Turtle Cookies are soft sugar cookies with a layer of chewy caramel, crunchy pecans and sweet chocolate on top. Each bite is better than the last, these cookies won’t last long!
Prep Time30 minutesminutes
Cook Time7 minutesminutes
Cool Time10 minutesminutes
Total Time47 minutesminutes
Ingredients
Sugar Cookies
½cup (1 stick)salted butter, room temperature
½cupgranulated sugar
1teaspoonvanilla extract
1egg white
1 ½cupsall-purpose flour
1teaspoonbaking powder
Toppings
36caramel squares, unwrapped
2tablespoonswhole milk
1cupchopped pecans
2cupschocolate chips, milk, semi sweet, or dark
24whole pecans
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside
In a stand mixer, or hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the egg white and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
Add in the flour and baking powder, mixing until well combined. This will create a soft dough.
Lightly flour a counter top or large hard surface. Roll the dough out until 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. (Cookies will not rise while baking. However thick they are cut is how thick the finished cookie will be.)
Use a 2-inch to 2.5-inch round cookie cutter to cut out circles. Transfer to prepared baking sheets, leaving a little room between each cookie for spreading.
Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, on the middle rack, until edges are set and cookies are no longer glossy. (Cookies will not be browned and will set up as they cool.)
Allow cookies to rest on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Once cookies are cool, microwave the caramels and milk in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until smooth and creamy.
Carefully spoon a few teaspoons of caramel onto the top of each cookie, spreading until it almost covers the cookie. Sprinkle chopped pecans on top of the caramel layer.
Microwave the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until smooth and melted.
Spread a small amount of chocolate onto the top of each cookie (over the caramel/pecan layer). Press a whole pecan into the top of the chocolate on top of each cookie.
Let the chocolate layer cool and set up before serving.
Video
Notes
Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Store them with a slice of white bread to keep them soft. Replace the piece of bread every few days or when it feels stale.Freeze: I recommend wrapping each individual cookie with plastic wrap to ensure they do not get freezer burn. Then place the cookies in an airtight container and freeze for up to six months. Be sure to defrost them fully at room temperature before biting into it!Salted Butter: If you use un-salted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon salt to the cookie batter.Caramel Squares: I used Kraft caramel squares, but these are also delicious with soft and chewy caramels. If you want to go homemade, make a batch of my soft rum caramels, but don’t add the rum extract.Prep: While your cookies bake, get your caramel ready by unwrapping the caramels. It’s a great task for kiddos to help with!Chill: Though you shouldn’t have any issues with spreading, you can refrigerate the dough up to 24 hours if you’d like.Rise: These cookies don’t rise much at all, so the thickness you roll out, is how thick they’ll stay.Go Slow: Melting chocolate and caramel may feel tricky. It’s best to melt over a double boiler or use a microwave on 50% power. Microwave in short bursts and stir well in between. This helps distribute the heat and prevents the candies from burning.Nuts: You can change up the pecans to walnuts, almonds, or even peanuts.Salted Caramel: You can even add a flake or two of large flaky sea salt for a salted caramel twist.