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Chocolate Pecan Turtles

Chocolate pecan turtles are one of my favorite chocolate treats. My association with turtles goes way back. My dad loved them and used to get them when we went skiing in Colorado. As a young kid, I almost always opted for the larger sweet treat at the chocolate shop (a caramel apple), but my dad always picked up a few extra turtles which he willingly shared with me the next day.  My husband tells me turtles are simply “ok“, but in fairness, he does not have the same love affair with caramel that I have. He claims it’s a too caramel-focused confection. Considering the layers of chocolate and pecans, I simply disagree.chocolate pecan turtles

Historically, chocolate turtles, like many other foods, were discovered by accident.  The story has it that in 1918, a candy dipper in Chicago commented that the pecan-studded chocolate-covered caramel patties a salesman was hawking looked like actual turtles. The name stuck. Turtles (the brand candy) were later developed by Johnson’s Candy Company, which in 1923 went on to become DeMet’s Candy Company. Turtles have been mass-produced ever since. I can’t speak of the commercially made turtles, only the ones handmade from old-school chocolate shops.

chocolate pecan turtles

With Valentine’s Day approaching I thought chocolate pecan turtles were the perfect sweet treat to blog about. I blogged about another candy, dulce de leche fudge, last year, so this may become a tradition, but I think I am okay with that. These easy-to-make confections are rich and heavenly and don’t take long to make at all. That said, with so few ingredients in a recipe like this the main thing to remember is quality. Good quality chocolate, nuts, vanilla, and homemade caramel are what make these turtles exceptional. You taste what you put into here. So, buy the good stuff and the end result will be well worth it.

chocolate pecan turtles

About the Author

Andrea Potischman

I am a professionally trained NYC chef turned CA mom and food blogger. I post about real food, with doable ingredient lists that are family friendly.

2 thoughts on "Chocolate Pecan Turtles"

  1. Avatar photo jk says:

    Is there a substitute for the coconut oil?

    1. Hi there. Thanks for reading! You can sub the coconut oil for an equal amount unsalted butter and that should work just as well. Enjoy!

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