Buttery brown sugar shortbread. Rich caramel. Crunchy pecans. Creamy chocolate. These chocolate caramel pecan turtle bars have it all! Plus, these easy-yet-impressive dessert bars come together in just 30 minutes of hands-on time using just 7 simple ingredients!
I have no idea how many times I've devoured these chocolate caramel pecan turtle bars, because my mom has been making them for as long as I can remember. She's made them for countless parties, celebrations, and - occasionally - just because.
Do you have recipes like this? Recipes that you've made so many times that you can't remember exactly where the recipe originally came from? Recipes that you've adopted as your own family classics over the years? For my family, this is one of those recipes.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
It's easy to see why these chocolate caramel pecan turtle bars have withstood the test of time and why they've made an appearance at so many get-togethers over the past several decades. These bars are rich and creamy, soft and crunchy, and the kind of decadent dessert that's impressive enough to serve at a party but laid back enough to bake on a Saturday afternoon just for fun. They'd be an unexpected (but welcome!) addition to the dessert line-up at Thanksgiving, a hit at the Christmas cookie swap, and the first dessert to disappear at the summer picnic. They're season-less, so we make them all year round for gatherings big and small.
These classic dessert bars can be broken down into 4 layers:
- Buttery brown sugar shortbread: super simple and just 3 ingredients
- Crunchy, toasted pecans: for a deliciously nutty crunch
- Smooth, rich salted caramel: the easiest caramel you'll ever make
- Creamy chocolate ganache: the perfect topping ties all the flavors together into one delicious package
- Plus a sprinkling of salt!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Dark Brown Sugar - Dark brown sugar adds sweetness, flavor, and moisture to both the brown sugar shortbread crust and the caramel layer. Light brown sugar will work in a pinch, but I recommend dark brown sugar for the most robust flavor.
Unsalted Butter - Butter is a key ingredient in both the shortbread crust and caramel layer, and I always recommend baking with unsalted butter so that you can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
Heavy Cream - Heavy cream is essential for both the caramel layer and the chocolate ganache topping. Feel free to substitute heavy whipping cream, but avoid whipping cream (which has a lower fat ratio).
Pecans - Toasted pecans add incredible flavor and a nice hint of crunch to these bars. Toasted walnuts can be used instead if you prefer.
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Bar - Be sure to use a chopped chocolate baking bar for the creamy chocolate ganache topping. I do not recommend substituting chocolate chips, because they include stabilizers and won't yield a smooth ganache.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
- Toast the pecans. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake them in a preheated 300°F oven until they darken slightly in color and begin to give off a nutty toasted aroma, about 4 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8 metal baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Make the shortbread crust. Add flour, brown sugar, and butter to the bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture becomes a very crumbly dough.
- Pour the dough into the prepared pan and gently press the dough into the bottom of the pan to create a solid crust. Make sure the crust reaches all the way into the edges and corners of the pan and that there are no holes in the crust.
- Bake the crust until it's a light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool slightly while you prepare the caramel pecan layer.
- Prepare the caramel pecan layer. In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, and heavy cream, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve. Let the mixture boil without stirring for 1 minute, then remove the pan from the heat.
- Sprinkle the toasted pecans over the shortbread crust and pour the caramel over the pecans.
- Bake the bars. Return the pan to the oven and bake the bars until the caramel is bubbling and darkens slightly in color, about 15 minutes. Remove the bars from the oven a let cool completely.
- Once the bars have cooled, prepare the chocolate ganache. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until it's just simmering (not boiling!). Pour the warm cream over the chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Then gently whisk the mixture until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Pour the chocolate ganache over the cooled bars and spread it into an even layer using a spatula. Let the chocolate set before sprinkling with salt (optional), slicing, and serving the bars.
Recipe Tips
These bars are indulgent, so for big parties where lots of treats will be served, I love to cut the bars into small, bite-sized squares so that guests can sample multiple desserts! An 8x8 pan will yield 64 one-inch squares.
The chocolate ganache topping is an upgrade that I recently decided to add to the bars. We've always made them with a simple melted chocolate topping, but I can't leave good enough alone so I've started making them with a creamy ganache instead. If you want to save a few minutes you can certainly go the melted chocolate route (I've included a note in the recipe for how to do this), and the bars will still be spectacular! But if you have a few extra minutes I recommend making the ganache to really take this dessert to the next level.
More Chocolatey Dessert Bar Recipes to Love
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Recipe
Chocolate Caramel Pecan Turtle Bars
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (82 grams) chopped pecans, toasted
Shortbread Crust:
- 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (110 grams) dark brown sugar
- 6 Tablespoons (84 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
Caramel Layer:
- ⅜ cup (82.5 grams) dark brown sugar
- 6 Tablespoons (84 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 ½ Tablespoons (22.5 grams) heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) fine sea salt
Chocolate Ganache Layer*:
- 8 ounces (227 grams) semi-sweet chocolate baking bar, coarsely chopped
- ⅔ cup (159 grams) heavy cream
- fine sea salt for sprinkling on top (optional)
Instructions
Toast the pecans.
- Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake them in a preheated 300°F oven until they darken slightly in color and begin to give off a nutty toasted aroma, about 4 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8 metal baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Make the shortbread crust.
