Crockpot Turtle Candy + Video
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Crockpot Turtle Candy is shareable, snackable, and so tasty it’s irresistible! 5 ingredients are all you need for a crunchy, nutty, chocolatey dessert that you can basically make with your eyes closed! Even so, my caramel pecan clusters are sure to be the most satisfying sweet served this Christmas.
Don’t believe me? Click on the video in this post to see just how easy this turtle recipe is to make!
Crockpot Turtle Candy
Pecan turtles are small, sweet, and so easy to make!
These little turtle clusters are basically a bundle of rich chocolate, sticky caramel, and roasted pecans – the three tastiest things in the world!!
These flavors just scream “holiday” for me, so I just love to drop them into little gift bags to give away during Christmas!
Is it obvious yet that I just love crockpot candy??
Okay, you’ve heard of crockpot candy with pecans. Now get ready for… all of that stuff but on apple slices!
Then, there’s this huge air fryer caramel pecan cookie that I basically eat by myself in one sitting.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Raw Pecans – Toast them in a pan or oven first if you’d like to! Just let them cool off before tossing them into the slow cooker.
- Almond Bark – You could also use a chocolate flavored candy coating or Candiquik – but those are your only options! I explain why in the FAQ section below.
- German Chocolate Bar – This is my favorite baking chocolate! It’s dark yet sweet.
- Caramel Bits – Caramel chips work fine, too. Just don’t use regular caramels. They’re way stickier and don’t play well with others!!
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips – Dark chocolate could add a tasty bitter edge if you want to swap them out!
Milk and white chocolate are options, too – super sweet ones at that!
How to Make Crockpot Turtle Candy
You’ll want a slow cooker, baking sheets lined with parchment paper, and a 2 tablespoon scoop for this turtle candy recipe – and, well, any recipe for crockpot candy with caramel and pecans.
Start off by throwing everything into the slow cooker, reserving the chocolate chips and ½ cup of pecans for later.
Once melty and gooey, scoop your turtles onto the prepared baking sheets.
Garnish with the melted chocolate chips and chopped pecans.
Let them all cool to room temperature before serving – you can speed this up by sticking them in the fridge for a bit.
Crockpot Turtle Candy Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Make A Big Batch – Double to feed a crowd! However,
I’d recommend doing so in a couple of batches – caramel has a tendency to get a little gritty if you don’t scoop it out fast enough. - Get Creative With Candy – Most chocolate, nut, and caramel faves will fit right into a batch of crockpot turtle candy.
Other kinds of nuts, dark chocolate, or even M&Ms – just stir them right in! - Make Serving A Breeze – Dollop these delicious caramel pecan clusters into muffin liners as you scoop them out!
Alternatively, cut up an extra sheet of parchment paper into squares and scoop onto the squares for easy separating and serving. - Don’t Burn The Candy! Keep your crockpot on low – don’t get impatient!
Slow and steady gets you silky smooth melted chocolate! (That’s how the saying goes, right?)
Freezing and Storaging Caramel Pecan Clusters
Crockpot turtle candy doesn’t need to be refrigerated, but chilling does help it to last longer and keeps it cool (well, of course!).
So if your kitchen is on the warmer side, play it safe and store in the fridge for up to a month.
You can also freeze ‘em! Just let them thaw a bit in the fridge before serving – they’ll be hard as a rock!
Crockpot Turtle Candy FAQ
A tasty candy, a fun recipe, and a cute name! Basically, it’s all because someone pointed out way back when that pecan clusters look like a turtle shell.
Eventually, the flavor combo (chocolate, caramel, and pecans) became synonymous with the term. Something fun to think about the next time you order a turtle latte!
So here’s the thing about almond bark – it contains an emulsifier that keeps it silky smooth as it melts and firms back up, capturing the other candies into one solid cluster.
Almond bark will need to be replaced with some alternative candy melt instead of a different kind of chocolate. You can replace the German chocolate bar and chocolate chips, though!
Sure! My personal recommendation? Use a double boiler.
Melt the candy coating and chocolate first, stirring regularly until it’s totally melted. Then, mix in the pecans, add the caramel, and remove from the heat.
Then scoop them out as normal! Use a big bowl or make these in multiple batches.
Turtle Chocolates (Crockpot Candy) + Video
Ingredients
- 16 ounces whole raw pecans, reserve 1/2 cup for garnish
- 24 ounces chocolate flavored candy coating, almond bark or candiquik
- 2 ounces German chocolate bar (by Baker's), 1/2 bar
- 11 ounce bag caramel bits
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Layer pecans, then candy coating, then chocolate bar into crockpot (I used a 5 quart). Cover. Cook for 1 hour on low temperature. Do not stir. After 1 hour stir mixture and continue to cook, stirring every 15-20 minutes for another hour (a total of 2 hours). Once mixture has completely come together, stir in caramel bits and turn off the heat. Cover for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile line counter top or table with a long piece of parchment paper.
- Stir. Use 2 table spoons to scoop out candy from crockpot and scoop it onto parchment paper. Make sure candy is not touching.
- Meanwhile, melt 2 cups chocolate chips and chop 1/2 cup pecans. Drizzle over turtles and garnish with chopped pecans.
- Allow to set completely.
- Serve and enjoy!
Video
Donna’s Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published December 2015, updated and republished December 2022
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What about clean up ? Is it a mess ?
If you don't use Pam or something like it on the sides and bottom, it will stick and be hard to clean.
use disposable crock-pot liners
When you empty the crock pot, fill with hot water and wash. It's easier to do it now than letting it sit. You can use a rubber spatula to remove the excess before washing with the water in the pot.
Can you use real chocolate? I don't like almond bark.
Can you replace the bark for real chocolate my family not a fan of bark?
You can use chocolate chips to get the same type of candy. Your choice of flavor – I'd do milk chocolate with this, but other taste buds are different. You can also use the wafers, although my guess is the price might be a little higher. Hard to know exactly how much, since oz of chocolate chips would be different than oz of chocolate chips. They will also melt much quicker than the larger chunks, so your timing will be less. I don't use the 2 hours, only 1 – you aren't "cooking" this, just melting the chocolate rather than using a double boiler or microwave to do it.
What about real caramel?
Hey, can you use rolo's caramel candies to replace some of the caramel and chocolate? In what quantities?
Im allergic to coconut can I use extra milk chocolate in place if the German chocolate
I am making this today using chocolate chips instead of the German chocolate, I will let you know how it turns out.
Where are you all finding the videos for Donna's recipes? I've looked all over and have never found a video yet.
Hi Bunnie, I have found her videos on Youtube. Just search The slow roasted Italian recipe videos.
This was such an easy recipe to make and everyone at my holiday party loved it! Will be printing and adding this to my personal recipes
I made these this morning. Very good, very rich, very easy. The one thing I will do next time is chop the pecan halves a bit before adding to the crockpot. It was difficult to get “small” pieces of the candy with the pecan halves. Otherwise, I’ll be making these again.
Hi Sandy,
We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed them! Have a great day!
TSRI Team Member,
Holli
Can I put the chocolate chips in the crockpot instead of drizzling