Chocolate turtle brownies

A layer of fudgy chocolate brownie topped with a lightly salted caramel and crunchy pecans finished with a layer of milk chocolate just like an old fashioned turtle candy.

The first time I made these brownies, it was for my grandma's birthday. She absolutely loves milk chocolate turtle candies - pecan clusters coated in caramel and dipped in milk chocolate. I was traveling from Boston to Florida for her birthday and I wanted to bake her something special as a surprise. I knew brownies would travel best, and then I thought how delicious brownies would be with a topping inspired by the chocolate turtles she loves so much.

They came out so much better than I expected, fudgy, sweet, and with a little crunch from the pecans. And when I shared a picture of them on my Instagram stories, so many people messaged me about them that I knew I had to finalize the recipe and share it!

When I first made them, I did a thin layer of chocolate on top of the caramel and pecan instead of a drizzle. If you want to do a layer instead, you'll want to up the milk chocolate to six ounces or about a cup, and the oil to one tablespoon (this will up the carbs per brownie from 42 to 45). This will give you enough chocolate for a thin layer to evenly cover your caramel and pecans.

If you've never made caramel before, I promise to walk you through it step by step in the recipe. I used to struggle greatly with making caramel and now that I've made it many, many times I have the right guidance to share with you to make sure you feel confident. One tip I always have in my back pocket is to have a mesh strainer on hand. This way, if you get to the end and are worried about any remaining sugar clumps, you can give it a quick strain while it's still hot and you don't need to worry about it any more.

Since this recipe is quite sweet, I like the caramel to be a bit salted but the amount is absolutely up to you. The recipe calls for using standard unsalted butter and a minimum of 3/4 teaspoon of salt. If you want it to be more of a salted caramel, I recommend using 1 teaspoon of salt. Alternatively, you can use salted butter and add a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. No matter what you choose, this buttery and sweet caramel will be delicious on top of the fudgy brownies! Another great option is to sprinkle some flakey salt on top of your brownies after you finish with your melted chocolate.

Ingredients:

Brownies

• 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter

• 1 cup (6oz) semisweet chocolate, chopped

• 2 tablespoons oil canola, vegetable or olive oil

• 1/3 cup (40g) powdered sugar

• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (168g) granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/3 cup (35g) cocoa powder dutch process

• 1/2 cup (60g) all purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Chocolate Turtle Topping

• 1 cup (192g) granulated sugar 

• 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter*, room temperature 

• 1/4 cup heavy cream 

• 3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt*

• 1 cup (120g) whole pecans

• 4oz (2/3 cup) milk chocolate

• 1 1/2 teaspoon oil canola, vegetable or olive oil

*You can choose to use salted butter and add just a half teaspoon of salt for a salted caramel. If you use unsalted butter, add 3/4 teaspoon of salt for a subtle salted caramel and 1 teaspoon if you want more of a standard salted caramel flavor.

Prep time: About 45 minutes

Bake time: 20-22 minutes

Cooling time: About 2 hours

Equipment:

• Nonstick heavy bottom pot

• Whisk and spatula

• Large and medium bowls

• 9x9 inch square pan

Cooking instructions: 

Make your brownie layer first.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a nonstick pot, add your butter, and begin to melt over a low heat on your stovetop. Once partially melted, chop and add in your semisweet chocolate. Stir continuously until completely melted and combined with your fully melted butter. Remove from the heat and stir in your two tablespoons of oil, then set aside to cool slightly. Note you can also do this in the microwave in short intervals and stir in your oil once melted.

In a large bowl, add in your eggs and both sugars. Use a whisk to mix together with speed for about a minute or two until your mixture gets slightly foamy and thickened. Add in your vanilla extract and continue to whisk for another 30 seconds.

Pour in your slightly cooled, melted chocolate mixture and continue to whisk until completely combined.

Next, switch to a spatula and add in your cocoa powder. Mix until there are no clumps and it's completely incorporated. Finally, fold in your flour and salt, moving slowly as to not over mix.

Once your batter is formed, line a 9x9in square pan (or you can use an 8x8 pan and increase the cook time a bit) with parchment paper and dollop in your batter. You can use any flat tool, or even a spoon, to lightly spread your mixture so that it is evenly poured across your pan.

Place your pan into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until a thin shiny crust has formed on the top of your brownies. You'll know it's done if you wiggle the pan and the center doesn't move showing you that your brownies have set. Remove your pan and allow your brownies to cool fully, for about an hour. You can also place into the fridge to chill (this is what I typically do once they've reached room temperature).

Once your brownies have cooled, make your caramel

In a nonstick pot on the stovetop over a medium to low heat, add your granulated sugar. Use a spatula to stir your sugar every 30 seconds or so. After 3-5 minutes you'll see your sugar start to form clumps, and then it will begin to melt. If your sugar starts to brown too quickly, turn your heat lower. As it's melting do not worry if you still see clumps, be patient and turn the heat down mixing occasionally and they will melt.

Once your sugar is completely melted with no clumps and is a golden caramel color, keep your pot over a low heat and add in your room temperature butter one tablespoon at a time, stirring continuously and adding the next tablespoon once the last has melted. Steam is completely normal here, just keep stirring!

Remove your pot from the stovetop and slowly pour in your heavy cream while stirring until completely combined, being sure to reach into the corners of your pot. If you're worried about clumps, this is the time to run your caramel through a mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl. Then, stir in your desired amount of salt, I recommend 3/4 to 1 teaspoon, until evenly dispersed.

Finish your brownies and enjoy

Chop your pecans, I like to do a rough chop - cutting them into halves or thirds - but this is baker's choice!

Pour your caramel across the top of your cooled brownies and carefully spread it into an even layer. Then sprinkle your pecans across the top of your caramel layer until you have an even layer of pecans on top of your caramel.

Melt your milk chocolate. Add to a microwave safe bowl and microwave in increments of 15-20 seconds, stirring between each trip to the microwave until completely smooth. Then stir in your oil until completely combined and glossy. Drizzle your chocolate over the top of your pecan caramel layer. You can add to a piping bag or a plastic bag and cut a small hole in the corner, or you can even do this with a spoon.

Let your brownies set in the fridge for about an hour, and then slice into 16 squares and enjoy!

Storage and additional instructions

These brownies taste great at room temperature but will stay freshest if stored in the fridge as the caramel will get soft if left out too long at room temperature. I think they also taste great right out of the fridge.

If you want a full chocolate layer on top instead of a chocolate drizzle, melt 6 ounces (1 cup) of milk chocolate and stir in one tablespoon of oil to make a slightly thinner chocolate mixture and top your caramel pecan layer fully with milk chocolate. Both methods are delicious! If you need to transport your brownies, I recommend topping with a full layer instead of the drizzle.

Carb and serving info: 

Carbs per serving (1 of 16): 42

Carbs for full recipe: 675

Carbs from brownie only: 387

Carbs from chocolate in brownie: 108

Carbs from caramel: 202

Carbs from pecans: 14

Carbs from milk chocolate topping (4oz): 73

Carbs from milk chocolate (6oz): 110

Note: Carb information is calculated based on the specific ingredients I used to cook with to help guide my own insulin to carb ratio when dosing before I eat my home cooked recipes.