Easy Turtles Candy Recipe - One Sweet Appetite (2024)

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This Homemade Turtles Recipe gives you the most rich and delicious candy with only 4 ingredients! Lightly toasted pecans covered in a rich caramel and topped with melted chocolate. Perfect for giving and deliciously simple to make.

Searching for more quick candy ideas? Try my Salted Caramels, Homemade Lollipops, and White Chocolate Pretzels!

Easy Turtles Candy Recipe - One Sweet Appetite (1)

Recipe Features

  • 4 Ingredient Recipe: This recipe only uses FOUR ingredients and is ready in minutes.
  • Perfect for Beginners: This is a no-fail recipe which means it is the perfect starting point for novice candy makers.
  • Edible Gift Idea: Package these sweet treats up for an impressive homemade gift!

My granma was OBSESSED with chocolate turtles. She always had a stash stored away somewhere and would bring them out to share wenever I visited. The combination of chocolate, caramel and nuts is irrisistible. In fact, I’ve used the combination in several of my favorite desserts and cannot get enough of it!

But by far, these easy turtles are the winner. SO easy to make and quite possibly my favorite homemade candy to date. The lightly toasted nuts give a base for the chewy caramel, and the chocolate melts in your mouth. What more could you need?

Easy Turtles Candy Recipe - One Sweet Appetite (2)

Turtles Recipe Ingredients

Most of my recipes are super easy to make, use minimal ingredients, AND pack a big punch in the flavor department. These are no exception. For a full list of ingredients and measurements see the recipe card below.

  • Pecans– For this recipe you will need to be sure to use lightly toasted pecans. We like to use whole or roughly chopped.
  • Caramel Ice Cream Topping– You can find this next to the ice creams in most grocery stores. If you can find the ticker topping it works best, OR you can make your own caramel sauce.
  • Chocolate Chips– You can use either milk chocolate or semi sweet. Our preference is milk chocolate for this specific combination of flavor.
  • Shortening– Do not substitute this with butter. Shortening is used to slightly thin the chocolate chips and help coat the candies easier.

How To Make Turtle Candy

  1. PREP: Line a work surface with parchment paper. Lightly toast the pecans, if they haven’t been toasted already, by tossing in melted butter and baking for 7-10 minutes at 350 degrees.
  2. MIX: Stir the toasted and cooled pecans with the caramel topping.
  3. CHILL: Drop by the heaping tablespoon onto the parchment paper and refrigerate until solid, about 1 to 2 hours.
  4. MELT: Combine the chocolate chips and shortening in a heatproof, or glass, dish. Microwave until melted, stirring every 15 to 20 seconds to make sure it doesn’t burn.
  5. DRIZZLE: Spoon or drizzle over the pecan clusters. Allow to set and enjoy!

Recipe Notes:

  • These are messy to make. Line your work space with parchment or foil for easy cleanup.
  • We used a thicker ice cream topping. Make sure that you are picky when you are cruising the aisle deciding on your flavor. The thinner syrups will not work well.
  • Do not skip toasting the nuts. Toasting is easy. Line a baking sheet with parchment, spread your pecans in a single layer, and bake at 350 degrees for around 7-10 minutes or until fragrant.

How To Toast Pecans

  1. These are messy to make. Line your work space with parchment or foil for easy cleanup.
  2. We used a thicker ice cream topping. Make sure that you are picky when you are cruising the aisle deciding on your flavor. The thinner syrups will not work well.
  3. Do not skip toasting the nuts. Toasting is easy. Line a baking sheet with parchment, spread your pecans in a single layer, and bake at 350 degrees for around 7-10 minutes or until fragrant.

More Must Try Caramel Recipes

  • Salted Caramels
  • Easy Caramel Cheesecake Bars
  • Salted Caramel Frosting
  • Best Caramel Corn

More Must Try Candy Recipes

  • Muddy Buddies
  • Peppermint Patties
  • Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
  • White Chocolate Pretzels
  • Cherry Lollipops

Still Hungry? Follow One Sweet Appetite onInstagram,Pinterest, andFacebook!

4.62 from 26 votes

Homemade Turtles

Created by: Jesseca


Course Desserts

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

24

This Homemade Turtles Recipe gives you the most rich and delicious candy with only 4 ingredients! Lightly toasted pecans covered in a rich caramel and topped with melted chocolate. Perfect for giving and deliciously simple to make.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups pecans toasted
  • ¼ cup caramel ice cream topping the thicker kind
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon shortening

Instructions

  • Stir together the pecans with the ice cream topping. Drop by heaping tablespoon onto wax paper. Refrigerate until solid.

  • Melt together the chocolate chips and shortening in the microwave, stirring every 20 seconds. Spoon over your pecan clusters.

Notes

How to toast pecans:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Toss pecans in a small amount of oil (we really like coconut oil) and salt if desired. Spread onto the prepared tray in an even layer.
  3. Toast for 5 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant.

Nutrition

Serving: 2Servings | Calories: 213kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 34mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g

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    Comments & Reviews

  1. Mary E. Timman says

    I made them today and they are delicious. Today I used Carmel Sauce for Ice Cream, which does not set, but they still were delicious. I am going to use apple dip for apples, that is much thicker and spoon the carmel over the nuts, then spoon the chocolate on top and I’m sure they will turn out very nicely. Thanks for recipe.

