Oven-Made Caramel Turtles Are A Quick And Delicious Dessert

If you're unfamiliar with the treat, a chocolate turtle consists of a cluster of pecans covered in caramel and chocolate — and is sometimes shaped to look like a turtle, hence the name. There are a few different ways to make chocolate turtles, some of which include making caramel from scratch. If you don't have time for that, there's an easy oven-made method that may be just right for you.

For the oven method, you'll need premade caramel squares, along with pecans and chocolate for melting. Here's what you do: Start by taking out a baking sheet and lining the entire thing with the pecans — pile the nuts on top of each other so that there is about one inch of pecans across the sheet. Then, place the caramel squares on top of the nuts with a good amount of space between them (because they'll spread) and bake for two to three minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The caramels only need to be in the oven for a couple of minutes, so be careful not to overbake them.

Once they're out of the oven, let it cool completely. Then, take out the clusters with the caramel over the top — you can use the rest of the leftover nuts for a snack or for another purpose — and use a piping bag to put chocolate on top. Or, if you want more chocolate, you can dip the whole cluster into melted chocolate. 

If you'd rather avoid using your oven, then there's no need to worry — there are other ways to make chocolate turtles with caramel. Tasting Table's recipe for chocolate turtles avoids the oven completely and, instead, uses the stove to make the caramel from scratch, then, after the chocolate has been added, they just need to set at room temperature for a few hours before they're ready to be enjoyed.

If you don't want to use the stovetop or the oven, you can make the caramel in the microwave. Homemade caramel consists of just a few ingredients — heavy cream, brown sugar, vanilla, and butter (as well as salt to taste). You make caramel by melting the butter, then adding in the brown sugar and cream and giving it a nice whisking. Then, microwave again for a couple of minutes and add in the vanilla at the end — and voila, you have homemade caramel. But, of course, you could also microwave pre-made caramel pieces — just like the ones you use for the oven method — for a less hands-on way to get the caramel you need for the chocolate turtles.