Turtle Cookies

Make bakery quality turtle cookies with a simple shortcut. Rich chocolate chips, toasted pecans, and gooey caramel drizzle create a delicious treat in no time!

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Course: Sweets, Desserts and Shooters

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 12

Total Time: 27

Servings: cookies

Author: Jennifer Stewart

Ingredients

17.5 ounces chocolate chip cookie mix
⅓ cup cocoa powder
10 tablespoons salted butter softened
1 large egg
5 ½ tablespoons heavy cream divided
2 cups chopped pecans divided
1 cup caramel bits

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk together the chocolate chip cookie mix and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl until combined.
Add in the softened butter, large egg and 4 Tablespoons heavy cream and beat with a hand or stand mixer until a soft dough forms. The dough should be thick and slightly sticky.
Stir in ⅓ cup of the chopped pecans to the dough and place the remaining chopped pecans in a shallow bowl.
Use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop to roll the dough into evenly sized balls and then roll each cookie lightly in chopped pecan and place on the baking sheets, about 1 ½ inches apart.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are set and the top is cracked.
Allow the cookies to cool 5-10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
To make the caramel, place the caramel bits in a microwave safe bowl and pour the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of heavy cream over the top.
Heat for 30 seconds and then stir well.
Continue heating in 10-15 second increments and stirring well until the caramel is smooth and completely melted. This may take up to 1 or 2 minutes of heating but should be done in short increments. If the caramel is too thick, you can add a teaspoon of cream to thin it out.
Drizzle the caramel over the cookies and serve warm or cooled.

Notes

Mix it up - Substitute sugar cookie mix and add 1 cup chocolate chips. Use unsalted butter with a pinch of salt to control levels.
Perfect texture - Toast the pecans for nuttier flavor. Chill dough if cookies spread too much. Bake just until edges set and tops crack (don't over bake!)
Easy baking - Line sheets with parchment paper for cleanup. Test bake 1-2 cookies first to get timing right.
Caramel drizzle - Let cookies cool on sheet 5-10 minutes before moving and cooling completely. Melt caramels in short increments (1-2 minutes total), adding a teaspoon of cream if too thick. Drizzle over a wire rack to prevent pooling around the outside of the cookies.

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