If you need something easy and delicious to contribute to a Christmas party, this is it. My mom made Pecan Caramel Chocolate Turtles for years – way before recipes on the internet were even a thing.
We always have turtles at Thanksgiving, Christmas, family beach vacations, and, well, every single time we’ve ever visited mom and dad. You can see more of my favorite candy recipes here!
To see my collection of recipes featuring pecans, check out my Best Recipes Featuring Pecans.
These days, I’m making everything I can think of that mom used to make. Memories are too precious to forget and her Pecan Caramel Chocolate Turtles have always been a personal favorite.
Once upon a time, mama made turtles that looked like turtles. Eventually, she took a shortcut and never looked back. The first time I tried these, I skipped an important step and they weren’t mom’s.
Mama eyeballed everything so it took me a few tries to get it right.
Finally, I’ve nailed it and I have to share it with the world or at least my little corner of the world. Here goes!
Ingredients At A Glance! (Full Printable Recipe Card Down Below)
- toasted pecan halves
- chocolate candy coating like Candiquik
- caramels (11 oz) (I use Kraft Caramels)
- water
- butter
Preparation Steps
Remove the wrappers from the caramels.
Line a 9×13″ baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray. Set aside.
Melt the caramels with the butter and water in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth and creamy. Stir constantly while the caramel mixture is melting.
Add the toasted pecan halves, stir to combine, and drop by spoonfuls onto parchment paper that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Don’t worry about them being the same size.
This is what the caramel and pecan mixture looks like when you drop spoonfuls onto the wax paper. (I just eyeball it).
After the caramel/pecan mixture hardens (it will not be rock hard) but should lift easily away from the parchment paper.
Make sure the caramel has hardened before dipping it in chocolate. I let the mixture harden for about an hour. If you’re in a hurry, pop it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
The mixture should not be gooey or runny or stick to the parchment paper. See how easy it lifts away. If you don’t let it harden properly, it will stick to the paper.
Melt the chocolate candy coating according to the package directions. Dip to cover completely, letting the access drip back into the melted candy coating. Place on wax paper to harden completely.
These are great for taking to Christmas parties. I usually make a batch of these and a batch of Puttin’ On The Ritz Cookies.
Pecan Caramel Chocolate Turtles Are The Best
Believe it or not, out of all the candies, cookies, etc. I make these during the Christmas season, my kids love the Turtles and Ritz ones the best and they are the easiest of all to make.
When Making Mom’s Candy I Have All The Feels
PS – It’s not a post unless I overshare so here goes! A few days ago I found a voicemail on my iPhone that my mom left me back in October 2015 (she unexpectedly went to heaven on May 7, 2016).
My daughter, Caitlin, and I were headed down to Mom’s house to attend my niece’s wedding. She called to let us know she was headed to the rehearsal but would leave the back door unlocked (small-town love). She told us to drive safe, she loved us and could hardly wait to see us.
Normally, I delete voicemails as soon as I listen to them. However, this is one time I’m glad I didn’t. When I’m having a rough day or just need to hear her voice, I play the voicemail. I’ve saved it in several places to make sure it never gets deleted.
What’s your favorite holiday candy or memory? Please share! I read all the comments.
You will also love these recipes!
Melinda’s Buckeyes (AKA Peanut Butter Balls)
Pecan, Caramel and Chocolate Turtles
My mom always made Pecan Caramel Chocolate Turtles during the holiday season. Toasted pecans and creamy caramel are mixed together, allowed to harden, and dipped in melted chocolate.
Ingredients
- 2 cups pecan halves
- 1 package chocolate Candiquik
- One package caramels (11 oz) (I use Kraft Caramels)
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1/4 cup butter
Instructions
- Remove the caramels from the wrappers.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes or until toasted. Watch carefully! Set aside.
- In a heavy saucepan, melt caramels, water, and butter on medium-low, stirring constantly, until melted.
- Add pecans to the caramel mixture and mix well.
- On lightly greased wax paper (or parchment), spoon tablespoons of caramel/pecan mixture. Let harden. (You can also pop these in the freezer for 30 minutes to harden!)
- Heat Candiquik in the microwave according to package directions.
- Dip each candy into Candiquik with a fork and let excess drip off. Place on wax or parchment paper and let harden. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
Serving size is approximate, based on how large or small you make the candies.
Candiquik is a premium candy coating. You can also use chocolate almond bark. Candiquik brand is my favorite candy coating.
Make sure the caramel mixture hardens completely before removing from the parchment paper. The candy should lift right off the paper.
To speed up the hardening process: After dropping the caramel/pecan mixture by spoonfuls onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet, pop them in the freezer for 30 minutes to harden.
Sometimes I use 2-1/2 cups of pecan pieces (larger than chopped pecans).
