Easy Homemade Turtles Candy Recipe - Belly Full (2024)

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Published: November 24, 2019Updated: November 2, 2020Author: Amy

Homemade Turtles Candy is a fast, easy, irresistible 3-ingredient treat perfect for holidays, birthdays, baby showers, game day, and anytime you want to satisfy your sweet tooth!

Easy Homemade Turtles Candy Recipe - Belly Full (1)

What is Turtle Candy?

Turtles Candy are a classic found at all chocolate stores, but they’re so easy to make at home. All you need are pecan halves, caramel, and chocolate.

They get their cute name based on their shape, which look like little turtles with a candy shell.

Easy Homemade Turtles Candy Recipe - Belly Full (2)

How To Make Turtle Candy

(For the FULL printable recipe, scroll to the bottom.)

  • Toast the pecans. This isn’t required, but I highly recommend it! It really does make a difference in the flavor.
  • Arrange your pecan halves in clusters. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and make 18 small mounds, about 5 pecan halves in each one depending on their size. (Overlap the pecans some to reduce gaps, otherwise the caramel will seep through.)
  • Melt the caramel. Add the caramels and water to a microwave safe bowl (making sure it’s free of any debris or moisture) and microwave in 30 second increments, stirring each time, until fully melted and stirred together fully. (The first few times you try to stir, it feels impossible, but eventually they do soften and you’ll be able to stir them until smooth. The caramel will be runny when it first comes together, but firms up quite a bit as it cools.)
  • Spoon the caramel on top of the pecans. As soon as your caramel is ready, quickly spoon a couple teaspoons of the hot caramel on top of the clusters, making sure each pecan is covered with some caramel. Don’t worry about them being perfect (these are meant to be rustic!), just work quickly before the caramel starts to set up.
  • Add the chocolate layer. Let the caramels sit for a bit to harden and then spoon a couple teaspoons of the melted chocolate on top of each turtle.
  • Allow the Turtle Candy to firm up at room temp (this will take many hours) or place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or freezer for 15.) For the best taste and texture, serve the turtles at room temperature so nobody cracks a tooth!
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Turtle Candy Recipe Variations

There are several ways to make this Turtle Candy recipe, but the most important thing is to keep the combination of pecans, caramel, and chocolate.

  • Have a pretzel be the base.
  • Use white chocolate instead of milk chocolate.
  • Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to the melted chocolate for a mocha flair.
  • Sprinkle a bit of sea salt on top to finish it off.
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How To Store Turtle Chocolate Candy

You can store these turtles in airtight container in the refrigerator or at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. (Keep them away from warm temperatures or the chocolate will start to melt.)

To freeze Turtle Candy: layer them in an airtight container with parchment paper or wax paper (this will prevent them from sticking together.) Freeze for up to 2 months, then defrost at room temperature before serving.

Easy Homemade Turtles Candy Recipe - Belly Full (5)

See, candy making can be super easy! No thermometer or special utensils needed for this Turtle Candy recipe. These make great holiday gifts!

Other Candy recipes to make!

  • Old Fashioned Potato Candy
  • (See’s Copycat) Polar Bear Paws
  • Cream Cheese Mints
  • Candied Pecans

I hope you love this delicious and simple recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full onFacebook,Instagram,Pinterest, andYouTube!

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Homemade Turtles Candies

Homemade Turtle Candies are a fast, easy, irresistible 3-ingredient treat perfect for holidays, birthdays, baby showers, game day, and anytime you want to satisfy your sweet tooth!

Print Recipe Rate Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Chill 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 18

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces pecan halves
  • 12 ounces caramels (unwrapped)
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate morsels
  • sea salt , optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place your pecan halves on a baking sheet; transfer to the oven and bake for about 8-10 minutes until toasted and fragrant. (Alternatively, you can add them to a hot non-stick skillet, stirring constantly until they are fragrant, about 5 minutes.)

  • Line two bakingsheets with parchment paper (that can also fit in the refrigerator or freezer.) Make 18 small mounds, about 5 pecan halves in each one depending on their size. (Overlap the pecans some to reduce gaps, otherwise the caramel will seep through.)

  • Add the caramels and water to a microwave safe bowl (making sure it's free of any debris or moisture) and microwave in 30 second increments, stirring each time, until fully melted and stirred together fully. (The first few times you try to stir, it feels impossible, but eventually they do soften and you'll be able to stir them until smooth. The caramel will be runny when it first comes together, but firms up quite a bit as it cools.)

  • As soon as your caramel is ready, quickly spoon a 2 teaspoons of the hot caramel on top of the clusters, making sure each pecan is covered with some caramel. Don’t worry about them being perfect, just work quickly before the caramel starts to set up.

