Here’s a classic recipe for Turtle Clusters (aka chocolate‑pecan caramel turtles). You get crunchy pecans + gooey caramel + chocolate — so good. 😊
Turtle Clusters Recipe
Ingredients
- ~2½ cups pecan halves (Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (Taste Of Recipe)
- 1 cup packed brown sugar (Jamie Cooks It Up)
- ½ cup light corn syrup (Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons)
- ~7–8 oz sweetened condensed milk (Taste Of Recipe)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (Jamie Cooks It Up)
- 12 oz (or so) chocolate chips (milk, semi‑sweet or dark, depending on your taste) (Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons)
- ½ teaspoon shortening (or butter / coconut oil) — helps the chocolate melt smoothly and set shiny (The Dream Cafe)
- (Optional) Sea salt for sprinkling on top (The Cagle Diaries)
Instructions
- Toast the pecans
- Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the pecan halves and stir for a few minutes until fragrant. (Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons)
- Let them cool for a bit.
- Make the caramel
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. (Taste Of Recipe)
- Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup, and condensed milk. Keep stirring to prevent burning. (Jamie Cooks It Up)
- If you have a candy thermometer, heat until 235‑240°F (soft‑ball stage) for the right consistency. (Taste Of Recipe)
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. (Jamie Cooks It Up)
- Assemble the clusters
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (Taste Of Recipe)
- Make small clusters of pecans on the sheet — 3‑4 pecans per cluster works well. (Jamie Cooks It Up)
- Spoon a little of the warm caramel over each pecan cluster so that the nuts stick together. (Jamie Cooks It Up)
- Let the caramel set for a few minutes (or until it’s a bit firm). (Boom Haven Farms)
- Chocolate coating
- Melt the chocolate chips + shortening (or butter) in a microwave (in bursts) or double boiler. (Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons)
- Once smooth, spoon or drizzle the melted chocolate over each caramel‑pecan cluster. (Jamie Cooks It Up)
- Optional finishing touch
- If you like a sweet-salty flavor, sprinkle a little sea salt on top of the chocolate while it’s still a bit soft. (The Cagle Diaries)
- Set and store
- Let the clusters cool and set. You can leave them at room temperature or put them in the fridge to firm up faster. (The Cagle Diaries)
- Once set, store in an airtight container. Use parchment/paper between layers to avoid sticking. (The Dream Cafe)
Tips / Variations
- Vegan version: Use a vegan caramel (e.g. coconut‑cream‑based) + vegan chocolate. (Crowded Kitchen)
- Salted turtles: Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top for a gourmet twist. (Taste Of Recipe)
- Different nuts: If not pecans, try walnuts, almonds, or even cashews. (foodapparel.com)
If you like, I can send a video recipe (with step-by-step visuals) — do you want me to find one?