Nutrition Information
Yield
24Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 90Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 5mgSodium 23mgCarbohydrates 4gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 1g
29 comments
Oh my gosh I have to stop starting my day with reading these decadent posts…. they look so good! I know I mentioned that the Buckeyes are my downfall but these look amazing too!
Ambrosia by far the best chocolate for turtles!
I made these but the Carmel never hardened up I had to dig my fingers to be able to dip in chocolate!! I was so disappointed!! Did I do something wrong?? Thanks my kids all loved them but I don’t know if I’ll ever make them again unless I can figure out how to harden the Carmel drops!! Any advise would be greatly appreciated!!
That’s strange. I have never had that problem. Next time, maybe try placing them in the refrigerator to harden. Also, make sure you lightly grease the parchment paper. The caramel mixture won’t get extremely hard, but you shouldn’t have to dig to get them off the parchment paper.
These sound like a wonderful sweet treat. I needed an idea for a family Christmas party on Sunday and these will go over big with my family.
Your food photography is really amazing. Everything looks so fresh and delicious
Tis the season to enjoy tons of baking! Making candies is also one of my favorite things to do. These turtles look fantastic!
Making candy at christmas is a special tradition I do with my daughter. We always make these turtles one because they are our favorite and two they do make great gifts.
I am in love with chocolate turtles, but I have never dreamed that I would be able to make them myself. Thank you so much for sharing I am going to have to try this recipe over the holiday break.
We make a ton of candy every Christmas season. I have been looking for a good turtle recipe to try this year.
Wow, these treats look absolutely incredible! I would definitely love to try this recipe this weekend. I know the whole family would love these desserts!
These look fantastic (even though they don’t look like turtles haha). Turtles are one of my favorite chocolates so this would save me a lot of money!
These chocolate candies look so delicious.. I love easy recipe, can’t wait to try this!
My boss loves Turtles chocolates! This is something I should make for him – he would love it!
Of all the sweets I’ve prepared for the holiday seasons I’ve never made Turtles! I’m going to make them one of these years, yours look delish!
This is definitely a hit for the holiday. Looks so good. Thanks for sharing the recipe, I can’t wait to give it a try.
These look absolutely delicious not had these kind of candy turtles before. Thanks and Merry Christmas
OMG i remember these when i was younger, we called them Katydids I think? I haven’t seen them in years!
All I can say is yummy!!! This is perfect anytime of the day!!
Chocolate is my favorite flavor and this sounds delicious! I would love to try out this recipe!
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Love your voicemail story. Five years ago my Dad had throat cancer and had to have his voice box removed. Two years ago I was going through old voicemails and found one my Dad left a month before his surgery. He sang Happy Birthday to me. Like you, I have made several copies and love listening to it. I played it for my Dad once and he cried.
Thank you!! How wonderful that you saved that old voicemail of your dad singing Happy Birthday! Priceless!!
Can chocolate chips be use instead of caniquik, since I can’t find here in Ontario
Yes! Add 1 Tbsp. vegetable shortening per 1 cup of chips. In the microwave, melt the chocolate chips in an uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH power for 30 seconds; STIR. If needed, heat an additional 10-15 second intervals, stirring after each interval until melted.
I couldn’t get the caramels to harden either and coating them was a huge mess. On a good note, they still tasted good, but definitely not something I would put put for guests.
I hate to hear that! I have been making these for years and I made them again for Thanksgiving and they were perfect as always. After reading your comment late last night, I rushed to the grocery store early this morning, grabbed the ingredients needed to make this candy, and made them again. Turned out perfectly again. So, let’s try to troubleshoot what could have gone wrong because I want my recipes to work for everyone.
I always use the 11 oz package of Kraft caramels – the ones that are in the wrapper. Unwrap the caramels, place them in a small saucepan, and heat them on low with the water and butter. Stir often until completely melted. Pour the melted caramel mixture over the toasted pecans (in a medium-sized bowl) and stir well.
Then I drop spoonfuls onto wax paper that has been sprayed with cooking spray. I try to work fast because, at this point, they are already starting to harden a little. When I say harden, I don’t mean rock-hard. The butter and water help keep the candies from getting rock-hard so that they are smooth and silky once they are dipped into the melted chocolate.
Allow the caramel/pecan mixture to sit for at least 30 minutes before dipping them into the melted chocolate. I always use Candiquik Chocolate coating because it melts to a smooth consistency. If you’re having problems with the caramel mixture getting hard enough to dip, try placing them in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Because I spray the wax paper with cooking spray, the caramel/pecan mixture tends to just peel off the wax paper. I place the candy, one at a time, on a fork and dip it into the melted chocolate.
I do hope you try this recipe again! Thanks for commenting!
I made these, they stuck to my paper! Ugh! Not sure if I would ever try again. Expensive to make when you have to toss because they stick to the paper even after lightly coating the paper.
That’s odd. Sorry that happened. Did you make the candy on a rainy day? Did you let them harden completely before dipping in chocolate? I’ve been making these for years and I’ve never had that happen.