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This image shows finished Chocolate Pecan Turtle Clusters with glossy milk chocolate and toasted pecans arranged neatly on a white marble countertop.

Chocolate Pecan Turtle Clusters Recipe

These Chocolate Pecan Turtle Clusters are pure indulgence — buttery toasted pecans, rich homemade caramel, and silky milk chocolate come together in the most delicious bite-sized treat. Perfect for holidays, gifts, or anytime you need a sweet fix, they’re easy, nostalgic, and irresistibly good.
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Chill Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 40 pieces
Calories 160 kcal

Equipment

  • Large skillet
  • 2 large cookie sheets
  • Parchment paper
  • Cooking spray
  • Medium saucepan
  • Candy thermometer
  • Microwave-safe bowl
  • Spoon

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup butter
  • 2½ cups pecans
  • 1 package of milk chocolate chips
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • ½ cup light corn syrup
  • 7 oz sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup shortening

Instructions
 

  • Toast 2 1/2 cups of pecans in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until they darken slightly and become fragrant, which should take just a few minutes.
    This image shows pecan halves toasting in a large black nonstick skillet placed on a clean white marble cooktop.
  • Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper, spray with cooking spray, and arrange the pecans into clusters of three, leaving about an inch between each cluster.
    This image shows toasted pecans arranged in clusters of three on parchment-lined cookie sheets set over a white marble countertop.
  • In a medium-sized saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter over medium-high heat, then add 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup light corn syrup, and 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk.
  • Increase the heat slightly and stir continually, cooking until the mixture reaches 235–240°F; remove from heat around 234°F to allow the residual heat to finish the caramel.
    This image shows caramel bubbling in a stainless steel saucepan with a thermometer inserted, cooking over a clean white marble cooktop.
  • Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
  • Quickly drizzle about 1 1/2 teaspoons of caramel over each pecan cluster, making sure the caramel touches all the nuts to stick them together.
    This image shows pecan clusters topped with warm caramel on a parchment-lined baking sheet over a clean white marble countertop.
  • In a microwave-safe bowl, melt 12 ounces of milk chocolate chips, heating in 30-second intervals and stirring between each.
    This image shows partially melted milk chocolate chips in a clear glass bowl placed on a clean white marble countertop.
  • Add 1/2 teaspoon shortening to the melted chocolate, let it sit for a minute or two, then stir until smooth.
    adding-shortening-to-melted-chocolate-in-glass-bowl-white-marble
  • Spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons of melted chocolate over each cluster, swirling it gently with the back of your spoon.
  • Let the clusters cool and harden completely before serving or packaging.
    cooling-chocolate-pecan-turtle-clusters-on-parchment-white-marble

Notes

  • Toasting the pecans intensifies their flavor and gives the clusters a delicious nutty crunch.
  • Watch the caramel closely; even a few degrees over 240°F can make it too hard instead of chewy.
  • Adding a little shortening to the chocolate makes it smoother and easier to spread without seizing.