Chocolate Turtles Crockpot Candy

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s that I’m at my happiest when I’m planning ahead. One example: I always start working on holiday treats the first weekend in November.

Yes, right after Halloween. While others are cleaning the remnants of sugar and orange-colored everything off their countertops, I’m pulling out my cookie sheets, mixing bowls and other baking equipment.

It makes December SO MUCH easier when you have lots of treats ready to pull out of freezer and package up. Whether it be to make those gorgeous holiday cookie platters (recipe coming soon!) or as a hostess/holiday gift, having goodies ready makes holiday entertaining so much easier and less stressful.

Plus, when company shows up unexpectedly, I’m not scrambling or panicking, I’m relaxed and zen-like. Take my advice: bake something, freeze it and thank me later!

This is an oldie but goodie, this recipe has been in my family for generations. You can make it on the stovetop, but I’ve found it’s easiest in my crockpot.

The end product takes some serious convincing that it didn’t take hours upon hours to make. Trust me: it’s a crowd-pleaser.

How to Make It

Line up about 4 cups of pecans in the bottom of the slow-cooker (that is about 3/4 of them). Sprinkle evenly with the baking bar pieces, followed by the chocolate chips and the almond bark.

Cover and cook on LOW for an hour. Check to make sure everything is thoroughly melted and pecans are well-coated, cook longer if necessary.

Place two paper towels over the slow-cooker BEFORE placing the lid back on, this will prevent condensation from forming and dripping back down into the chocolate. After an hour, remove the lid by tilting it AWAY from the slow-cooker so condensation drips off of lid (this is why we’re removing the lid and not just lifting it out) and not into your beautiful, perfectly-melty chocolate creation!

If your final product seems a little lumpy, it needs more time in the crockpot to melt!

If all of the chocolate has turned liquid, proceed to the next step. If there are still some solid pieces of chocolate, replace the lid and the paper towels on top of the chocolate and check again in 15 minutes.

Repeat as necessary, stirring when chocolate is mostly melted until all of the chocolate is melted.

Add the chopped caramels to the crockpot. You should see some lovely, golden-brown swirls of caramelized sugar as the caramels begin to melt.

Stir gently. The mixture will become darker and glossier, and will thicken a bit.

It should NOT get very thick; it should pour off the spatula in ribbons as you stir. If the mixture becomes grainy or sandy-looking, your heat is likely too hot.

Turn the heat down a bit, replace the lid and the paper towels and stir occasionally as it cooks another 15 minutes. Once the caramels have deflated a bit, stir until smooth and remove from heat.

It should be smooth and uniform in texture.

Working as quickly as possible, scoop the turtle candy mixture into mounds on top of a sheet of parchment paper, leaving space between each mound. As the mixture cools it will begin to firm up, so you’ll have to move quickly to scoop them all out.

If necessary, you can return the crockpot to the heat on the lowest setting and let it sit there for a few minutes to loosen the mixture up again before continuing to scoop. For uniformity and speed, I like to use a large cookie scoop to make all of the candies the same size.

Alternatively, you can use a 1/4 cup measuring cup.

While the chocolate is still soft, press a pecan half (reserved) on top of each mound.

Optional finishing with sea salt: If using, sprinkle a pinch or two of large, flat, flake-style sea salt on top of each turtle. Table salt will sink into the chocolate and disappear.

Larger flakes of salt will be visible and add another dimension of crunch to the turtle.

Allow the turtles to set at room temperature until hardened, about 30 to 60 minutes depending on the temperature of your kitchen, OR speed up the process and chill them in the refrigerator to firm up in just about 15 minutes.

Sensory Cues: What to Look For at Each Stage

After the first 45 minutes on low

Peek into the slow cooker or lift the pot’s lid, holding it at an angle so condensation drips away from you. At this point, the almond bark will be softened and shiny.

The chocolate chips may have started melting. Pieces of German chocolate bar are starting to lose their shape.

At this point, the chocolate should not be stirred, and will appear uneven and lumpy.

At the 1-hour mark: time to stir

At one hour of melting, almond bark should be shiny and softened, and most of the chocolate chips will be melted. Stir the mixture.

It should appear fairly even, shiny, and dark. There should be no white almond bark or chocolate chip streaks.

There should be no lumps. The chocolate should be glossy and slow-moving, coating utensils evenly.

If there are white lumps of almond bark or chocolate chips, replace the lid, and try again in 15 minutes.

