These Caramel Chocolate Turtle It’s the ultimate homemade candy.They're made with homemade vegan caramel and chopped pecans, perfectly packed in dark chocolate cups.
Easy Chocolate Turtle Cups
These caramel chocolate turtles are one of my favorite homemade candies to make.
They're delicious, easy to make and contain just a few wholesome ingredients, including light paleo and vegan homemade versions caramel, pecans and dark chocolate. That means they’re essentially a healthy snack, right?
This chocolate turtle candy is perfect to have in the fridge or freezer for when you’re craving it. Start by letting the turtle sit at room temperature for a few minutes to get the perfect soft and gooey texture!
They also make a great gift! Make a big batch, portion into cans or boxes, tie with a bow, and give as a sweet surprise to friends or family on any holiday, birthday, or any day.
Why are chocolate turtles called sea turtles?
Classic Chocolate Turtles get their name because they are made from a cluster of chocolate and pecans dipped in chocolate—a shape that many believe resembles a turtle. However, since the advent of traditional turtle candy, “turtle” has been more a flavor combination of chocolate and caramel than a shape.
Therefore, you will see many other desserts called “turtles” but they are not shaped like turtles.
Required raw materials
- Vegan Caramel – We’re making a batch of homemade Paleo and Vegan Caramels for this recipe. Ready in less than 20 minutes and so delicious! For homemade caramel, you can use maple syrup, honey, or coconut sugar to sweeten it. Each one adds its own flavor, but all are delicious. We tested all three and ultimately preferred the coconut sugar and maple syrup blend.
- chocolate chips – I recommend dark chocolate chips – 72% or higher.
- coconut oil – Melt a little coconut oil with the chocolate to create a smoother texture.
- walnut – We mixed chopped pecans into the caramel and kept some whole pecans for garnish!
How to Make Chocolate Turtles
This turtle candy recipe is so easy to make.Just be faster Homemade caramela few minutes of assembly and they are ready to enjoy.
- Prepare the caramel: For full paleo caramel instructions, check out the post here. When the caramel is ready, let it cool completely and then combine with the chopped pecans.
- Prepare chocolate cups: Bring water to a boil in the bottom of a double boiler and place another saucepan (or heatproof bowl) on top. Add the chocolate and coconut oil to the bowl and stir frequently to allow the mixture to melt. Place 2 teaspoons of the chocolate mixture into each cup of the lined muffin tin, using a spoon to gently push the chocolate 1/3 of the way up the sides, then place the tins in the refrigerator so the chocolate can harden.
- gather: Once the chocolate has hardened sufficiently, remove the cups from the refrigerator and add one (1) tablespoon of the caramel/pecan mixture to each cup. Smooth it out and top with a few teaspoons of melted chocolate. Let it sit for a few minutes, top with a whole pecan for garnish, then scoop out or store in the refrigerator or freezer.
Tips and Notes
- Cool the caramel completely. Make sure the homemade caramel is completely cool before adding it to the chocolate cups. Otherwise, it will just remelt the hardened chocolate.
- Line muffin tins. Before assembling the chocolate cups, line a muffin tin with parchment paper or silicone muffin liners. This is essential so you can easily remove the Turtle Chocolate Candy without damaging it!
- Carefully melt the chocolate. I recommend using a double boiler to help prevent the chocolate from burning. If not, you can place a heatproof bowl on top of the saucepan of boiling water, but make sure the bowl does not come into contact with the water.
- Alternative melting methods: Try using a microwave instead! To successfully melt chocolate in the microwave, make sure to heat quickly in 20 seconds (or less), stirring each time.
Variety
- Skip the pecans. I love the crunch and nutty flavor that pecans add to these, but you can also make them nut-free. No one can complain about chocolate caramel cups.
- Let them become salty. Sprinkle some sea salt directly into the caramel to give it a salty flavor, or add it to the chocolate turtle as a garnish.
How to store
These Chocolate Turtle Candies can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I like to store them in the freezer for long periods of time and then grab some when I'm craving something healthy.
Service tips!
This Turtle Chocolate Candy is best served at room temperature so the chocolate isn't too hard. Before you plan to enjoy it, I recommend taking it out of the refrigerator and letting it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes, or out of the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
More easy meals you'll love
- 1/2 cup Vegan Caramel Prepare and cool
- 1-1/2 cup About 10 ounces dark chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1/3 cup walnut Bake and chop
- 12 whole pecans for decoration
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Line 12-cup muffin tins with parchment paper or silicone muffin liners and set aside.
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Melt chocolate using the double-boil method: Bring a small pot of water to a boil and place a heatproof bowl on top. Make sure the boiling water does not touch the bowl.Add chocolate and coconut oil Pour into a bowl and slowly melt and stir in the chocolate, finally stirring together. Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate in the microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring until completely melted.
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In a small bowl mix together the cooled caramel and pecans.
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Spoon 2 teaspoons chocolate into each mold and gently push the chocolate 1/3 of the way up the sides of the parchment paper. Place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to harden.
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Remove from the refrigerator and place about 1 tablespoon of the caramel mixture into the center of the chocolate and smooth it out.
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Top the caramel with 2 teaspoons of the melted chocolate, let sit for a few minutes, then top with the whole pecans.
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Stores in the refrigerator for 1 week and in the refrigerator for 3 months.
