Back in the day, Fannie Mae was my jam, and I ate as many of their turtle candies as I could get my hand on. I figured it would be such a bomb cookie flavor so one day, I started developing this turtle cookie recipe. I love how they turned out. I make a soft cookie dough then add chewy caramel to the center along with pecans and chocolate sauce. I think they are just the perfect combo of all sweet and salty flavors in one treat.
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How to Make Turtle Cookies
Making the Cookie Dough
- Combine the butter and both sugars in a bowl and beat until the mixture is nice and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, and mix again until they are well incorporated into the mixture.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder in a separate bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and mix until everything is mixed into the cookie dough. Refrigerate the dough for 30-45 minutes so it will be easier to work with when shaping the cookies.
Shaping the Turtle Cookies
- Shape the dough into medium-sized balls and place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
- Place one piece of unwrapped caramel candy in the center of each cookie ball and press down to flatten. Add 4-5 pecans on the bottoms of the cookie balls to give the cookies a turtle shape.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until they are nice and browned and the caramel has melted through. Drizzle with chocolate sauce and serve!
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Turtle Cookie Recipe
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I’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter 1 stick at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 package wrapped CHEWY caramel candies make sure they are the soft ones and not hard candy
- 1 package pecans
- ganache or chocolate sauce warmed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In the bowl of your mixer, add the butter and both sugars to the bowl and mix until nice and fluffy.
- Next add in the egg and vanilla extract and continue to mix until well incorporated.
- While mixture is creaming, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder in a separate bowl.
- Lastly, add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and mix until well incorporated. Place the dough in the fridge for about 30-45 minutes to chill up a bit.
- Remove dough from refrigerator. Next roll a medium large scoop of dough into a ball and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
- Place 1 unwrapped caramel candy in the center of each cookie ball and press down to flatten. Press 3-4 pecans on the bottoms of the cookie balls to resemble a turtle shape.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until they are nice and browned and the caramel has melted through.
- Next drizzle chocolate sauce over cookies and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Use a medium-sized cookie scoop to make even-sized turtle cookies. They will bake evenly this way too.
- Make sure the ingredients are at room temperature for easier and more thorough mixing.
- Let the cookies cool slightly on the tray before moving them to a rack to cool. This allows them to set a bit so they don’t break or lose their feet.
Recipe Help
Since it can be visually a bit difficult to determine when your cookies are ready, you can go by texture instead. Look to see if the edges are dry and set. You can even lightly press on the edges to check them. It’s ok if the middles are slightly soft especially since the caramel is in the center.
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Oh my god, those cookies are totally inviting , am totally drooling at these soft, chewy cookies with the burst of caramel flavor! Brilliant share!
Those look absolutely amazing. I need them in my life! Guess I’ll be on my way to the grocery store today!
I haven’t had turtles in so long but these cookies are calling my name — the photos look incredible!!!
These cookies look so delicious. Great recipe. Thanks for sharing.