The Best Turtle Brownies

The best turtle brownies are pecan-laced classic double chocolate brownies topped with a layer of my homemade luscious Coffee Caramel, more chocolate and more pecans. They are decadent and over the top and you can make them in about 30 minutes.

Taste	Texture
Rich chocolate, toasted pecan, caramel	Gooey, crunchy, luscious

Active time	Total time	Yield	Difficulty
15 minutes	35 minutes	16 small brownies or 9 large	Medium

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If you ever ask me if nuts should be in brownies, I have always firmly been in the yes camp. When those nuts are pecans AND you add caramel to them, that’s pretty much my dream brownie.

What Are Turtle Brownies?

Turtle Brownies have the same flavors in the classic turtle candy which combines pecans, a dollop of caramel and a coating of chocolate. The name came from Chicago candy maker George DeMet who thought that these creations looked a little bit like turtles and trademarked the name in 1916.

The brownie version combines a layer of pecan studded brownies with a topping of caramel and more chocolate and pecans up top.

Why Turtle Brownies Will Make Your Heart Sing

1. Easier to Make Than the Candy: The candy version of turtles is a little tricky to pull off since you need to temper the chocolate as you would in all chocolate making. For home bakers, the brownies are both easier to make and in my opinion tastier.
2. You’ll Feel So Cool: I never know if people believe me when I tell them that homemade caramel is actually easy to make, but it’s true. Making caramel is one of the most satisfying things to make. It’s amazing to watch the sugar transform, and watching it morph into a luxuriously smooth sauce is pretty much magic! Once you’ve built that skill, you will find excuses to add caramel to your baking from now until forever.
3. So Very Pretty: I love how the caramel swirls over the top of these bars. These are the kind of treat that invites you to reach for them.
4. Delicious Flavor: While you can skip the instant espresso in the caramel, I love the added slight bitterness it brings. It cuts through the sweetness of the caramel and boosts the chocolate flavor in a subtle way. You’ll never taste these and think, ooh, I can taste the coffee, but take it out, and you’ll be missing how it rounds out everything.

How to Make Turtle Brownies

1. Prep the Pan: Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Spritz an 8×8

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   or a 7×11 pan with cooking spray.  Line the bottom of the pan with one piece of parchment

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   that covers the bottom and sides of the pan.  Place a second piece of parchment

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   over the first that covers the other two sides.
2. Toast the Pecans: Scatter the pecans on a small sheet pan. Bake them in the oven for 5-6 minutes. This should be just long enough to get a little a little color on the pecans and bring out their fragrance. Roughly chop or use your hands to snap 1/4 cup of the pecans into rough pieces for a topping.
3. Make the Batter: Place the butter and cocoa in a small pan on the stove over medium heat.  Heat just until the butter melts.  Pour the chocolate chips into the butter as it is cooling.  Stir everything together just until the chocolate melts. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt into a small bowl. Mix the sugars with the egg until the sugars completely dissolve; you can do this in a stand mixer, with a hand mixer, or by hand with a whisk. Mix the eggs into the butter and chocolate mixture until smooth along with the vanilla. Pour in the dry ingredients and fold together just until the flour disappears.
4. Bake the Brownies: Scoop the batter into the prepared pan smooth the top. Top the brownies with 1/2 cup of the toasted pecans. Bake the brownies for 18-20 minutes until they no longer jiggle and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Make the Caramel: While the brownies are baking, make a batch of Coffee Caramel Sauce. By the time the brownies are done, the caramel should be the perfect pourable consistency for topping the bars.
6. Finish the Bars: Pour the caramel over the finished brownies. Top the brownies with the chopped pecans and the mini chocolate chips. Refrigerate the brownies for about 1 hour so the caramel can set. Once the caramel is firm, cut the brownies with a serrated knife.

Turtle Brownies FAQ

3 Easy Ways to Level Up Turtle Brownies

1. Salted Caramel Turtle Brownies: Sprinkle the caramel layer with a little flaky sea salt. The salt will add an extra crunch and balance out the sweetness.
2. Pretzel Turtle Brownies: Add a few broken pretzel pieces on top of the caramel layer. The salt on the pretzels will balance out the sweetness but also add some extra crunch.
3. Use Chai Spice Maple Candied Pecans: I use my spiced pecans every single chance I get. The complexity of flavors in these nuts is life-changing. Turtle brownies made with these pecans would be 100% over the top, and I’m here for it. If you do use these nuts, there is no need to toast the pecans.

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