Description
Delicious Turtle Cookies feature a soft chocolate base loaded with chopped caramels, pecans, and chocolate chips, finished with a decadent chocolate drizzle. These cookies offer a rich, gooey center and a perfect balance of sweet and nutty flavors, making them an irresistible treat ideal for dessert or a special snack.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks, softened)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups chopped soft caramels (divided)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans (divided)
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (divided)
For the Chocolate Drizzle:
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Mix Butter and Sugars: Beat together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, incorporating air for a tender cookie texture.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition for even distribution. Stir in the vanilla extract until fully combined to enhance flavor.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt to create a uniform dry mix for the cookies.
- Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing only until just combined to avoid overworking the dough which can toughen cookies.
- Fold in Caramels, Pecans, and Chocolate Chips: Gently fold in 1 cup each of chopped soft caramels, chopped pecans, and chocolate chips, reserving the remaining 1/2 cup of each for topping the cookies.
- Shape Cookies: Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to drop rounded balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow spreading during baking.
- Add Center Caramel and Toppings: Press a piece of the reserved soft caramel into the center of each dough ball. Then sprinkle the tops with the reserved chopped pecans and chocolate chips for added texture and flavor.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes or until the edges are set but the centers remain soft. The cookies should spread nicely but hold shape.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for at least 5 minutes to set before handling, ensuring they stay intact.
- Melt Chocolate Drizzle: Melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon vegetable or coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl by heating in 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth and glossy.
- Apply Drizzle: Transfer the melted chocolate to a ziplock bag, snip a small corner, and gently squeeze to drizzle chocolate over the cooled cookies for a decorative and flavorful finish.
- Set Drizzle: Let the chocolate drizzle set at room temperature, or place the cookies in the refrigerator for a few minutes to speed up the hardening process.
Notes
- Ensure butter is softened to room temperature for easy creaming with sugars.
- Do not overmix the dough once dry ingredients are added to keep cookies tender.
- Using parchment paper prevents sticking and makes cleanup easier.
- If soft caramels are too firm, warm slightly before chopping for easier mixing.
- Chocolate drizzle can be substituted with melted white chocolate for variation.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for longer storage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
