The Ultimate Clean Chocolate Turtle Recipe (with Date Caramel & Pecans!)

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Homemade Turtles – A Must-Try Clean Treat

This Chocolate Turtle Recipe is an absolute must-try sweet treat! It’s a no-bake dessert recipe that uses better-for-you ingredients, and the best part is that you can store these homemade turtles in your freezer for up to 3 months in an air tight container! This turtle recipe is a clean-ingredient, non-processed twist on the classic turtles candy, and uses date caramel instead of traditional caramel. It only take a few simple ingredients to make this delicious sweet treat!

Why You’ll Love This Pecan Turtle Recipe

• Naturally sweetened with homemade date caramel
• No refined sugar or corn syrup
• Simple, wholesome ingredients
• Easy to make and freezer-friendly

Regular turtle candies with caramel, pecans, and chocolate were one of my absolute favorite sweet treats to indulge in growing up. My mom would buy a box of turtle candy every Christmas for the entire family to enjoy during the holiday season and they were always one of the sweets that I looked forward to most! While I still love chocolate pecan turtles, I wanted to develop a recipe using better-for-you ingredients, which is how I came up with the idea to use dark chocolate and date caramel.

Chocolate Pecan Turtle Clusters Recipe – FAQ’s

Can I use a different nut instead of pecans?
Absolutely! While pecans give this Chocolate Pecan Turtle Clusters Recipe its signature flavor, walnuts, almonds, or even cashews would work well. Just make sure they’re whole for the best texture.

What kind of chocolate is best for this recipe?
You can use dark, milk, or even white chocolate depending on your preference. I love using at least 70% dark chocolate for a rich, balanced flavor against the sweet date caramel.

Do I have to use coconut oil when melting chocolate?
Nope! Coconut oil helps make the chocolate extra smooth and gives it a nice sheen, but you can skip it or swap in a neutral oil like avocado oil if needed.

How long do these need to freeze before coating in chocolate?
At least one hour is best! You want the caramel pecan clusters to be firm enough to handle without sticking to your fingers.

Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes! These turtles store beautifully in the freezer for up to 3 months, making them a perfect make-ahead treat. Just grab one and let it sit for a minute before taking a bite.

How do I prevent the chocolate from getting too thick?
If your melted chocolate feels too thick, stir in an extra teaspoon of coconut oil to help thin it out. This makes for an easier, smoother coating.

Can I melt the chocolate without a microwave?
Yes! Use the double-boiler method (explained in the recipe) to gently melt your chocolate on the stovetop without burning it.

What’s the best way to store leftovers?
Keep your turtles in an airtight container in the freezer. If you prefer a softer texture, let them sit at room temp for a few minutes before eating.

Ingredients You’ll Need for This Chocolate Pecan Turtle Clusters Recipe:

• Pecans – The crunchy, nutty base of classic pecan turtles
• Date Caramel – A naturally sweet, rich alternative to traditional caramel
• Creamy Peanut Butter – Helps create the perfect gooey caramel consistency
• Dark Chocolate – I recommend dark chocolate, but milk chocolate or white chocolate would work too!
• Coconut Oil – Helps smooth out the chocolate for easy coating
• Flaky Sea Salt (optional) – A sprinkle of salt enhances the flavors

How to Make These Dreamy Chocolate Turtles With Date Caramel and Pecans (Step-by-Step Guide):

Make Your “Caramel”: Start by combining your date caramel and creamy peanut butter in a small bowl with a spatula until fully incorporated. The mixture will resemble a thick, creamy caramel sauce.

Create Your Caramel Pecan Base: Add your caramel mixture to a piping bag or plastic bag and pipe out rounds onto a parchment lined baking sheet (however big you want your candies – I do circles that are about 1 1/2 inch wide). Press your whole pecans into the caramel. I usually press three pecans into each round, but you can do more or less depending on your candy size and pecan to caramel ratio preference.

Freeze Your Caramel Pecan Base: Place your caramel pecan clusters into the freezer for at least an hour to harden.

Melt Your Chocolate: About 10 minutes before you remove your caramel pecan clusters from the freezer, add your chocolate and coconut oil to a bowl. Melt your chocolate in the microwave in increments of 30 seconds, remove, stir, and repeat until fully melted.

**Melt Chocolate Using The Double Boiler Method: Alternatively, you can melt your chocolate using the double-boiler method by adding about an inch of water to a small pot and placing it over medium-low heat. Place your bowl of chocolate and coconut oil over the pot and allow the steam from the water to slowly heat the bottom of the bowl, stirring periodically until fully melted.

Coat Your Turtles In Chocolate: Once the caramel pecan clusters have hardened and your chocolate is melted, remove them from the freezer. Carefully spoon your melted chocolate over the top of each turtle, making sure that the surface of each cluster is fully coated. Repeat this step for each cluster.

Add Optional Garnish: I recommend sprinkling the top of each cluster with flakey sea salt before the chocolate fully hardens.

Freeze One Last Time: Place your clusters into the freezer for another 15-30 minutes to allow the chocolate to fully harden over them.

Storing Your Turtles: You can store these homemade turtles in your freezer for 2-3 months.

Enjoy!

Tools:

• Small saucepan
• Parchment Paper
• Small Baking Sheet

Full Dreamy Chocolate Turtle Recipe With Date Caramel and Pecans:

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More Clean, Homemade Candy Recipes to Try:

If you love making homemade sweet treats using clean ingredients, try out some of my other better-for-you treat recipes!

• Homemade Twix Bars – Gluten-free with almond flour, date caramel, and dark chocolate
• Paydate Candy Bars – Copycat Payday Candy Bars with date caramel, natural peanut butter, and peanuts
• Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Dates – peanut butter stuffed dates covered in dark chocolate
• White Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Dates – peanut butter dates coated in white chocolate

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