Name: Easy Turtle Bars
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 cups flour ((all-purpose or whole wheat pastry)); 10 tablespoons butter; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1½ cups pecan halves (or walnuts); 10 tablespoons butter; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 2 cups chocolate chips ((dark, semi-sweet, or milk))

Jump to Recipe

This easy recipe for turtle bars is perfect for simple desserts, potlucks, and special snacks. With a delicious caramel pecan layer sandwiched between buttery shortbread and rich dark chocolate, this resembles a bakery confection as well as a grocery store favorite candy bar, but with quality ingredients.

This recipe has been in my dessert files for years after adapting a recipe I found in The Oregonian newspaper. It’s an easy staple because it uses only five ingredients that I usually have on hand, is easy to put together, and most importantly is so delicious that everyone who tries one loves it.

Honestly, they kind of have a Kit-Kat candy bar flavor because of the shortbread-like base, caramel layer and chocolate topping. But I think they are way better, of course!

It’s the caramel pecan layer, I think, that elevates this above simple stir-and-pour cookie bar recipes. It’s chewy and tender and caramely – but grounded with the shortbread crust.

But they aren’t over-the-top sweet or gooey – these bars have a nice balance that’s perfect with tea or coffee.

I love to take these to potlucks because one pan makes 48 small bars – and I usually don’t have any leftovers. They also often find their way onto holiday cookie bags and platters for that same reason.

I hope you try these and they become a staple go-to recipe for you, too!

Ingredients Needed

With five total ingredients (the butter and brown sugar are divided), you may be able to make these bars right away with what you have on hand! There are only a few options that you can change with this recipe:

Flour: Whole wheat pastry flour is shown. You can use unbleached all purpose or a mix of all purpose and whole wheat.
Nuts: While pecans are the classic turtle candy nut, these are just as good made with walnut halves.
Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet chips are shown. You can also use darker chocolate or milk chocolate.
Optional: course salt for sprinkling on the bars after spreading the melted chocolate.

Let’s Make Turtle Bars

Step 1: Combine crust ingredients until crumbly.

Step 2: Firmly press crust crumbs into prepared pan.

Step 3: Spread nuts over crust.

Step 4: Make the easy caramel by bringing sugar and butter to a boil and then boiling for 1 minute.

Step 5: Pour caramel over top of nuts on crust and bake about 20 minutes (caramel should be bubbling along edges).

Step 6: Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Wait a minute and then spread melted chips. Optional: sprinkle with a coarse salt. Cool completely before cutting.

Storage

Store at Room Temperature 2-3 days.
Store in the refrigerator up to a week.
Freeze for longer storage in an airtight container for 1-3 months.

I hope you love these delicious turtle bars – if you make them, be sure to leave a recipe rating so I know how you liked it!

Want to save this?

Enter your email below and you’ll get it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get easy new recipes, gardening tips & more every week!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save

Easy Turtle Bars

Easy recipe for turtle bars with a delicious caramel pecan layer sandwiched between buttery shortbread and rich dark chocolate.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Yield: bars

Author: Jami Boys

Equipment

13×9 inch baking pan
small saucepan

Click for Cook Mode

Ingredients

Crust:

2 cups flour (all-purpose or whole wheat pastry)
10 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

Topping:

1½ cups pecan halves or walnuts
10 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups chocolate chips (dark, semi-sweet, or milk)

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13×9-inch pan with parchment, leaving the long sides with enough to grab and help remove from pan when baked.
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl with a pastry cutter) combine all the crust ingredients until evenly mixed. Press firmly into bottom of prepared pan.
Sprinkle pecan halves evenly over crust.
In a small saucepan, combine 10 tablespoons of butter with 1/2 cup brown sugar and cook over medium heat until it begins to boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and drizzle over the pecans on the crust.
Bake about 20 minutes – the caramel along the edges should be bubbling.
Remove pan from oven to a cooling rack and immediately sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Wait about a minute and then use a metal spatula or knife to spread the melted chips evenly.
Cool completely before cutting into 48 bars.