Description
Indulge in delicious Turtle Cookies made with chocolate, caramel, and pecans. Discover the easy recipe now!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pecan halves, lightly toasted
- 24 soft caramel candies (about 170g)
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil or shortening
- 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare the Cookie Dough In a large bowl, cream together softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. This creates air pockets essential for the perfect texture of your Turtle Cookies. Add the egg and vanilla extract, beating until completely incorporated and the mixture looks smooth and silky. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed just until combined. Overmixing at this stage will develop too much gluten, resulting in tough cookies.
- Step 2: Shape and Chill Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a medium cookie scoop (about 1.5 tablespoons) to portion the dough, rolling each portion into a ball between your palms. Place the dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Use your thumb or the back of a teaspoon to create a slight indentation in the center of each cookie—this creates the perfect nest for your turtle toppings later. Cover the sheets with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
- Step 3: Bake the Cookies Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the chilled cookies for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are just beginning to turn golden while the centers remain soft. Don’t overbake—they’ll firm up as they cool. The cookies should look slightly underdone in the center when you remove them from the oven. Allow them to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then deepen the thumbprint indentation if needed while they’re still warm. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Step 4: Prepare and Add Toppings While the cookies cool, melt the caramels and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth. In another bowl, melt chocolate chips with coconut oil using the same method. Once cookies are completely cooled, spoon about 1 teaspoon of caramel into each indentation. Immediately press 2-3 pecan pieces into the warm caramel. Allow the caramel to set for about 10 minutes, then drizzle the melted chocolate over each cookie using a fork or small piping bag. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired. Let the chocolate set completely before storing your finished Turtle Cookies.
Notes
Fresh ingredients will always yield the best flavor results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 50mg