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Chocolate Turtle Cookies

Chocolate Turtle Cookies
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Chocolate Turtle Cookies are indulgent treats bursting with gooey caramel, crunchy toasted pecans, and melted semisweet chocolate chips. These soft and chewy cookies perfectly capture the classic turtle candy flavors, making them a favorite for chocolate and caramel lovers. Made from simple pantry ingredients, they are easy to prepare and customizable to suit different tastes and dietary needs.

Ingredients

Scale

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup (220g) brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Add-ins

  • 1 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 12 caramel candies or 1 cup soft caramel bits, unwrapped and ready

Instructions

  1. Prepare Your Ingredients: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Toast the pecans lightly in a pan until fragrant, then chop them roughly. Unwrap the caramel candies or have caramel bits ready. Gather all wet and dry ingredients for easy assembly.
  2. Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the room-temperature butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until light, fluffy, and pale in color. This creates a tender, chewy cookie base.
  3. Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in eggs one at a time until fully incorporated, followed by the vanilla extract to enhance and unify the dough’s flavor.
  4. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add this to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined to avoid overworking the dough.
  5. Fold in Pecans, Chocolate, and Caramel: Gently fold in the toasted pecans, semisweet chocolate chips, and caramel pieces. These will create gooey pockets as the caramel melts during baking.
  6. Scoop and Bake: Drop generous spoonfuls of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are golden but centers appear soft and set.
  7. Cool Before Serving: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to allow the caramel to set slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

  • Use room-temperature butter for smoother creaming and fluffier dough.
  • Do not overmix the dough to keep cookies tender and prevent toughness.
  • Lightly toast nuts to enhance flavor and add crunch.
  • Chill dough before baking optionally to control spread and maintain cookie shape.
  • Watch baking time closely; remove cookies when edges are set but centers look soft for perfect chewiness.
  • Optionally sprinkle flaky sea salt on top right after baking to enhance sweet and salty contrast.
  • Substitute ingredients to customize: dark chocolate chips, walnuts or almonds for pecans, gluten-free flour blends, and dairy-free butter/chocolate chips for vegan versions.

Nutrition

Keywords: Chocolate Turtle Cookies, caramel cookies, pecan cookies, chewy cookies, caramel chocolate cookies, turtle candy cookies

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