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Turtle Cookies are packed with gooey caramel, rich chocolate, and crunchy pecans. These soft and chewy cookies are perfect for any occasion. Easy to make and totally irresistible warm out of the oven with a big glass of ice-cold milk.
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Chocolate, Caramel, and Pecan Cookies
If you’re a fan of rich, chocolatey cookies and gooey caramel, let me introduce you to my absolute favorite treat – Turtle Cookies. These cookies are everything you love about classic turtle candies (chocolate, caramel, and pecans) baked into a soft, chewy cookie that’s downright irresistible. In my house, Turtle Cookies are requested on repeat for holidays, family get-togethers, or just a cozy weekend treat. Trust me, once you try them, you’ll never look back!
Whether you’re baking for a crowd, gifting a batch to a new mom, or just treating yourself, these Turtle Cookies will quickly become your go-to recipe. They’re easy to make, smell incredible while baking, and taste out-of-this-world warm or at room temperature. Let’s get started!
Why You’ll Love These Turtle Cookies
- Easy to make: No complicated steps, just classic cookie baking with a fun twist.
- Incredible flavor: Chocolate, caramel, and pecans—a match made in dessert heaven.
- Perfect texture: Soft, chewy, and gooey thanks to the caramel bits and melted chocolate.
- Crowd-pleaser: Everyone loves Turtle Cookies, from kids to adults.
What Are Turtle Cookies?
If you’re unfamiliar with turtle candies, they’re made with chocolate, caramel, and pecans—shaped like little turtles with the pecans poking out like legs. This recipe takes all those delicious flavors and textures and transforms them into an easy, handheld dessert. Think of Turtle Cookies as the perfect mash-up of a chocolate chip cookie and a caramel turtle candy. So good!
Cookie Ingredients You’ll Need
This chocolate cookie dough is so yummy you’ll have little fingers sneaking cookie dough balls right off the baking sheet. Here’s what you’ll need to make these amazing Turtle Cookies:
- 1 cup butter – Softened to room temperature (this is key for the perfect dough).
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar – Light or dark works, so use what you have on hand.
- 2 eggs – One whole egg + 1 extra yolk for ultimate richness.
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract – Pure vanilla for the best flavor.
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour – Unsifted.
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt – I prefer sea salt or kosher salt for a little added texture and flavor.
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips – I love Ghirardelli, but any quality brand works.
- ¾ cup chopped pecans – You can swap for walnuts or almonds if preferred.
- ¾ cup caramel bits – These are usually in the baking aisle, or you can chop up soft caramel squares.
How to Make Turtle Cookies
Follow these simple steps for cookies that turn out perfect every time:
1. Prep Your Oven and Baking Sheets
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats to prevent sticking and make clean-up a breeze.
2. Make the Dough
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
- Gradually add the flour, baking soda, and salt, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips, caramel bits, and pecans until evenly distributed.
3. Shape the Cookies
- Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Use your finger or the back of a spoon to make a slight indentation in the top of each dough ball. This gives the caramel bits room to melt perfectly.
4. Bake
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. This helps the caramel firm up just enough to be gooey but not messy.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are just set and slightly golden. The centers will look soft—that’s what you want!
Pro Tips for Perfect Turtle Cookies
- Use room-temperature butter: Softened butter blends better with the sugars, creating a fluffier cookie dough.
- Don’t skip the sea salt: A tiny sprinkle of sea salt on top of the cookies takes the flavors to a whole new level.
- Substitute the nuts: Not a fan of pecans? Use walnuts, almonds, or even skip the nuts altogether.
- Try diced dried apples: For a fun twist, swap the pecans for diced dried apples—it’s like a caramel apple cookie!
- Freeze the dough: You can roll the dough into balls, freeze them on a tray, and store them in a freezer-safe bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to the bake time.
Baking Suggestions
- Roll cookie dough into one inch balls, then make a slight indentation with your finger to the top of each one.
- Grease baking pans or use silicone mats or parchment paper to keep the cookies from sticking to the sheets.
- Serve piping hot with a tall glass of milk, or out of the freezer for a frozen treat.
Questions About Turtle Cookies
Turtle candies got their name because the chocolate and caramel resemble a turtle shell, with pecans poking out like legs. These cookies don’t look exactly like turtles but taste just like the iconic candy!
Store them in an airtight container with a slice of bread—the cookies will stay soft and chewy for days.
Absolutely! Simply leave out the pecans or swap them for something like dried fruit.
Definitely. Just sub the flour for a cup for cup gluten free flour blend.
How to Store Turtle Cookies
- At Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks (if they last that long!).
- In the Freezer: Freeze baked cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Let them thaw at room temperature or pop them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
Other Cookie Recipes to Try
If you’re as obsessed with cookies as I am, try these other favorites:
Turtle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 1/4 cups unsifted flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips Ghirardelli brand
- 3/4 cup pecans chopped
- 3/4 cup caramel bits
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium size bowl, stir together flour with baking soda and salt, and set aside.
- In large mixing bowl, beat butter with sugar and brown sugar at medium speed until creamy and lightened in color.
- Add eggs and vanilla. Mix on low speed until incorporated.
- Gradually blend dry mixture into creamed mixture.
