Homemade turtle candy recipe with just 5 ingredients & perfect for holiday dessert trays! With toasted pecans, melted chocolate, and gooey caramel in every bite, these easy to make candies are a perfect treat!
Making turtle candy with pecans and caramel is very easy to do and in no time at all, you can have a fresh batch of turtle candy with sea salt. Yum! Don’t be surprised if this quickly becomes your go-to recipe when you need a sweet-fix.
What is turtle candy?
Turtle candy is a term given to caramel, chocolate, and pecans together. We have a few different “turtle” recipes on this site, but these easy turtle candies are one of my favorites. With just a few steps and ingredients it doesn’t take long to whip up a delicious batch of candy. They also make for fun homemade food gifts during the holidays to family and friends!
Turtle Candy Ingredients
-Pecans: We need 4 ounces of pecan halves. We’re going to toast them up and chop them small so we can get the best flavor out of every piece!
-Caramels: Using caramel squares (like Kraft) we need 15 squares that have been unwrapped. Note: Kids are great for enlisting to help unwrap candy.
-Heavy Cream: We need 1 tablespoon of heavy cream to help the caramel to melt smoothly.
-Chocolate: You can choose to use 8 ounces of milk chocolate or dark chocolate depending on your turtle flavor preferences.
-Sea Salt: Topping these homemade turtle candies with about 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt is a great way to get a little salty flavor in with the sweet and crunchy, making these feel more gourmet.
How to make homemade turtle candy
In a skillet, toast your pecans by heating them over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Finely chop them into small pieces and then drop small piles of chopped pecans onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
In a microwave safe bowl, add the unwrapped caramels and heavy cream. Heat on high power in 30 second intervals, stirring between each until smooth. The caramel will become firm as it cools.
Drop about 1-2 tablespoons of caramel over the top of each pecan pile, let sit to harden.
In another microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate in 30 second intervals until smooth.
Spoon the chocolate over the top of each layer of caramel.
Sprinkle with some sea salt and place the tray in the fridge for about 5 hours until set. Enjoy!
HOMEMADE TURTLE CANDY RECIPE
Ingredients
- 4 oz pecan halves, toasted, chopped
- 15 caramel squares, unwrapped
- 1 Tbsp heavy cream
- 8 oz milk or dark chocolate
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- In a skillet, toast your pecans by heating them over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring often. Let cool slightly.
- Finely chop the pecans.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make small piles of chopped pecans.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add the caramels and 1 tablespoon of the heavy cream. Heat on high power. Stir well and continue to microwave in 30-second intervals until the caramels are completely melted. The caramel will firm up as it cools.
- Add about 1-2 tablespoons caramel to the top of each pecan pile. Let sit to harden.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate at 30-second intervals until smooth. Spoon chocolate on top of each layer of caramel. Sprinkle with sea salt. Refrigerate until set, about 5 minutes.
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Nutrition
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Is turtle candy gluten free?
This recipe is naturally gluten free as none of the ingredients are gluten-based. If you are avoiding gluten due to an allergy, make sure to double check any ingredients list before using in order to avoid cross-contamination.
Can you freeze turtle candy?
Yes, after the candy has completely set, you can safely freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Just thaw before eating because the caramel will become very hard.
How long is homemade turtle candy good for?
This candy can be good for up to 2 weeks if stored in an airtight container at room temperature. This should give you plenty of time to go back and enjoy a sweet treat when no one is looking.
More delicious CANDY recipes:
- Cherry Jelly Hearts Candy
- Chocolate Caramel Bars
- The BEST Homemade Caramels
- Rolo Pretzel Turtles
- Christmas Candy Puffcorn
- Carmel Apple Bark
- Caramel Pecan Log
- Chocolate Covered Caramels
- Chocolate Caramel Peanut Butter Bars
- Iced Maple Pecan Bars
- Caramel Popcorn Cake
- Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Caramels
- Pecan Bars
- Chocolate Caramel Turtle Pie
Homemade turtle candies are a great treat to make any time of the year, but serve them up at the holidays and watch them disappear. These easy caramel and pecan treats are perfect additions to any dessert table or snack jar.
Homemade turtle candy recipe with just 5 ingredients & perfect for holiday dessert trays! With toasted pecans, melted chocolate, and gooey chewy caramel in every bite, these easy to make candies are a perfect combination of flavors and textures.
Renee Goerger says
My all time favorite candy, and that sprinkling of sea salt is EVERYTHING!
Jamie says
I made them with Smokehouse almonds. The smoky salty almonds paired so well with the sweet caramel!! Easy recipe. Thanks!
Alison says
Sounds extra delicious! Thanks Jamie!
wilhelmina says
These homemade turtles are incredible! I will be making batches and batches to give as gift this year!
Lee Templeton says
I have a much simpler way of making turtles less time and less mess. I use double boiler to keep chocolate melted and I use Carmel apple dip so there is no need to melt Carmel
Jessica says
Great idea!
Lisa says
Caramels can have gluten. You need to check with the manufacturer. I learned that the hard way……:(
https://celiac.org/about-the-foundation/featured-news/2016/01/gluten-free-101-need-know/