Vegan Chocolate Pecan Turtles
Pecans, caramel and chocolate are flavors that are practically irresistible, and these turtles are no exception.
These turtles are seriously delicious, boasting a pecan base, semi-homemade caramel, plenty of chocolate and just the right amount of flaky sea salt. It really is a heavenly combo that is yum in every bite.
What Makes These Turtles Special?
Firstly, these turtles are vegan, which sets them apart from other recipes. When recipe testing, it was important that these turtles taste just as delicious as the traditional candy. A perfect turtle should have a nicely toasted pecan bottom, a chewy caramel that stays semi-soft and chewy, a quality chocolate that snaps when you bite into it, and a bit of flaky sea salt to round out the flavor. These turtles are just that…and they happen to be vegan.
Key Players
For the nuts, I tend to use Diamond Nuts. Make sure you get pecan halves and not pieces.
For the semi-homemade caramel, I used Cocomels, which is a brand that makes vegan caramels; they were incredibly delicious and flavorful. There is a hit of coconut flavor in the caramel, as they are made with coconut milk—some varieties are made with coconut sugar—but it wasn’t overpowering, and added a complementing flavor to the chocolate and pecans.
For the chocolate, and this is where it gets particularly important, I used the brand TCHO; can find their website here. TCHO chocolate is completely plant based, and seriously, it’s one of the best chocolates I’ve had the pleasure of tasting. I had the honor of creating this recipe in partnership, and while a blog post wasn’t a requirement in working together, I knew the recipe had to live on my site. It’s a testament to how much I love their chocolate and these turtles.
Tips to Make Vegan Chocolate Pecan Turtles
1.) Read through the ingredient list and instructions in entirety before starting. In doing so, you can be assured you have everything needed for recipe success.
2.) Before getting started, toast the pecans. This adds depth of flavor to the overall candy. The pecans can be toasted any way desired. I usually toast mine under the broiler. WATCH CLOSELY, as they can burn! A couple minutes should get them aromatic and lightly toasted.
3.) Once the caramel is melted with the oat milk, allow it to sit at room temperature for a few minutes to firm up. If the caramel is too thin, it will run over the pecans and not firm up nicely.
4.)Once the caramel is placed on the pecans, allow it to cool completely before adding the chocolate.
5.) If you want to get fancy, I recommend tempering the chocolate. I will talk more about tempering chocolate in the next section.
Tempering Chocolate
Every chocolate bar, candy, piece of chocolate you purchase from the store or bakery has been tempered.
To learn more about tempering chocolate, I will post a video here. Because I work with a lot of chocolate, I invested in a tempering machine. I will link their website here. The unit I purchased is discontinued, but you may find it fascinating to look at the various options and how shockingly expensive they are! My unit wasn’t cheap, but it was intended for home use, and therefore the price was more reasonable. I will say, I’ve never regretted purchasing my machine. It makes using chocolate SO easy. With that said, I have tempered chocolate the old-fashioned way many times, and for candy making, it is the best way to go.
If tempering feels too intimidating, there are a couple other options. The chocolate can be melted in the microwave, and then the turtles can be put into the fridge to harden up. This is a fine method, but keep in mind, placing chocolate in the oven will make it sweat. This is not ideal, especially if trying to gift the turtles. Another option is to let the chocolate set slowly over time. If not tempering, I would recommend this option. Eventually the chocolate will harden, and while it may not have that signature shine and crack, it will be better for storing the turtles.
Important Note About Storing The Turtles
I have found the caramel becomes stickier over time, which can make the turtles more difficult to eat the day after they are made. They taste just as delicious (I can attest because I ate way too many), but if wanting to gift these turtles, I recommend pressing the turtles in finely chopped pecans, and then pressing two turtle bottoms together making a larger candy. This will allow less of the sticky caramel to be exposed if stacking in a tin. Further, using parchment paper as buffer between turtles is another great tool.
Final Tip
Be conservative with the flaky sea salt. Aesthetically, covering the chocolate in sea salt looks nice, but it will overpower the candy. A couple of carefully placed flecks will really bring the flavors to life. Also, make sure to get the correct salt. Flaky salt is not to be confused for table or kosher salt.
Vegan Chocolate Pecan Turtles
Ingredients
- 72 Pecan Halves, plus ¼ cup more, chopped fine
- 8 oz, vegan caramels
- 1 tablespoon oat milk
- 8 ounces TCHO Bittersweet Baking Chocolate
- Flaky Sea Salt
Instructions
- On two half baking sheets lined with parchment paper, arrange the pecans, three at a time, to look like a peace sign. Toast the pecans under the broiler until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- In a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat, melt the caramel and oat milk together. Set aside for a few minutes to thicken. Place one heaping teaspoon of caramel over the center of each turtle.
- For the chocolate, tempering is ideal, but if not tempering, melt the chocolate in 15 second increments in the microwave, stirring in between, until smooth.
- Once the caramel is completely cool, place one heaping teaspoon of chocolate on top of the caramel. If the chocolate is tempered, it will quickly solidify. If not, it will take longer for the chocolate to firm. Keep in mind, placing chocolate in the fridge will make it sweat.
- Top each turtle with a couple flakes of sea salt.
- Once the turtles are fully hardened, carefully lift the turtles off the parchment paper and press the bottom side into the finely chopped pecans.
- Serve and enjoy. Turtles are best enjoyed the day they are made.
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