Turtle Candy
This homemade Turtle Candy is a classic treat for holidays, special occasions, and potlucks! These crunchy caramel nut clusters coated in smooth chocolate will make anyone’s day.
As a professional food blogger and sugar fiend, people tend to expect things of me when holidays and potlucks come around. This easy turtle candy recipe is a simple, reliable go-to for gifting and sharing when I have no energy left! I can make huge batches of these while binging Hallmark movies, not worrying about constantly measuring and timing things like I do with cookies and cupcakes. I’ve made sure that these store easily (no worries about melting at room temperature) and have just the right balance of smooth caramel, crunchy nuts, and rich chocolate for all candy lovers to enjoy!
Love this flavor combo but want something even cuter? Try our Pecan Turtles!
Why you will love this candy recipe
- Forgiving – This recipe works well with things you probably have on hand! You could use a different type of nut, different chocolate, different milk, different oil… It’s substitute friendly, and the general shape makes these easier to achieve than your average sugar cookie.
- Giftable & Sharable – It is so easy to make several batches of this recipe for potlucks, parties, and gifting neighbors, teachers, coworkers, and others. The short ingredient list, small size, and classic flavor combination makes these a favorite for everyone we know!
- Make Ahead Friendly – You can spend a whole day making several batches of these on a chill day off, then store these in the fridge or freezer until those holiday parties and gifting moments arrive! It’s the perfect way to keep the holiday season low-stress.
Ingredients for Turtle Candy
Here is a quick overview of what you will need. Scroll to the printable recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Caramel bits, Milk, and Pecans – I used the Kraft caramel bits that melt super easily, thinned it out with milk (can be any kind of milk), then poured in chopped pecans. You’ll get more flavor from roasted/toasted pecans, but raw pecans are fine to use as well.
- Dark chocolate chips and Coconut oil – If you prefer semi-sweet or milk chocolate, you could use those instead. For the best quality, swap the chocolate chips for a high-quality bar of baking chocolate that you shave yourself. Use refined coconut oil to avoid the coconut flavor, or swap this out for Crisco.
- Flakey sea salt – This brings out the best in all the other flavors! If you prefer a festive, colorful touch, you could replace this with sprinkles.
How to Make Homemade Turtle Candy
This simple recipe comes together with just two key steps (with chilling after each) for the perfect sharable treat! You’ll just need a saucepan and plates or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Make caramel pecan filling & form candy mounds – Pour your caramel bits into a small saucepan and heat over medium low heat with milk. Constantly stir the caramel as it melts into the perfect smooth texture. Stir in your chopped pecans to coat, then spoon this mixture into mounds (1 tablespoon each) onto parchment paper.
- Chill – Place the caramel pecan mounds into the freezer and chill for two hours until set.
- Make chocolate topping & coat – Melt the dark chocolate chips with coconut oil in a small saucepan, stirring continuously over medium low heat until nice and smooth. Quickly dip the frozen candy clusters into the dark chocolate, tap away excess chocolate, then set it back onto the parchment paper. Continue until all are coated in chocolate and sprinkle with sea salt.
- Chill – Set the chocolate covered candy in the fridge for at least an hour until set.
Storage
Once the candies have chilled and the chocolate has hardened, store these in an airtight container. These will last about a week on the counter at room temperature, up to a month in the fridge, or for several months in the freezer. To thaw, simply sit your frozen turtle candy on a countertop for 30 minutes or so.
More Giftable Treats to Include in Gift Boxes
Treat boxes have gotten super popular around Christmas & Hanukkah time, but they are well-received year-round for special occasions, birthdays, and more! Here are some more great ideas for treats that you could pair with these turtle candies for a tasty low-waste gift for the person who has everything.
- Candies: Chocolate Almond Crockpot Candy & Keto Peppermint Bark
- Fudges: Sugar Cookie Fudge & Keto Peanut Butter Fudge
- Fruit/Nut Butters: Apple Butter & Pecan Butter
- Seasonings: Keto Taco Seasoning & Buttermilk Ranch Seasoning
- Cookies: Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies & Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Cups
- Breads: Cranberry Bread & Chocolate Chip Cookie Bread
Turtle Candy Tips, Tricks, and Substitutions
- Don’t skimp on the chilling time. If your caramel is not frozen, the mounds will lose shape in the melted chocolate and start to spread. If your chocolate doesn’t harden, these may fall apart when guests pick them up.
- Try different chocolates. I know not everyone loves dark chocolate, so use what makes you happy! You could even make a variety box, including varieties with dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, and semi-sweet chocolate if you like!
- Consider using different nuts. Pecans are the classic choice for the turtle flavor combination, but I can assure you that this recipe is delicious with pistachios, almonds, peanuts, cashews, and walnuts! Feel free to use a mixture if you prefer.
- Use a fork when dipping in chocolate. The least messy method I used to coat these involved dipping the frozen candies in the melted chocolate using a fork. Then I could tap away the extra chocolate, place it on the parchment paper, and know that any little marks would be covered up by the chocolate as it settled.
More Popular Recipes
- Spicy Chicken Soup
- Cabbage and Sausage Recipe
- Buffalo Chips
- Keto Chili Recipe
- Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes Recipe
Get the Recipe: Turtle Candy Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup caramel bites, I used kraft caramel bits, the unwrapped caramel you melt.
- 2-3 tablespoons milk, as needed to thin
- 2 cups chopped pecans
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil, refined if you don't want a coconut flavor
- flakey sea salt
Equipment
Instructions
- In a small sauce pan over medium low heat add the caramel and 2 tablespoons milk. Stir the caramel continuously until it melts completely smooth. If needed add additional milk to thin it to a pourable consistency.
- Stir in the chopped pecans until completely coated.
- Spoon the pecan mixture into one tablespoon mounds on parchment paper. Place in the freezer at least two hours.
- In a small saucepan add the dark chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Stir continuously over medium low heat until smooth. If needed, add additional coconut oil to make the chocolate smooth.
- Working quickly dip the frozen candy clusters in the dark chocolate. I use a fork and toss the candy in the melted chocolate and then tap fork on the edge of the saucepan to remove excess chocolate.
- Set the chocolate covered candy on the parchment paper. Sprinkle with sea salt and place in the fridge to allow the chocolate to set.