- Stir in nuts, chocolate chips, and caramel bits.
- Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned.
Notes
- Roll cookie dough into one inch balls, then make a slight indentation with your finger to the top of each one.
- Grease baking pans or use silicone mats or parchment paper to keep the cookies from sticking to the sheets.
- Serve piping hot with a tall glass of milk, or out of the freezer for a frozen treat.
Nutrition Information
Let’s Get Baking!
There you have it—the ultimate Turtle Cookies recipe that will have everyone begging for more. Whether you enjoy them fresh out of the oven with a cold glass of milk or save them for a late-night snack, these cookies are pure magic. I can’t wait for you to try them! If you do, let me know how they turned out by leaving a comment below or tagging me on social media. Happy baking!
Absolutely love this recipe, however the baking temp is way too high. It burns the caramel. I dropped the temp
to 350° and left the time the same. I also made the cookies a little bigger, 1½ inch balls vs 1 inch.
I LOVE ALL OF THE RECIPES THAT I HAVE LOOKED AT.
Tastes like a chocolate chip cookie with pecans and caramel bits tossed in. Ungreased cookie sheets had to be washed each time they came out of the oven. ** Using parchment paper is a must with this recipe and should have at least been mentioned in the instructions. **
Absolutely delicious!! Thanks for sharing. ❤️
I did make the turtle cookies, but I used parchment paper, and let them cool on the paper and they just came off so easy
Taste is lovely, but cookies severely stuck to ungreased baking pan.
These were so good! Crispy edges and chewy inside! These also made a ton of cookies, probably a little over 24 regular sized ones. I’d make these again, they were pretty reliable for a first try.
Thank you for rating this recipe and sharing your experience with it. I’m so glad you liked it!
Taste, these cookies are right up there yummy! I used my air bake cookie sheets. Most cookies, you let them sit a minute before you move them to a rack to cool. Not these cookies! That caramel sticks to the pan like there is no tomorrow, so I had to pop the pan back in the oven, to be able to get them off. It still was not easy. The caramel got on the spatula, and then goofed up all the cookies as I was trying to remove them. Next batch I thought I would try taking them off right away. Still was not easy. I decided to use parchment paper on the last 2 batches and to be honest, those caramels still gooed up my spatula. Flavor is great, but not a happy baking experience!!
Absolutely love! My 2 year old and I made these and they are so yummmy! Thank you for sharing
I made these and they were amazing!! I’m definitely saving this recipe. I can’t wait to share them with my friends and family! 😀
This happened to me too. I tried chilling the dough, cooking at a lower temperature and not putting the caramels in the dough at all. I cannot seem to figure out why this recipe only yields me paper thin crisps…. Disappointed. I quadrupled the recipe for a cookie exchange and now I’m not sure what to do. 🙁
I am so sorry this recipe didn’t turn out for you! Sometimes my cookies turn out too thin if I add butter that is too soft or semi-melted. Altitude and climate where you live can also make a big difference when baking!
I love these cookies, I just tried for the first time last month and I’ve already made them twice. I was a bit scared of the caramel because of the previous concerns but I tried it and if you try to take them off the cookie sheet to soon the caramel will still be soft I left them on the cookie sheet 8 to 10 minutes and I didn’t have any issues with the caramel ot was nice and set in the bottom yet soft and chewy in the middle. Love them!
I tried this recipe, the dough tasted wonderful, but the butter melted before the cookie could even bake and it ended in a huge mess of paper thin crisps … am i supposed to freeze the dough before cooking ?
I am so sorry this recipe didn’t work for you! I haven’t had that happen before so I am not sure what went wrong! The recipe doesn’t call for freezing the dough, but if you live in a warmer climate you might want to chill it a little bit before baking. Hope this helps!
I made these, following exact recipe. Made 48 of the most delicious cookies ever!!! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Christy- so glad you liked them! Thanks for the nice comment!
Do you use All purpose flour or self rising
All purpose!
Can u freeze after baking??
How many cookies does this recipe yield please?
About 3 to 4 dozen, depending on size.
Made these following exact recipe and they were A M A Z I N G!!
Thank you, Kathy! We are so happy you liked them!
Where can I find the Caramel bits? I clicked on the link it only took me to more recipe’s.
Thank-you
Carol Hillidge
You can usually find them near the chocolate chips in the grocery store.
How big is the bag of chocolate chips?
Standard size- about 11 oz.
I just TRIED to make these cookies and they stick to the sheet and the turner. Next to impossible to get them off of the sheet or the turned. Delicious flavor to to big of a mess to serve to anyone. I even tried greasing the cookie sheets and use parchment paper. Not but 6 cookies were in the shape of a cookies. 🙁 Any suggestions?????
shoot, I’m not sure what went wrong. Mine came off fine. Maybe next time instead of mixing in the caramels, try adding them to the top of the dough just before cooking.
I just made these and they’re amazing! I made one tray with a silicon mat and one without. When I tried to pull a cookie off the one without the mat I had an “oh oh” moment, but when I grabbed a spatula and started pulling them off it went off without a hitch!
Thank you so much for sharing your scrumptious recipes. My
family & friends will just love me more for baking for them
Thanks again
Denise