These turtle chocolate brownies feature a super fudgy brownie layer topped with caramel, toasted pecans, and chocolate ganache. You can make them with all-purpose, whole wheat, or gluten-free flour for a dessert everyone will love.
I just posted these Turtle Cookies and wanted to wait a bit before sharing these brownies to space out the turtle desserts a bit. But they’ve been such a hit that I thought I’d just give the people what they seem to want and post another turtle recipe.
So here you go!
I used the same brownie base I used in the Mint Brownies I posted last week, as well as pretty much every other brownie recipe I post. They’re super fudgy, easy to make and don’t require any special ingredients.
They’re my go-to recipe for pretty much every event where I need to bring something (I actually quintupled the recipe for a school party on Friday!). And at least a few people always ask for the recipe.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make these brownies.
While you can substitute canola or vegetable oil for the butter or coconut oil, I recommend sticking with the latter, as using a liquid oil can make the brownies too difficult to cut.
As you can see, they’re already super gooey. The photos are how the brownies look when they’re room temp.
Once chilled, they firm up and become perfectly fudgy.
To make the homemade caramel, everything you need is shown in the photo except for the optional cream of tartar.
Can I use any brownie recipe?
Yes! You need an 8″ x 8″ (20 cm x 20 cm) pan of brownies.
The brownies are fully cooked before adding the caramel, so just follow the package or the brownie recipe instructions.
The caramel
If you don’t want to make homemade caramel sauce, you can use 1 cup (287 grams) of store-bought caramel. I don’t recommend using one that’s runny. It should be firm when chilled.
I tested countless caramel recipes before finally landing on one that had the perfect flavor and wasn’t too tricky to make. I’ll admit, caramel-making has never been my strong suit.
I ended up using this caramel sauce recipe from the King Arthur Flour website. I like this recipe because the caramel firms up nicely.
If you’re new to making caramel, I recommend reading through the instructions a few times and having all your ingredients prepped before you start.
I only changed one thing about the recipe. Their recipe tells you to cook the sugar and water, then add the butter and cream, and that’s it. But I take it a step further.
After adding the butter and cream, you return the caramel to the heat and cook it until it reaches 235 °F (113 °C). If you stop at their recommended step, the caramel doesn’t firm up quite as much.
Once you chill the caramel, it firms up. It firmed up so much that I was able to cut neat squares and bring these brownies to a BBQ in July. They sat out for a few hours and held up just fine. I was actually pretty surprised!
Do I have to use cream of tartar in the caramel?
You don’t have to use it, but it’s definitely helpful!
Cream of tartar plays a key role in caramel sauce recipes by preventing sugar from crystallizing during cooking. Here’s how it works.
- Breaks down sugar molecules – cream of tartar is an acid (potassium bitartrate) that helps break down sucrose (table sugar) into glucose and fructose. This process, called inversion, reduces the chance of sugar crystals forming because a mix of sugars is less prone to crystallization than pure sucrose.
- Creates a smooth texture – by reducing crystallization, cream of tartar ensures the caramel sauce remains smooth and silky instead of turning grainy or gritty.
While cream of tartar isn’t absolutely necessary for all caramel recipes, it’s a great addition if you want foolproof results. If you don’t have any on hand, a small amount of lemon juice or white vinegar works as a substitute since they’re also acids. About 1/2 teaspoon should do the trick!
Can I use regular cocoa powder?
I always use Dutch-process cocoa powder in brownies. It yields a richer and more intense chocolaty flavor.
Natural cocoa powder (like Hershey’s) might result in a less dense, more cake-like brownie.
How to make
For detailed instructions, scroll to the recipe box at the bottom of the page. I’m adding the text on the photos as text in the post for people who use text to speech readers.
Mix together the dry ingredients.
Mix together wet ingredients, minus the eggs.
Stir in the eggs, one by one, until well combined.
Fold dry mix into the wet mix just until there are no more streaks of flour.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Spread over the bottom of the prepared pan.
Bake and let fully cool.
Spread caramel over the top and chill.
Sprinkle pecans over the top.
Pour steamy cream over chopped chocolate.
Stir until chocolate is totally melted.
Pipe or drizzle ganache over the top.
Cut into bars. Enjoy! 🙂
Do I have to toast the pecans?
Toasting the pecans isn’t just a nice touch — it’s essential.
Toasting the pecans enhances their natural oils, giving them a deep, roasted flavor that pairs beautifully with the caramel, brownie, and chocolate ganache.
I wouldn’t eat these brownies if there were raw pecans on top. Raw pecans just ruin things for me. I don’t like the texture.
Toasting really makes a world of difference!
Tips
- Use room-temperature eggs – they blend better and give you a smooth batter.
- Don’t overmix – it’ll make the brownies too dense.
- Let them cool completely – my first attempt was a sticky mess because I poured warm caramel over warm brownies. I was hoping I could do that and then just put them in the freezer (I wanted to drop them off to my son’s kindergarten teachers at drop-off as they love sweets 😋). That did not work! The pecans drowned in a pool of caramel. So take the time to do it properly.
Can I double the recipe?
Yup! You’ll need to bake them in a 9″ x 13″ (23 cm x 33 cm) pan for 22-26 minutes. It’s important to remember that the toothpick test doesn’t work with brownies (not with these, at least), and they will not look like cake when they’re ready.
They’re supposed to look gooey.
How to make ahead, store, and freeze
If you’re planning ahead, these turtle brownies are easy to prep in stages.
- Brownie base – after baking, the brownie base can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To freeze, wrap the brownies in plastic wrap and place them in a Ziploc bag. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before assembling.