  • Let the caramels sit for a bit to harden and then add the chocolate later. Just melt the chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl (making sure it's free of any debris or moisture) in the microwave at half power, stirring every 30 seconds. Then spoon 2 teaspoons on top of each turtle.

  • Sprinkle a little bit of sea salt on top, if using.

  • Allow the Turtle Candy to firm up at room temp (this will take many hours) or place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or freezer for 15.)

  • For the best taste and texture, serve the turtles at room temperature.

Notes

To store:

  1. You can store these turtles in airtight container in the refrigerator or at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. (Keep them away from warm temperatures or the chocolate will start to melt.)
  2. To freeze Turtle Candy: layer them in an airtight container with parchment paper or wax paper (this will prevent them from sticking together.) Freeze for up to 2 months, then defrost at room temperature before serving.
  3. It’s best to serve these at room temperature, otherwise someone could crack a tooth trying to bite into them!

Nutrition

Calories: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 48mg | Potassium: 199mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 24IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.

Other Notes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Turtle Candy Recipe, Turtles candy

Did you make this recipe?Snap a picture and mention @bellyfullblog!

Easy Homemade Turtles Candy Recipe - Belly Full (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.

What nut is in a turtle? ›

Three ingredients that can perk up any palate or day, Turtles ® clusters are bursting with crunchy pecans, creamy caramel, and all wrapped up in luscious chocolate. The taste of the original caramel nut cluster is made to delight.

Why is it called a turtle? ›

Before the 14th century in Old English, “turtle” was a word for what we now call a turtledove. The word “turtle” was meant to sound like a turtledove's cooing. Only in the 1600s did the word turtle become a word for the reptiles, when the French tortue was misunderstood as sounding like the English “turtle.”

Who made the original Turtles candy? ›

DeMet's started in 1898 as a candy store business and soda fountain shop by George DeMet of Chicago — subsequently creating Turtles candies in 1966.

Is turtle healthy to eat? ›

The Bottom Line. Chelonitoxism is a rare and potentially life-threatening disease that occurs due to consumption of contaminated sea turtle meat. There is no known antidote for chelonitoxism, but the disease can be prevented by avoiding the consumption of raw or cooked sea turtles.

What is another name for turtle candy? ›

Whether you call them chocolate turtles or bear claws, these decadent treats that combine chocolate, caramel, and pecans have delighted people of all ages for decades.

What is turtle slang for? ›

= I need to go to the toilet. “to turtle” – I need to turtle”= it means that you have to defecate so badly that in the strain to hold it in, a little bit of it pokes out, and then slides back in after a few minutes. Hope that helps you!

Is A turtle a male or female? ›

The most common way to determine gender in a turtle is to look at the length of its tail. 3 Female turtles have short and skinny tails while males sport long, thick tails, with their vent (cloaca) positioned closer to the end of the tail when compared to a female.

What does a turtle symbolize in the Bible? ›

In the Bible, the symbolism of the turtle is often associated with patience, wisdom, and longevity. The turtle is mentioned in several biblical passages, including its inclusion among the clean animals in Leviticus and its reference in Job.

Which turtles was vanilla ice in? ›

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

Why are they called turtle brownies? ›

The shape of them with a hump of caramel in the middle resembles a turtle shell, hence the name. I've turned one of my favorite fudgy cocoa brownie recipes into the ultimate decadent treat by adding pecans, chocolate chips and drizzles of salted caramel to deliver a nostalgic taste of that famous confection!

Are pixies and turtles the same? ›

“Clusters,” “turtles,” and even “pixies” are often used synonymously. At Sunnyland, we call this delicious mix of chocolate, caramel, and pecans a “chocolate cluster" and sometimes a "chocolate caramel cluster." We offer them in 2 varieties: dark chocolate and milk chocolate.

What kind of meat is turtle? ›

The flavor has often been compared to being incredibly meaty, beefy with a unique texture that can be roughly compared to squid or alligator. Others have compared the succulent flavoring of turtle meat to rich crab, salmon, decadent lobster with hints occasionally of bluefish, mackerel, trout, and even sturgeon.

What are Nestle turtles made of? ›

Ingredients. Milk Chocolate (Sugar; Modified Milk Ingredients; Cocoa Butter; Cocoa Mass; Soy Lecithin; Natural Vanilla Flavour; Salt); Caramel (Glucose; Sugar; Modified Milk Ingredients; Water; Modified Palm Oil; Salt; Natural Vanilla Flavour); Pecans. May contain peanuts and other tree nuts.

What is turtle shell made of? ›

The shells of turtles (and tortoise) are made of bone, with a combination of keratin scutes covering a layer of living tissue that lays over the dome. The shells of turtles are fused with their ribcage and spine, creating a solid structure. As the animal grows, so does its shell. (Cross-section of a tortoise skeleton.)

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.

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