Homemade Bacon Chocolate Turtles
If you like Turtles, the iconic Christmas treat, then you will LOVE these chocolate bacon turtles. They are made with crunchy pecans coated in caramel and then topped with crispy bacon and dark chocolate. They're ideal on a holiday dessert tray and make excellent gifts!
Table of contents
These little guys are everything a chocolate turtle should be. They're sweet and chewy from the caramel, crunchy and rich from the toasted pecans, and decadent from the dark chocolate, plus (a big plus) they're salty and savory from the bacon. Oh, and the sea salt sprinkled on top sends them over the edge.
Make these, but make a lot; They won't last long.
Ingredients For Chocolate Bacon Pecan Turtles
To make the caramel you'll need – butter, light corn syrup, brown sugar, and condensed milk.
For the chocolate layer, you'll need – semi-sweet chocolate and butter.
To assemble the homemade turtles, you'll need – pecan halves and crispy cooked bacon.
How to make homemade turtles that look like turtles
To make these chocolate bacon turtles look like cute little turtles, here's what you do:
- Lay three pecan halves onto a flat surface that is coverd with a piece of parchment paper. Position them so that the two ‘feet' are facing a little forwards.
- Next, pour the caramel over the top, making sure that you don't cover the feet and head.
- A crispy piece of bacon lays on top of the caramel.
- Finally, cover the caramel in chocolate to create the turtle shell.
Recipe FAQs
Normally, homemade turtles candy can be stored on the counter. But because these have bacon in them, they should be stored in an airtight container in your fridge.
You can swap the pecans for walnuts. Or try using milk chocolate or even white chocolate. And instead of the bacon, try a pretzel!
Not at all! You can make a traditional version of these turtles by simply omitting the bacon.
Homemade chocolate bacon turtles will keep well for 1 week in the fridge. If you make them without the bacon, they will last for a very long time.
Kids love making sweet treat! For this recipe, get their help assembling the pecan halves, breaking the cooled, crisp bacon into pieces, melting and pouring the chocolate, and sprinkling the sea salt on top. The caramel is VERY hot so this part should only be done by an adult.
Community Praise
Tina ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ok so these were so good! I did a test run to see if I wanted to make them for Christmas and I’m definitely making them again!
Homemade Bacon Turtles
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Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- 1 cups brown sugar
- ½ tin condensed milk
- ¾ pound pecan halves
- ½ lb bacon, cooked crispy
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate
- 3 tablespoons butter
Instructions
For the caramel
- Add the butter, corn syrup, brown sugar and condensed milk to a heavy-bottomed saucepan with high sides. Start with the heat on high until it is boiling, and then reduce the heat to medium. Stir constantly for approximately 15 minutes, or until the caramel reaches 235 degrees Fahrenheit. One way to test this is to drop a bit of the caramel into cold water. If it forms a soft ball, then it is ready. This is known as the ‘soft ball stage'. Let the caramel cool for about an hour. It should still be warm but not hot.½ cup butter, ½ cup light corn syrup, 1 cups brown sugar, ½ tin condensed milk
Assemble the turtles
- Arrange pecans to resemble turtles – one for the head and two for the feet – on parchment paper. Roll small balls of the caramel and place in the center of the pecans, squishing gently into place. Cover the caramel with a piece of cooked bacon. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.¾ pound pecan halves, ½ lb bacon
For the chocolate
- Gently melt chocolate and butter over low heat until just melted. Be careful not to burn the chocolate. Hold the turtle by the head and spoon the chocolate over top. Place the turtles back onto the parchment paper and sprinkle lightly with medium course sea salt. Put them back into the fridge to harden the chocolate.8 ounces semisweet chocolate, 3 tablespoons butter
Notes
For more holiday dessert recipes, check out all of our Christmas sweets!
Ok so these were so good! I did a test run to see if I wanted to make them for Christmas and I’m definitely making them again!
these look really good but can u please make some recipes that’s diabetic friendly!!
Wow, those look great! Nice idea with the bacon, I know a lot of non-vegetarians that would be interested in that.
Hey Nina,
I was veggie for a lot of years. Although I still eat that way most of the time, I blame bacon for reintroducing me to meat 🙂
Kristen these look so so so so good. I seriously cannot wait to make them. Thanks miss!
No problem, Adriana! Let me know how you like them when you make them 🙂
YUM, these look awesome! I’ve topped caramels with bits of bacon before dipping them in chocolate, and they were fantastic. 🙂
Carey,
It’s amazing how bacon really does make everything better!
These look awesome! Definitely making these for New Years Eve!
Hey Jey,
They’re perfect for a New Year’s party! Let me know how you like them 🙂