After adding caramel

As you stir the caramel into the mixture, it will appear in little clumps floating on top of the chocolate, resembling light brown pebbles. With continued heating, the caramel will start to soften, droop, and melt, leaving ribbons of amber on top of the chocolate.

After stirring, allow the turtles to heat for about 15 minutes. Stir again.

The color of the chocolate should be slightly darker. The consistency should be slightly thicker than melted chocolate.

If the caramel has been overheated, it may appear broken or grainy. With constant, gentle stirring, it may come back together.

If not, start again, stirring the caramel occasionally as it melts.

The finished turtle on parchment

When you scoop them onto parchment paper, turtles should appear shiny and slightly soft. They will keep their mounded shape.

The pecan should be slightly sunk into the turtle and appear to be attached. When the turtles are completely cool, they’re ready to enjoy.

They should not stick to parchment, and should feel completely set to the touch.

Chocolate will go from glossy to matte as it starts to set. When ready, the chocolate will not be sticky and will be smooth and firm.

It should lift easily out of the bowl and off the parchment.

Helpful Tips

• If you like softer turtles, increase the amount of almond bark in the recipe. The more chocolate (real chocolate) you have, the harder the final candies will be.
• Chocolate does not like to be touched by water, EVER. If there’s any water added into the chocolate it will make it clumpy and grainy. Use caution with condensation. For example: Make sure to keep your spoon and scooper dry; take care to tilt the lid AWAY from the crock when lifting off to avoid dripping; use a paper towel to wipe off condensation when opening the crock pot lid.
• For creamier candies use unwrapped caramel squares (see photo). Have the kids help by unwrapping squares into a bowl, which goes faster when you can focus on other things.
• Pick out the best looking pecan halves ahead of time. This will help you go faster when decorating during assembly.
• I find it helpful to lay out parchment paper on the counter in advance, and about 3 sheets was enough for me, so I’m ready to go when scooping the turtles. They thicken up pretty fast, so you’ll need to scoop them up quick or pop back on LOW for a few minutes to loosen up if needed. It’s more work, but you’ll end up with smoother turtles.
• Finish with flaky finishing salt, such as Maldon. Table salt is NOT ideal here, but a pinch of coarse, flaky finishing salt is delicious and cuts down on the extreme sweet flavoring of these candies.
• Yield will be about 36-40 depending on how much you put into your scoop.

Storage, Make-Ahead, and Freezer Tips

These make-ahead crockpot turtle candies are perfect to freeze for holiday parties. Here are a few ideas for storing turtles:

Room Temperature Storage

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Separate layers with parchment paper to avoid turtles sticking to the container.

Keep them in a cool spot. Heat will cause the chocolate to soften and get a little tacky.

If your kitchen is warm, refrigerate them.

Refrigerator Storage

These will keep for 2-3 weeks in an air tight container in the refrigerator. When the chocolate gets chilled, it may get gray/white streaks and spots.

Don’t worry, this is just ‘bloom’. It will not affect the texture or flavor.

Leave the container at room temp so there is less chance of condensation forming. Allow them to sit for 15-20 min before serving.

This will soften the caramel.

Freezer Storage: The November Strategy

After making these, allow them to sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours before freezing. This gives them a chance to firm up a bit.

Arrange them in a container, preferably square or rectangular, making sure none are touching. Separate layers with parchment paper.

If the container does not have a lid that seals tightly, cover them with plastic wrap. Label with the date, and freeze.

They will keep for up to 3 months. To serve, leave the container (still covered!) at room temp for 20-30 minutes.

This will reduce condensation forming as the cold turtles are exposed to warmer air. Remove the lid and enjoy.

How Long They Keep

At room temp: 2 weeks

Refrigerated: 3 weeks

Frozen: 3 months, but they will never make it that long as there’s always a party or get together that needs goodies.

My strategy: I make a lot of turtles in November. Half will be for Thanksgiving and half are frozen.

By the time we get to December, I’ll take them out and they’ll grace a Christmas cookie plate or be given away. They come out of the freezer looking just as beautiful and tasting just like they do when they’re new.

The chocolate is still shiny and the caramel is not too firm. They are perfect.

Gift Packaging Ideas

You can arrange them in a pretty glass or plastic container, tie a pretty ribbon on it and present away. You could also get a pretty box that has a lid and arrange them inside.

You can also package them up in cellophane bags. Here are some pretty cellophane bags.

Tie them with a pretty ribbon. These turtles always disappear quickly, so make them when you plan on using them.

Holiday Tins

A classic. They are also easier to transport than a box and are less likely to get broken.