    Reply

    • Jesseca says

      Oh, that is a great idea Mary!

      Reply

  2. Vickie H. says

    I made these using Hershey’s caramel ice cream topping, but the caramel is not hardening (it’s been 3-4 hours). What can I do? If I melt more chocolate chips and snoop it on more parchment paper, then put the chilled turtle on top, refrigerate – would that work do you think? (So, that it can be held without carmarel running.)

    Reply

    • Jesseca says

      Hi Vickie, these will be a little softer. I would definitely try dipping and chilling. In fact, I’m going to try that tomorrow. I think it’s a great tip.

      Reply

Easy Turtles Candy Recipe - One Sweet Appetite (2024)

FAQs

What is Turtles candy made of? ›

Turtles are a candy made with pecans and caramel dipped in chocolate, with a shape resembling a turtle. The name is trademarked by DeMet's Candy Company.

What is inside the Candy Turtles original? ›

It's no surprise that Turtles® clusters have been popular for more than 100 years. The original caramel nut cluster filled with crunchy pecans, creamy caramel, and luscious chocolate was just the beginning.

Why is turtle candy called turtle? ›

Developed in 1918 by DeMet's Candy Company, these delectable bites were made of pecan pieces that were coated in caramel and then enveloped inside a glob of gourmet chocolate. And why were they called turtles? Because they actually looked like turtles with a large, chocolate covered shell.

How many calories in a turtle candy? ›

Nestle Turtles Candy (1 piece) contains 10g total carbs, 10g net carbs, 5g fat, 1g protein, and 90 calories.

Who made the original turtle candy? ›

It was in 1916 in the windy city of Chicago that George DeMet brought the Turtle to life. Back then it only came in one variety, which was caramel, pecans, and chocolate.

Who made the first turtle candy? ›

The chocolate turtle today is a trademarked candy from Chicago's DeMet's Candy Company. However, candy history tells us that the "turtle" originated in San Francisco during the early 1900s. The chocolate candy with caramel and pecans was the creation of a candy chef named Louis Gordon Hooper.

What is the turtle flavor? ›

A Culver's Classic! We begin with creamy Vanilla Fresh Frozen Custard and swirl in ribbons of old fashioned salted caramel, novelty chocolate, and toasted pecan pieces.

Why is it called turtle flavor? ›

The turtle pie got its name due to the caramel, chocolate and pecans that are used to top the pies, which are said to have a similarity in flavor to that of DeMet's Turtles, which use similar ingredients. The pie usually has a cookie crumb crust and is often made with a custard, mousse or a cheesecake filling.

Which turtles was vanilla ice in? ›

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991) - Vanilla Ice as Vanilla Ice - IMDb.

What are turtle sweets? ›

Turtles are green turtles shaped sweets with a yellow belly that are a really popular sweet with the young and old. These sweets are soft and are therefore ideal for Children's Birthday party favours, gifts and also really popular at weddings.

What is turtle pecan flavor? ›

Pecan pieces, chocolatey shavings and rich caramel blended with creamy DQ® soft serve to Blizzard® treat perfection.

What is a turtle snack? ›

Invite children to wash their hands so they can help assemble these cute snacks! Give each child a plate. Offer the ingredients. For each turtle, have children take two crackers, two pretzel sticks, and one raisin. Smooth the spread over both crackers with a child-safe knife.

How much sugar is in a turtle? ›

Per 100 g
Per 100 g
Sugars50.7 g
Protein4.04 g
Potassium315.0 mg
Calcium126.0 mg
9 more rows

What does 100 calories of candy look like? ›

Don't get tricked by all the Halloween treats, here's what 100 calories looks like: Hershey's Kisses: let the foil fly, just only eat four and a half of them! Kit Kat: a package and a half of the snack size. Twix: 2 snack-sized bars.

Is Turtle a healthy food? ›

"Turtle meat has a lot of protein but very little fat and almost no carbohydrates," she says. It is also a source of several micronutrients - including selenium, vitamin B12, iron, potassium, thiamine, riboflavin and zinc.

What does turtle flavor taste like? ›

The flavor of turtle runs across a spectrum of fishy-to-beefy, depending on the variety and the method of cooking. Sea turtles -- most of which are now protected species -- actually fall on the 'beefy' side, often being compared to veal in both flavor and texture, though with abundant and savory fat.

What did turtle taste like? ›

What does turtle meat taste like? A large snapping turtle is said to contain seven distinct types of meat, each reminiscent of pork, chicken, beef, shrimp, veal, fish or goat. (Those less enamored of the protein might describe its flavor as muddy, dirty, mushy and chewy, however.)

What are the ingredients in turtles bites? ›

Ingredients. Sugar, Pecans, Unsweetened Chocolate, Corn Syrup, Palm Oil, Skim Milk Powder, Cocoa Butter, Invert Syrup, Butter Oil (Milk), Salt, Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier), Sodium Caseinate (Milk), Artificial Flavor, Natural Flavor, Natural & Artificial Flavor.

What does turtle taste like? ›

A lot of people compare it to chicken but it's more along the line of pork with a bit of a seafood edge. Like squirrel, most people who try snapping turtle for the first time are utterly surprised with just how good it tastes.

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