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Home / Recipes
30 minutes
4.63 from 8 votes
13 Comments

Pretzel Turtles

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by: Joanna Cismaru
11.27.20
Updated: 11.27.20

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pin for pretzel turtles.

These Pretzel Turtles are the perfect combination of sweet and salty! Made with just 4 ingredients, these are ideal little treats to serve for the holidays! A little crunchy, a little chocolate, a little caramel – to die for.

closeup shot of homemade pretzel turtles.

Salty, sweet and incredibly delicious, these homemade Pretzel Turtles are the perfect combination of flavors! Turtles are a classic found at most chocolate stores, but they’re so easy to make at home.

All you need are 4 ingredients, 5 if you count the salt, to make this yummy treat! Impressive enough to serve for the holidays, yet easy enough to make when you’ve got a late night hankering for something sweet.

Why Make These Pretzel Turtles

  • Super Easy To Make
  • Delicious Salty and Sweet Combination
  • Uses Just 4 Ingredients
  • Perfect For the Holidays
  • Make For Awesome Gifts!
  • Fun To Make With Kids

Let me tell you about these Pretzel Turtles! This is such a simple treat to make and they are so good. They will be popular with everyone, from kid to adult, everyone will love you and look at you like a God…or Goddess. These pretzel turtles are the perfect holiday treat!

Ingredient Notes

overhead shot of all the ingredients needed to make pretzel turtles.
  • Pecan Halves – I like to buy the big bags of Pecans from Costco, and I usually buy a few during the holidays, since I use them a lot.
  • Pretzels – These come in many different shapes and sizes, so use the smaller pretzels or the square ones.
  • Caramels – Individually wrapped caramels, so this is where you’ll be spending most of the time, just removing the wrappers.
  • Chocolate – I went with semi-sweet chocolate chips but use your favorite.
  • Fleur De Sel – This is an optional ingredients, but if you like sweet and salty, you’ll want to add a few flakes of this salt on each pretzel turtle.

How to Make Pretzel Turtles

process shots showing how to make pretzel turtles.
  1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 325°F.
  2. Roast Pecans: Roast the pecan halves for about 5 minutes or until they become aromatic.
  3. Assemble: Next, lay the pretzels on a baking sheet lined with silpat or parchment paper, and then set a caramel on top of each pretzel. I did 7 rows of 5 pretzels on each row.
  4. Melt Caramel: Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for about 5 to 6 minutes until the caramels soften, but make sure they do not melt. Next press pecan halves on top of the caramels.
  5. Add Chocolate: Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 seconds intervals. Stir after every 30 seconds until smooth and melted. Remove the pretzels from the baking sheet. Use a measuring spoon to spoon small dollops, about half a tbsp of chocolate over the baking silpat. Take the pretzels and gently press on top of the chocolate. Continue until finished. If you have some leftover chocolate, drizzle some on top of the pretzels and sprinkle with fleur de sel.
  6. Cool & Serve: Allow them to cool completely before serving. To speed this up you can pop them in the fridge for about half hour.
freshly made pretzel turtles on a baking sheet.

FAQs & Expert Tips

FAQs

Why Are They Called Turtles?

They get their cute name based on their shape, which look like little turtles with a chocolate shell.

What Chocolate Works Best?

You can use any type of chocolate for these Pretzel Turtles! I used semi-sweet, but you can use milk, dark or white if you prefer! Try a few of each or mix and match for the ultimate chocolate treat!

How Many Pretzel Turtles Does This Recipe Make?

This recipe makes 35 pretzel turtles!

What Can I Use Instead Of Caramels?

A great idea is to use chocolate rolos instead of caramels. They come complete with chocolate and caramel!

overhead shot of homemade pretzel turtles.

Tips

  1. For these pretzel turtles I used semi-sweet chocolate only, but if you like milk chocolate, feel free to use it! You could also use a mix of the two.
  2. If you have some leftover chocolate, drizzle some on top of the pretzels. For perfect sweet and salty combination, sprinkle with some fleur de sel, which just means sea salt. I love the combination of salt and chocolate together. Trust me, it’s to die for.
  3. You have to wait until the chocolate cools and hardens! To speed up the process pop them into the fridge for a bit, and then finally you can enjoy these delicious morsels
  4. Use a baking sheet lined with silpat or parchment paper for the easiest cleanup!
  5. Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to the melted chocolate for a mocha flair.

Storing

You can store these pretzel turtles in airtight container in the refrigerator or at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Make sure to keep them away from warm temperatures or the chocolate will start to melt.

Freezing

Layer your turtles in an airtight container with parchment or wax paper in between (this will prevent them from sticking together.)

Freeze for up to 2 months, then defrost at room temperature before serving.

homemade pretzel turtles in a gift box.

More Great Recipes To Try

  • Pretzel Bites
  • Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
  • Peanut Butter Blossoms
  • Homemade Pretzels
  • World’s Greatest Soft Pretzels

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closeup shot of homemade pretzel turtles.

Pretzel Turtles

4.63 from 8 votes
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 30 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 35
Print Pin Rate
These Pretzel Turtles are the perfect combination of sweet and salty! Made with just 4 ingredients, these are ideal little treats to serve for the holidays! A little crunchy, a little chocolate, a little caramel – to die for.

Equipment

  • Aluminum Baking Sheet (2 pack)
  • Parchment Paper

Ingredients

  • 35 pecan halves
  • 35 pretzel twists
  • 35 caramels
  • 12 oz chocolate chips semi-sweet
  • 1 tsp fleur de sel
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 325°F.
  • Roast Pecans: Roast the pecan halves for about 5 minutes or until they become aromatic.
  • Assemble: Next, lay the pretzels on a baking sheet lined with silpat or parchment paper, and then set a caramel on top of each pretzel. I did 7 rows of 5 pretzels on each row.
  • Melt Caramel: Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for about 5 to 6 minutes until the caramels soften, but make sure they do not melt. Next press pecan halves on top of the caramels.
  • Add Chocolate: Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 seconds intervals. Stir after every 30 seconds until smooth and melted. Remove the pretzels from the baking sheet. Use a measuring spoon to spoon small dollops, about half a tbsp of chocolate over the baking silpat. Take the pretzels and gently press on top of the chocolate. Continue until finished. If you have some leftover chocolate, drizzle some on top of the pretzels and sprinkle with fleur de sel.
  • Cool & Serve: Allow them to cool completely before serving. To speed this up you can pop them in the fridge for about half hour.

Recipe Notes

  1. For these pretzel turtles I used semi-sweet chocolate only, but if you like milk chocolate, feel free to use it! You could also use a mix of the two.
  2. You have to wait until the chocolate cools and hardens! To speed up the process pop them into the fridge for a bit, and then finally you can enjoy these delicious morsels
  3. Use a baking sheet lined with silpat or parchment paper for the easiest cleanup!
  4. Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to the melted chocolate for a mocha flair.
  5. You can store these pretzel turtles in airtight container in the refrigerator or at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Make sure to keep them away from warm temperatures or the chocolate will start to melt.
  6. Layer your turtles in an airtight container with parchment or wax paper in between (this will prevent them from sticking together.)
  7. Freeze for up to 2 months, then defrost at room temperature before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1pretzelCalories: 128kcal (6%)Carbohydrates: 17g (6%)Protein: 1g (2%)Fat: 6g (9%)Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)Sodium: 168mg (7%)Potassium: 104mg (3%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 9g (10%)Vitamin A: 10IUCalcium: 23mg (2%)Iron: 1.5mg (8%)
Course:Candies, Dessert
Cuisine:American
Keyword:pretzel turtles
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!

Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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