Simply line with parchment paper or use a doily for an added festive touch. Fill with one layer of turtles.

You can add another layer with parchment between the two if desired. Holiday tins are everywhere, even at the grocery stores, starting in October.

Check your dollar or craft store as well.

Treat Bags with Ribbon

The cellophane treat bags are inexpensive and can be tied with a ribbon to give a professional appearance. These are perfect when I want to give something to a teacher, neighbor, or our mail carrier.

Just drop 3-4 turtles into a bag and tie with ribbon. People are always curious of what is in the bags, so consider adding a little tag indicating what kind of candy it is.

You can’t beat the treat bag since you can see the treats, people LOVE turtles and they sell great.

Holiday Cookie Tray

The crockpot turtles make a great anchor to a tray of holiday cookies. They are larger than most of the cookies and last a little longer than most.

They provide some contrast since most of my holiday cookies are lighter in color and these have the brown tones of chocolate and caramel. I will use turtles, peanut clusters, fudge, some larger items to fill up the tray and then use cookies to fill in any open spaces.

The turtles are usually one of the first to go.

• Turtles will ship fine. Freeze them so they will be more solid for shipping. Use an insulated container with a small cold pack available at party/gift stores, and ship as soon as the recipient will be available to receive them since they are best for only 1-2 days in a box, but they are pretty sturdy.
• If gifting, include a note that says that these do NOT need to be refrigerated. They will last 2 weeks at room temp, or 3 weeks refrigerated.
• If you used the optional sea salt, you may wish to indicate that as well as some people limit their sodium.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet?

Absolutely. The chocolate in this recipe can be substituted with any kind of chips.

Milk chocolate will be sweeter and have a milder taste. Semi-sweet balances out the sweetness of the caramel and almond bark.

Bittersweet chips can be used as well. Bittersweet chocolate has a bit of an edge to it that isn’t super-sweet, which can balance the sweetness of this recipe better, especially if you’re using sea salt.

Use whichever sounds best. The measurements remain the same no matter which kind you use.

What is almond bark and where do I find it?

Almond bark is a compound of oils and sugars. The white version doesn’t actually have any almond flavoring.

It melts very nicely and sets up very firm. It is my absolute favorite for candies like this.

You will usually find almond bark in the baking aisle of the grocery store in a block, usually about 20-24 oz. It’s most commonly made by CandiQuik and Bakers, but there are others.

White chocolate chips can be substituted, but they don’t melt up quite as nicely. Keep white chocolate chips on hand as a backup for when you can’t find almond bark, though.

My chocolate seized up and turned grainy.

What happened?

Chocolate can be very picky. Any moisture can cause it to seize up.

This includes condensation on the inside of a lid, drips from a wet utensil, or steam from something else you’re cooking nearby. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do with seized chocolate because it will not melt up smoothly enough to coat candies.

Start over with new chocolate. The next time make sure you have a good paper towel situation before starting, use a totally dry spoon when stirring, and when removing the lid tilt it so any condensation drips off of it and not into the chocolate.

Can I use a different nut?

Any kind of soft nut will work well in this recipe. Pecans are my favorite, they have a mild, buttery sweetness that combines well with chocolate and caramel.

Walnuts are good, too, although a little more bitter. Cashews have a milder flavor.

Peanuts would probably work in this recipe but it wouldn’t taste like a classic turtle candy. Save those for a peanut cluster recipe.

Do I have to use all three kinds of chocolate?

The almond bark is a necessity – it helps everything come together smoothly and will ensure your candies will set up well. The baking chocolate adds a lot of depth of flavor.

You can leave it out, but I recommend adding more semi-sweet chocolate chips. At least use two kinds – almond bark and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Using just one won’t do the candies justice, you need that balance of flavors to make them sing.

How many turtles does this make?

Using a large cookie scoop (or 1/4 cup measure) will yield about 36 to 40 extra-large turtle candies. I would serve 2 candies per person.

You’ll get more using a medium-size scoop, I’d say somewhere around 48-50 candies.

Can I double the recipe?

I’ve never made a double batch but I suspect if your slow cooker is 6-quart or larger, it would fit. Keep in mind that the more stuff there is, the longer it will take to melt.

You also run the risk of ending up with a wetter recipe. It might be better to make 2 single-batches back-to-back.

It’s easier the second time since you’ll have the hang of it.

Can I add anything to the chocolate mixture?

If it mixes well with chocolate, probably. Keep in mind, though, you’re trying to create a recipe that sets up well and tastes like turtles.

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