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The perfect holiday treat, this Turtle Candy is a super easy recipe that is great for gift-giving, a holiday candy tray, or just to have on hand to munch on.
When it comes to the holidays, my favorite things are all the treats that come with them. Turtle Candy is one recipe that we have been making for years.
With pecans, homemade caramel, and chocolate, it makes the perfect gooey and crunchy combination that you just can’t stop at one.
This makes a nice large batch of 30 candies, but you can absolutely double the recipe to have more on hand or to save for later. This is one of those ones that will disappear quickly.
We make these every single year, and they never get old. Everyone always devours them and loves when we include them in with our cookie trays that we give out to friends and neighbors.
These, you could say, are the gift that keeps on giving. Plus, they are easy, use readily available ingredients, and are great to have any handy helpers make.
Some of our other favorite holiday treats that we have on our site include: Cookie Dough Truffles, Christmas Sandwich Cookies and White Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- Makes a large batch.
- Great for gift giving.
- Easily available ingredients help these come together quickly.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE BELOW):
Toasted pecan halves
Toasted chopped pecans
Salted butter
Light brown sugar
Granulated sugar
Light corn syrup
Sweetened condensed milk
Vanilla extract
Milk chocolate chips
Vegetable shortening
HOW TO MAKE TURTLE CANDY:
- On two parchment-lined sheet trays, divide the pecan halves into 30 piles, about 3-4 pecans for each pile. Evenly top with the chopped pecans, and set aside.
- Slice the butter and add it to a dutch oven or medium-sized pot along with the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and corn syrup.
- Bring to a low boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
- Add the sweetened condensed milk, and mix it in well. Continue to cook, constantly stirring, so it doesn’t burn, until the mixture reaches 240°F.
- Take off the heat, and continue to stir until it begins to thicken, 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla.
- Working quickly, drizzle about ½ tablespoon of the caramel over the piles of pecans. Turn to drizzle the caramel over all the pecan pieces so they stick together. Repeat with the remaining pecans and caramel.
- Let the candy sit for about 30 minutes until the caramel is set. You can also place them in the fridge to speed up the process.
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the chocolate chips and shortening. Microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring in between until smooth.
- Use a 1 teaspoon measuring spoon and dollop the melted chocolate into the center of each turtle, smooth it out slightly. You will use about ½ – ¾ teaspoon of chocolate for each one.
- Let the turtles sit out at room temperature for 2-3 hours, or you can pop the trays into the fridge for 1 hour to set. Enjoy immediately, or store between layers of parchment paper in an airtight container.
CAN I USE REGULAR CARAMELS?
If you do not want to make your own homemade caramel for this recipe, you can absolutely use regular caramels instead.
You will want to use 30 individually wrapped caramels (do not use caramel bits), place them in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, and microwave in 15-second intervals stirring in between.
DO I HAVE TO TOAST MY PECANS?
We use already toasted pecans, you can find them that way at the store. Otherwise, you can toast them yourself place the pecan halves in the oven by placing them on a baking sheet and place them in the oven at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes.
To toast the chopped pecans, place in a skillet on the stovetop on medium-low heat for about 8 minutes.
Or you can choose not to toast them at all, this is a personal preference, and we just love the extra flavor that it gives the pecans themselves.
CAN I USE ANOTHER CHOCOLATE?
Want to switch up the flavor a little bit? Then you can use any of your favorite chocolate in this recipe, semi-sweet, milk, or dark.
HOW TO STORE:
These can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container where they will keep for up to 2 weeks.
They can also be frozen, placed in a freezer container, separated by parchment paper and they will keep for up to 3 months.
To defrost, remove to the refrigerator overnight until thawed.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- We like to use a mixture of chopped and pecan halves for this.
- You do not have to toast the pecans, but I tell you how above.
- Other chocolates can be use, semi-sweet, milk and dark all work well.
- Vegetable oil or coconut oil can be used in place of the shortening.
- These can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
- Easily double this recipe to have more on hand or save for later.
- You can use regular caramels instead of making your own, see above on how to do that.
Want that perfect gooey, crunchy, chocolate and caramel treat? This Turtle Candy is the perfect recipe that you can make for any of your holiday gatherings.
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If you’ve tried this TURTLE CANDY let me know in the comments how it turned out! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!
Turtle Candy
Ingredients
- 2 cups toasted pecan halves
- ½ cup toasted chopped pecans
- ½ cup salted butter
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups milk chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vegetable shortening
Instructions
- On two parchment-lined sheet trays, divide the pecan halves into 30 piles, about 3-4 pecans for each pile. Evenly top with the chopped pecans, and set aside.
- Slice the butter and add it to a dutch oven or medium-sized pot along with the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and corn syrup.
- Bring to a low boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
- Add the sweetened condensed milk, and mix it in well. Continue to cook, constantly stirring, so it doesn’t burn, until the mixture reaches 240°F.
- Take off the heat, and continue to stir until it begins to thicken, 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla.
- Working quickly, drizzle about ½ tablespoon of the caramel over the piles of pecans. Turn to drizzle the caramel over all the pecan pieces so they stick together. Repeat with the remaining pecans and caramel.
- Let the candy sit for about 30 minutes until the caramel is set. You can also place them in the fridge to speed up the process.
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the chocolate chips and shortening. Microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring in between until smooth.
- Use a 1 teaspoon measuring spoon and dollop the melted chocolate into the center of each turtle, smooth it out slightly. You will use about ½ - ¾ teaspoon of chocolate for each one.
- Let the turtles sit out at room temperature for 2-3 hours, or you can pop the trays into the fridge for 1 hour to set. Enjoy immediately, or store between layers of parchment paper in an airtight container.
Notes
- We like to use a mixture of chopped and pecan halves for this.
- You do not have to toast the pecans, but I tell you how above.
- Other chocolates can be use, semi-sweet, milk and dark all work well.
- Vegetable oil or coconut oil can be used in place of the shortening.
- These can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
- Easily double this recipe to have more on hand or save for later.
- You can use regular caramels instead of making your own, see above on how to do that.
Nutrition
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