
1 package (approximately 20) soft caramels
4 oz (1 bar) chocolate (milk for traditional, but dark or white is also fine)
Sea salt
Directions
Toast nuts. Preheat oven to 325F. Spread pecans out on a cookie tray. Bake for 5-7 mins or until they start to smell toasty and look a little darker. Once the nuts are toasted, take the nuts out of the oven, but keep the oven on.
Prepare the caramels. While the nuts are toasting, unwrap and flatten out your caramels with a rolling pin. This helps the caramel melt evenly over the nuts. If your caramels are a little too hard to flatten, put them in the microwave for 8 seconds and they will soften up.
Once the nuts are toasted and the caramels are flattened, arrange piles of pecans (I use 2.5 halves, or approximately 1 Tbsp) on a silicone mat/tin foil lined baking sheet. Then press a caramel over the top.
The nuts are clustered and the caramels are flattened, time for the oven!
4. Put the pecan and caramel clusters into the 325F oven for 3-5 minutes, or until you see the caramel start to melt over the nuts.
Caramel melted over the pecans.
5. Once out of the oven, press the caramel down gently to ensure the caramel sticks to the nuts as it becomes more firm.
6. Melt the chocolate. In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the chocolate on high for 20 second intervals until melted. Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate over a double boiler.
7. Assemble. Using a teaspoon, drop a dollop of chocolate over the caramel pecans and then use the back of your spoon to make a little swirl on the top.
8. Sprinkle salt over the tops, then let the chocolate and caramel set. You can put them in the fridge for 1 hour to speed up the process.
Makes approx. 20. Keep in an air tight container. Lasts at room temperature for 1-2 weeks, in the fridge for 1 month, in the freezer for 3 months.
Hey, I’m Kim!
After a lot of practice (and a few sticky disasters), I’ve crafted a delicious selection of lollies and mastered a ton of candy making tips to share with you—lump free. (You’re welcome.)
