Homemade pecan turtle candies with a crisp chocolate shell. Best with Madagascar vanilla (rich, creamy, classic); any pure vanilla works. Makes 20 candies.
Pecan Turtle Candies
Dessert
Candy confections
Origin: Madagascar
Vanilla: Extract
Easy
Homemade pecan turtle candies with a crisp chocolate shell. Best with Madagascar vanilla (rich, creamy, classic); any pure vanilla works. Makes 20 candies.
Prep
20 min
Cook
5 min
Set
45 min
Total
1 hr 10 min
Yield
20 candies
Diet
—
Ingredients
Adjust yield
candies
Ingredient amounts change with yield. Follow the recipe instructions for times, temperatures, and equipment.
- 1 ½ cups (165.0 g)pecans, toasted
- 20.0soft caramels, about 6 oz, unwrapped (store-bought or homemade)
- 1.0 tbsp (15.0 ml)heavy cream
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml)VanillaGoods pure vanilla extract
- 4.0 oz (113.0 g)dark chocolate, chopped
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Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment and arrange the nuts in 20 small clusters of 3 or 4.
- Melt the caramels with the cream in 30-second microwave bursts, stirring, until smooth. Stir in the vanilla.
- Spoon about 1 teaspoon caramel over each cluster and let set for 15 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate gently, spoon it over the caramel, and let set until firm, about 30 minutes.
Tips
- Vanilla swap: use vanilla bean paste 1:1 in place of the extract for visible specks, or the seeds of 1 vanilla bean for each tablespoon of extract.
- Best vanilla for this: Madagascar (rich, creamy, classic), or Mexican (spiced, warm, woodsy). Any pure vanilla works.
- Storage: Store airtight at cool room temperature for up to 1 week.
Recipe FAQ
How long does it take to make pecan turtle candies?
Plan on 20 minutes of prep and 5 minutes of cooking, plus 45 minutes to set. It makes 20 candies.
How should I store pecan turtle candies?
Store airtight at cool room temperature for up to 1 week.
Can I use a different form of vanilla?
use vanilla bean paste 1:1 in place of the extract for visible specks, or the seeds of 1 vanilla bean for each tablespoon of extract.
Estimated · per serving
Nutrition
Per serving = 1 of 20 servings this recipe makes.
123
Calories / serving
8.6g
Fat
11.2g
Carbs
1.4g
Protein
8.6g
Sugar
Whole recipe (20 servings): ~2460 cal · 172g fat · 224g carbs · 28g protein · 172g sugar
Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.
Per serving · 123 calories
What it takes to burn one serving
- Brisk walking 23 min·1.3 mi·~2700 steps
- Walking uphill or incline treadmill 17 min·0.9 mi·~1700 steps
- Moderate cycling 12 min·2.4 mi
- Swimming laps 17 min
- Jogging 12 min·1.0 mi·~1900 steps
- Stair climbing 11 min·~1000 steps
- Dancing 20 min
- Bodyweight circuit training 12 min
- Cleaning, errands, or playing with the dog 29 min
Rough estimates for one serving, based on standard MET values at about 155 lb. Your own burn depends on body size, effort, and fitness. Shown for context only — food is not something you have to earn.
Made with VanillaGoods
Recipe Rating
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