- Caramel sauce – prepare the caramel up to 3 days ahead. Once it’s cooled, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate. When ready to use, gently reheat the caramel on the stovetop or in the microwave until it’s pourable but not hot. You can also freeze the caramel in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then warm slightly before using.
- Chocolate ganache – make the ganache up to 2 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. When ready to assemble, gently reheat until it reaches a spreadable consistency. Can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Assembled brownies – once fully assembled, let the brownies chill in the fridge until the toppings are firm, then cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days. You can freeze the whole pan or cut them into squares for up to 3 months. If you’re freezing these to serve at a later time, freeze the whole pan and cut when they’re still partially frozen. This makes slicing easier and results in cleaner cuts.
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Gluten-free
The brownie base is the same as this Gluten-free Brownies recipe.
Light buckwheat flour is my favorite option because it’s widely available here in Germany and more affordable than specialty gluten-free blends. You can also use teff flour. Just make sure they’re labeled as gluten-free to ensure it’s safe for those with gluten sensitivities.
But 1-to-1 baking blends also work! I usually use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-free Baking Flour or King Arthur Flour Gluten-free Measure for Measure Flour. Both work perfectly, and I’ve gotten lots of reviews from readers saying that other brands work well, too.
If you don’t like any of those options, all of the below recipes are adaptations of today’s brownie base. They just need different flours!
Simply follow the directions for one of those brownie bases (skipping any additional chocolate chips or frosting), then return here to complete the recipe with the caramel, pecans, and ganache topping.
More Christmas brownies
I hope you’ll enjoy these turtle chocolate brownies! If you try them out, I’d love to hear your thoughts below in the comments. Thanks! 🙂
❀
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 16
Ingredients
- 1 cup (125 grams) flour
- 3/4 cup (86 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (196 grams) butter or refined coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs (50 grams each, out of shell), room temperature
- 3/4 cup (128 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar, optional
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) water
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, room temp
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (97 grams) pecans
- 1/4 cup (57 grams) heavy cream
- 1/2 cup (85 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
For the brownie base:
For the caramel:
For the pecans:
For the chocolate ganache:
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and line an 8” x 8” (23 cm x 23 cm) pan with a piece of parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla extract. Once combined, add the eggs one at a time and stir just until combined.
- Add the dry mixture to the wet and stir just until almost no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix! Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Spread over the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center will come out wet. A toothpick inserted into the sides will come out with some moist crumbs on it, but not totally raw batter. The brownies will continue to bake as they sit in the pan and will firm up as they cool. The top should not appear wet.
- Let cool completely, about 1 hour. You can make and refrigerate these up to 4 days in advance. You can also place them in the fridge to speed things up. If the brownies are cold, then the caramel will firm up more quickly. While the brownies are cooling, make the caramel.
- Place the sugar, salt, cream of tartar, and water in a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan that holds at least 1 1/2 quarts (the syrup will bubble up as it cooks). Stir briefly to combine, then set the pan over medium-high heat. From this point on, swirl the pan instead of stirring to help prevent crystals from forming.
- When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and watch it carefully. No walking away! The syrup will start turning golden at the edges. Gently swirl the pan without lifting it off the heat to even out the color.
- As the syrup darkens to light amber, remove the pan from the heat as soon as you notice darker streaks. Avoid letting the sugar syrup become too dark, as it will continue to cook slightly after being removed from the heat. Darker syrup has a richer flavor, but letting it go past medium amber can result in bitter or smoky notes.
- Immediately after removing the caramel from the heat, stir in the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Gradually add the heavy cream, stirring until fully incorporated. Return the pan to the heat and continue cooking until the mixture reaches 235 °F (113 °C). Remove from the heat again, stir in the vanilla, and mix until smooth.
- Let the caramel cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 30–40 minutes. If you want it to cool faster, transfer it to a wide, shallow, heatproof container. The caramel should still be pourable but not too runny.
- This caramel can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. It will firm up in the fridge, so reheat gently to make it pourable again.
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C).
- Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 3 minutes. Stir and bake for another 3-6 minutes or until fragrant.
- Remove the baking sheet to a cooling rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Chop finely and measure out 3/4 cup (90 grams). Don’t use the dust.
- Pour 1 cup (287 grams) of caramel sauce over the top of the totally cooled or cold brownies.
- Place in the fridge for 1-2 hours or in the freezer for about 20 minutes or until the caramel is firm enough to hold up the pecans.
- Meanwhile, make the ganache. Place the chocolate in a small bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until hot and steamy. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is totally melted. Let sit for about 20 minutes or until firm enough to put in a piping bag.
- Sprinkle the cooled, chopped pecans over the chilled caramel.
- Pipe the ganache over the top of the pecans.
- Refrigerate until the topping has firmed up and cut into bars. Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Make the brownie base:
Caramel:
Toast the pecans:
Assemble:
Notes
- For the flour, you can use 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, whole wheat flour, or for gluten-free, use one of these:
– 1 cup (125 grams) King Arthur Flour Gluten-free Measure for Measure Flour
– 1 cup (138 grams) Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-free Baking Flour
– 1 cup (125 grams) light buckwheat flour
– 1 cup (158 grams) teff flourYou’ll want to make sure whatever brand of buckwheat or teff you buy is labeled as gluten-free.
- If you don’t want to make homemade caramel sauce, you can use 1 cup (287 grams) of store-bought caramel. I don’t recommend using one that’s runny. It should be firm when chilled.
Caramel lightly adapted from King Arthur Flour.