- Add flour, brown sugar, and butter to the bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture becomes a very crumbly dough.
- Pour the dough into the prepared pan and gently press the dough into the bottom of the pan to create a solid crust. Make sure the crust reaches all the way into the edges and corners of the pan and that there are no holes in the crust.
Bake the crust.
- Bake the crust until it's a light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool slightly while you prepare the caramel pecan layer.
Prepare the caramel pecan layer.
- In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, and heavy cream, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve. Let the mixture boil without stirring for 1 minute, then remove the pan from the heat.
- Sprinkle the toasted pecans over the shortbread crust and pour the caramel over the pecans.
Bake the bars.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake the bars until the caramel is bubbling and darkens slightly in color, about 15 minutes. Remove the bars from the oven a let cool completely.*
Prepare the chocolate ganache.
- Once the bars have cooled, prepare the chocolate ganache. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until it's just simmering (not boiling!). Pour the warm cream over the chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Then gently whisk the mixture until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Pour the chocolate ganache over the cooled bars and spread it into an even layer using a spatula. Let the chocolate set before sprinkling with salt (optional), slicing, and serving the bars.
Patricia Randolph
Love these bars So easy to make
Michelle
Would these freeze well? If making before the holidays and wanna take out as needed?
Allison Ferraro
Yes, these bars do freeze well! I recommend freezing them in an airtight container for up to 2-3 months. Defrost them in the fridge or at room temperature before serving.
Dolly
So sorry but these turned out crunchy not gooey like turtle bars should. The baking time is too long. Should maybe be 15 minutes for everything. And skip pre baking the shortbread.
Allison Ferraro
Hi Dolly. I'm sorry that these bars didn't meet your expectation of a gooey texture. I do not agree that turtle bars should be gooey and, as I mention in the post, these bars have a soft shortbread crust with creamy layers of caramel and chocolate ganache (with a hint of crunch from the pecans).
- Allison
Patricia Randolph
Can you use salted butter instead of unsalted?
Allison Ferraro
Hi Patricia! Yes, you can substitute salted butter. Your shortbread crust will be slightly salty, so you may choose not to sprinkle salt over the chocolate layer to balance out the added salt in the shortbread, and simply omit the salt from the caramel layer.
- Allison
Alyce Byrne
Allison, I’m going to make these bars … is the brown sugar packed or loose in the measuring cup? Please let me know!
Allison Ferraro
Great question, Alyce! The brown sugar is packed into the measuring cup. When measuring by volume I always pack the brown sugar into the measuring cup, and you can find my post all about measuring baking ingredients (including brown sugar) at the link below if you're interested.
https://alwayseatdessert.com/how-to-measure-ingredients/#how-to-measure-brown-sugar
- Allison
Mary
What size pan do you use if you double the recipe?
Allison
Hi Mary! You can double the recipe and bake the bars in a 9x13 pan. Just note that the bars will be slightly thicker when baked in a 9x13 pan (since the area of the pan is slightly less than double an 8x8 pan), so the shortbread layer and the bars may need to bake for an extra minute or two. Be sure to use the visual cues noted in the recipe to help you determine when the bars are finished baking. Enjoy!
- Allison
Kathleen Brennan
The caramel layer calls for one and a half T of cream, is that teaspoon or tablespoon. Thanks.
Allison
Hi Kathleen! The "T" is shorthand for Tablespoon. The caramel layer calls for 1.5 Tablespoons of heavy cream, which equals 1 Tablespoon plus 1.5 teaspoons. I've gotten this question several times recently and am in the process of updating all of my recipes to more clearly specify Tablespoons. Happy baking!
- Allison
Carol
This recipe sounds amazing. I have it on my Christmas lineup and think it will be one of the best sweets. I am just wondering about the whipping cream you have in the "Ingredient and Substitution "section.i understand that you wouldn't try to use low fat whipping cream(is there actually such a thing?) But it says feel free to use whipping cream to begin with. I am not sure what sort of heavy cream you could find besides regular 35% whipping cream. I want to use the best that I can find so I wish that you could just explain if there is a better cream that I might find and use.
Allison Ferraro
Hi Carol! I'm excited to hear that... I think you're going to love this recipe! To answer your question, the labeling on different types of cream can be a little confusing so I was hoping to clarify. Products labeled "heavy cream" or "heavy whipping cream" have a fat content of at least 36%, so that's what we want to use here. Products labeled "whipping cream" (or sometimes even "light whipping cream") have a fat content of just 30%, which isn't high enough for this recipe. Apologies for the confusion and I hope that helps to clarify.
- Allison
Jean verlotti
My Ganache was runny. I used chocolate chips. There must be a difference from semi sweet chocolate bar. They were still delicious. This recipe is a keeper.
Allison
Hi Jean! Thank you so much for your comment and review! Yes, this recipe calls for a semi-sweet chocolate baking bar rather than chocolate chips, since chocolate chips won't yield the proper consistency for the ganache. I just updated the recipe to make this more clear. If you're interested, you can also check out my post all about how to make chocolate ganache: https://alwayseatdessert.com/2020/02/12/how-to-make-chocolate-ganache/
Happy Baking!
-Allison
Kelsey
Loved this recipe! It was a new one for me and I found it fun and so yummy!
Allison
I’m so glad you liked this recipe, Kelsey! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
-Allison