Description
Delicious Turtle Cookies featuring a rich blend of cocoa, chopped soft caramels, pecans, and chocolate chips, topped with a smooth chocolate drizzle. These cookies are soft in the center with a slightly crisp edge, perfect for chocolate and caramel lovers.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks, softened)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups chopped soft caramels (divided)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans (divided)
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (divided)
For the Chocolate Drizzle:
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to ensure the cookies don’t stick and bake evenly.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: Beat together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, creating a smooth base for the dough.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then stir in the vanilla extract until fully combined, enhancing the flavor and texture.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl to evenly distribute the leavening and flavoring agents.
- Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined to avoid overmixing which can toughen the cookies.
- Fold in Mix-Ins: Fold in 1 cup each of the chopped caramels, chopped pecans, and chocolate chips, reserving the remaining 1/2 cup of each for topping the cookies later.
- Form Cookie Dough Balls: Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to drop rounded dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Press Caramel Center: Press a piece of the reserved soft caramel into the center of each cookie dough ball to create a gooey, caramel core.
- Add Toppings: Sprinkle the tops of the cookie dough balls with the reserved chopped pecans and chocolate chips for added texture and flavor.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes or until the cookies are set around the edges but still soft in the center, allowing them to spread nicely while baking.
- Cool Slightly: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes, so they firm up and are easier to handle.
- Melt Chocolate Drizzle: Melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a microwave-safe bowl, heating in 20-second intervals and stirring between each until smooth.
- Drizzle Chocolate: Place the melted chocolate into a ziplock bag, snip a small corner off, and gently squeeze to drizzle over the cooled cookies for a decorative and tasty finish.
- Set Chocolate: Allow the chocolate drizzle to set at room temperature, or place the cookies in the fridge for a few minutes to speed up the process.
Notes
- For softer cookies, do not overbake; remove from oven as soon as edges are set.
- Use room temperature butter and eggs for better mixing and texture.
- Substitute pecans with walnuts or almonds if preferred or if there are nut allergies, omit nuts altogether.
- If soft caramels are unavailable, use caramel bits or chopped caramel candies cautiously to avoid hard spots.
- Chocolate drizzle can be customized with white chocolate or dark chocolate for variation.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
