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Turtle cookies are delicious chocolate cookies, rolled in pecans, filled with melted caramel and drizzled with melted chocolate.
 Many Turtle Thumbprint cookies on a baking sheet, each one has a caramel filling and chocolate drizzled on top.
Turtle cookies
I know I’m a nerd when it comes to anything food related, but I look forward to Christmas Cookie Exchanges as much as I look forward to Christmas morning!
My mom has attended one with her friends for years, and it’s a tradition I want to carry on each year with my friends! My mom would always come home with a huge tub of different cookies. She’d put them in the freezer so that we could take some out each night throughout the holidays and enjoy them for longer.
I usually make mint brownies for my cookie exchanges, but I’ve made these turtle cookies several times and they’re always a huge hit. They’re basically like a brownie bite with a caramel center, coated in pecans! YUM.
They look beautiful and impressive but they’re really easy to make!
How to make Turtle Cookies:
To make easy turtle cookies, start by make the cookie dough and letting it chill in the refrigerator. Chilling the dough is mandatory because it will yield a chewier cookie, and help the cookies hold together better as your roll them.
After chilling the dough, dip the cookie dough balls into whisked egg white, and then roll them in chopped pecans. 
Side by side photos of chocolate cookie dough rolled in crushed pecans, and then pressed down with a green measuring spoon.
 Use the back of a measuring spoon (I used a ½ tablespoon measurer) to press an indentation into each cookie dough ball.
Side by side photos of a chocolate thumbprint cookie empty, and then filled with melted caramel.
Bake the cookies. When they come out of the oven, re-press the indentation with the back of the measuring spoon, and fill it with melted caramel.
Side by side photos of a cookie sheet with turtle thumbprint cookies.
Allow the caramel to set, and then drizzle the cookies with melted chocolate. You could also skip the melted chocoalte and sprinkle them with sea salt.
Turtle Thumbprint Cookies | tastesbetterfromscratch.com

To make this recipe even easier, you could make the cookie dough one day in advance. Wrap it really well and refrigerate it.

Can I freeze turtle cookies?

You have two options for freezing these turtle cookies.  The first option is to make the cookie dough, freeze it, and use it to make the cookies.  The second option for freezing thumbprint cookies is to follow the recipe completely and make all cookies, allow them to cool completely, and then place them in a gallon freezer bag.  When you are ready to eat them, allow them to come to room temperature on your counter top.

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Recipe

Turtle Thumbprint cookies on a baking sheet. | tastesbetterfromscratch.com
4.94 from 111 votes

Turtle Cookies

Turtle thumbprint cookies are delicious chocolate cookies, rolled in pecans, filled with melted caramel and drizzled with melted chocolate.
Print Pin Rate
Author Lauren Allen
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 20 cookies
Calories 140
Prep 1 hr 15 mins
Cook 10 mins
Total 1 hr 25 mins
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Ingredients
  

For the cookies:

For the Caramel:

Instructions
 

  • Combine flour, cocoa and salt. In a separate bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg yolk, milk and vanilla.  Stir in flour mixture, just until combined. Chill dough in the refrigerator for one hour.
  • Whisk egg whites in a bowl until frothy.  Place chopped pecans in another shallow bowl. Remove dough from fridge and roll into small balls (however many cookies you want--I made 20 small ones).
  • Roll each dough ball in the frothy egg whites, and then roll and press in the chopped pecans. Place on a greased baking sheet.  
  • Use the back of a small measuring spoon to make an indentation in the center of each dough ball.
  • Bake at 350 Degrees F for about 10-12 minutes, or just until set. Don't over-bake as cookies will harden as they cool. 
  • As the cookies come out of the oven, gently re-press the indentations with a small spoon.
  • In a microwavable bowl mix the caramel bits and water. Microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until caramel is melted (1-2 minutes). Pour small spoonfuls of caramel into the indented cookies.  *Optional: Drizzle with melted chocolate (or sprinkle with sea salt)!

Notes

Adapted from The Kitchen is My Playground

Nutrition

Calories: 140kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 1gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 79mgPotassium: 58mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 155IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 0.6mg

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Have you tried this recipe?!  

RATE this recipe and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.

 

I originally shared this recipe December 2013. I updated in November 2017 with new photos and clearer instructions.

This post contains affiliate links. I love sharing my favorite products and cooking tools with you guys!

 

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Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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Comments

  1. 3 stars
    Very good cookies, caramel a nightmare to work with, can you give an easier way to work caramel? Seems that the caramel got hard after filling two cookies.

    Reply

  2. 2 stars
    These are good chocolate cookies but I couldn’t taste the carmel. Two other people had them and they too couldn’t taste it. That’s why I giving it a 2 star rating.

    Reply

  3. Well I tried making the turtle cookies and thought I’d be smart by buying the Smuckers caramel sauce. It never did harden and the caramel just dropped all over n was gooey. So I learn melt caramel bits!

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    These look so good. I can’t wait to make them. Happy Holidays to you and your Family. Thank you for Sharing. 🎄❄️🎅🏻🎄Susie

    Reply

  5. I have made these for last 5 Christmases. Every yr. People want their turtles. Has anyone ever tried to freeze the cookie part ? (Without the carmel). I haven’t tried. Hate to waste them if not. Lol
    Also I use werthers soft carmels , then it stays soft. Easy to melt

    Reply

      1. You have two options for freezing these turtle cookies. The first option is to make the cookie dough, freeze it, and use it to make the cookies. The second option for freezing thumbprint cookies is to follow the recipe completely and make all cookies, allow them to cool completely, and then place them in a gallon freezer bag. When you are ready to eat them, allow them to come to room temperature on your counter top.

        Reply

  8. 5 stars
    Made this for Christmas dinner with my u cle and everyone absolutely loved it! Very easy to make and super tasty!

    Reply

  9. 5 stars
    Fun to make and so good! My neighbor said “don’t ever make these again!” “They’re way way too good!”

    Reply

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