Chocolate Turtle Cookies
A recipe for easy chocolate cookies stuffed with caramel and coated in chopped pecans. These Chocolate Turtle Cookies are the ultimate dessert!
Are you in full cookie baking mode yet? I sure hope so, because this is the time of year for cookies galore! Today I’m teaming up with Bob’s Red Mill to bring you a delicious cookie recipe that’s inspired by my home state, Arkansas. We’re celebrating with 50 states, 50 bloggers, 50 cookies, with one mission — to bring our country together for a sweet treat that celebrates our wonderful nation. Sounds pretty delicious, right?
While I was growing up in Arkansas, we always celebrated the holidays with traditional southern food. But one thing that was always on our dessert table was some sort of turtle dessert. So, I decided to transform a classic dessert that everyone around here enjoys into a cookie. And these Chocolate Turtle Cookies were born.
To make these cookies, you’ll start out by making an easy chocolate cookie recipe. I’ve been using this recipe for quite some time now and it is absolutely delicious! The cookies always turn out so soft, chewy, and chocolatey. For the flour in this recipe, I use Bob’s Red Mill Organic Unbleached All Purpose White Flour. I’ve used Bob’s Red Mill flours in many of my recipes here on this blog and it always produces wonderful results. Their flour is the same high protein flour that professional bakers use and it creates perfect, light, and airy baked goods. They also have a Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour that you can use in cakes, brownies, and even cookies.
You’ll whisk the flour together with some cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Then comes the best part, the butter and sugar. I prefer to use a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar in all of my cookie recipes. Brown sugar adds extra flavor, a little more moisture, and makes the cookies slightly chewier. Once you’ve creamed together the butter and sugar for a minute or two, you’ll mix in your egg and vanilla extract. Then, you’ll slowly mix in the dry ingredients and boom, your cookie dough is finished. I told you these were easy, right?
I suggest chilling the dough for about 30 minutes before you stuff the cookies and bake them. Chocolate cookie dough can be a little sticky to work with sometimes. By chilling the dough first, it will be much easier to work with and the cookies will bake up thicker too!
Once the dough is chilled, you’ll stuff a caramel in the center of each ball of cookie dough. Now, let me tell you something. Not all “soft caramels” are created equally. In fact, some soft caramels can be a little hard to chew. So, find a caramel that is actually soft. If you use a soft caramel in the center of these cookies, the caramel will continue to stay soft once the cookies have cooled.
Speaking of caramel candies, I only used half of a caramel candy in these pictures. If your caramel candies aren’t too large, you can use a whole one to add a little extra caramel goodness inside your cookies. I have also tried using a whole caramel in these cookies and they turned out wonderfully!
Then, you’ll roll your cookies in some chopped pecans and bake them for about 10-12 minutes. One important thing here, make sure to chop the pecans on the smaller side so they stick better to the cookies.
Let me tell you, these Chocolate Turtle Cookies are incredibly hard to resist. Just look at all of that gooey caramel in the center!
Chocolate Turtle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/3 cups Bob's Red Mill Organic Unbleached All Purpose White Flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 9-10 soft caramel candies unwrapped and cut in half
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a hand-held mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for 1-2 minutes; mix in the egg and vanilla extract until fully combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Cover the cookie dough tightly and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, measure out two tablespoon sized pieces of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Flatten each piece of cookie dough, place half of a soft caramel candy in the center, then wrap the dough back around the caramel, and roll the dough into a ball. Roll the top and sides of each ball of cookie dough into the chopped pecans.
- Place each piece of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, making sure to leave a little room between each one. Bake in two separate batches at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheets for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Cookies may be stored on the counter in an airtight container for up to five days. Cookies may also be frozen for up to three months, thaw at room temperature before serving.
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