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Salted Chocolate Caramel Turtle Cookies Recipe

I don’t like nuts in my desserts.

I enjoy nuts on their own — almonds, peanuts, walnuts and more — but when they’re mixed into my cookies, brownies, ice cream, or even bacon, I usually pass. Yes, I said bacon.

All of that changes for these cookies.

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I never thought I liked nuts in chocolate, so discovering turtles — the candy, not the animal — was a surprise. It’s that sweet-and-salty balance that gets me every time.

I’ve decided nuts belong in desserts only when I expect them. If I bite into a soft, chewy brownie and hit a sudden walnut, I’m thrown off. But when I anticipate the nuts, they work beautifully.

I couldn’t stop thinking about salty pecans in my favorite chocolate cookie. This is a cookie recipe I make week after week, so I tweaked it: more sea salt, salty pecans, and big chunks of caramel.

Perfect doesn’t begin to describe them.

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Salty Chocolate-Caramel Turtle Cookies

Yield:
24 cookies
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5 from 2 votes

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 8 caramels, chopped into fours

Instructions

  • Cream the butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs and vanilla until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, mixing until just combined.
  • Fold in the chopped pecans, caramel pieces, and chocolate chips. Refrigerate the dough for 4–6 hours or longer. Chilling is important: if you don’t chill, the caramel can melt and stick to the baking sheet.
  • When ready, preheat the oven to 350°F, roll the dough into balls, and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 8–10 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely, then drizzle with additional caramel sauce if you like.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Did you make this recipe?

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You really can’t go wrong with sweet and salty together.