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Here we are, in full swing of our Holiday treat making and I’ve got a good one for you! Homemade vegan chocolate turtles!
Yes!!! We are making chocolate shop quality candy over here. It’s way delicious, and surprisingly easy….and a little messy. But hey, isn’t that what makes Holiday treat making so much fun?!
You remember on Wednesday I shared a recipe for my easy vegan caramel?!
Did you make it yet?! If you did than you get a golden star for being prepared. If you haven’t made the caramel yet, no worries it only takes 8 minutes to make!!!!
Yes, more exclamation points, because we’re excited over here!!!
Crunchy pecans topped with salted caramel that’s topped with dark chocolate and flaky sea salt, it’s a flavor explosion in your mouth!!!
No one will be able to resist a chocolate turtle!
Here’s how we make these chocolate turtles:
- toast the pecans – optional step, but it really adds an extra crunch to the candy
- make the caramel (or reheat it in the microwave if already made – go you!)
- arrange the pecans in a circle on a parchment lined baking sheet
- spoon the caramel over the pecans – chill to set the caramel
- melt chocolate
- spoon chocolate over the caramel and top with a sprinkle of flaked sea salt
- chill for several hours
- EAT!!!! or maybe share with loved ones!
That’s it friends. Make some caramel and then a little assembly is all that’s required.
See, we can make chocolate store quality candy!!! And, you know what? It’s even better because it’s made with love.
Or Christmas spirit….or something like that!
These chocolate turtles would be a fun treat to make with kids, have them help with the assembly part.
They would also make a great edible gift or a good addition to a cookie exchange…even though, yes I know they’re not technically cookies. Rules are meant to be broken.
Chocolate turtles could be a fun little treat at a party, the only thing to watch out for is that the caramel will soften the longer it sits at room temperature, so keep an eye on them.
I hope you love these little chocolate turtle candies as much as we do. They are super sweet, crunchy, with a good balance of bitterness from the dark chocolate.
The perfect indulgent homemade candy to enjoy during the holidays
Now, go, make a sticky mess of caramel in your kitchen….and have fun with it!
Homemade Vegan Chocolate Turtles
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 8 mins
- Total Time: 28 mins
- Yield: 12 chocolate turtles 1x
- Category: dessert, chocolate
- Cuisine: vegan, dairy free, gluten free, vegetarian
Description
Vegan chocolate turtles are a fun and easy dessert to make. A layer of crunchy pecans topped with homemade caramel, dark chocolate and flaked sea salt. The perfect treat for the Holidays.
Ingredients
- 1 batch of vegan caramel (cooked for 8 minutes)
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 5 to 6 ounces dark chocolate bar (use vegan/dairy free, if needed)
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- Optional: flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a medium rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat – grease either one really well (don’t skip the greasing because the caramel is really sticky), set pan aside.
- Toast pecans: Spread the pecan halves onto a small rimmed baking sheet and bake them for 5 to 8 minutes, tossing half way through. You will know they’re done when they’re fragrant and slightly browned. Allow the pecans to cool completely. Note: you can skip this step but it does make for a crunchier chocolate turtle.
- Make the caramel: If you haven’t already made the vegan caramel now. Be sure to boil the caramel for 8 minutes for thicker caramel that works best when making the chocolate turtles. Allow it to cool enough to handle, but so that it’s still pour-able. If you’ve already made the caramel than you can heat it up in the microwave just before making the turtles.
- Make the turtles: Working on the lined and greased baking sheet arrange 4 to 5 pecan halves in a circle – you should have room for 12 pecan circles. Drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons over each pecan circle, making sure to cover each pecan with some caramel so that everything sticks together. Repeat until you’ve covered all the pecans with caramel. Place the pan in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate: Place the chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 second increments, stirring in between each one, until the chocolate is completely melted. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly so that it won’t melt the caramel.
- Add the chocolate: Spoon 1 to 2 teaspoons of the melted chocolate over the caramel and pecan clusters making sure to spread it evenly over the caramel, leaving some of the pecans exposed. Sprinkle each one with a little flaked sea salt (if desired).
- Chill: Allow the chocolate turtles to chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour, although they set the best if left in the fridge overnight.
- Store: use a spatula to help remove the chocolate turtles from the parchment paper. Store them in an air tight container with layers of parchment paper between each one to prevent sticking – store in the fridge for up to 1 week. Keep chilled when possible, the caramel becomes sticky as it warms up.
Notes
You will have some caramel leftover. Lucky you!!!!
Chocolate: normally I wold say you can use milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate if you want. BUT for this recipe I highly recommend using really dark chocolate that’s not very high in sugar – the bitterness helps to balance out the super sweet caramel.
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