Description
Delicious and indulgent Turtle Bars featuring a buttery crust topped with a rich caramel layer, toasted pecans, and melted semi-sweet chocolate. Perfect as a decadent dessert or sweet treat for gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
Caramel Layer
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Toppings
- 1 ½ cups pecans, chopped
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 tsp sea salt (optional, for sprinkling)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Make the Crust. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, softened butter, and brown sugar. Mix until the mixture becomes crumbly and evenly combined.
- Press Crust. Evenly press the crumbly mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan to form a compact crust layer.
- Bake Crust. Bake the crust in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until it turns lightly golden. Remove and let it cool slightly.
- Prepare Caramel Layer. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar together, stirring frequently to combine.
- Add Cream, Vanilla, and Salt. Stir in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and sea salt to the melted butter and sugar mixture.
- Boil and Thicken. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes until it thickens slightly and takes on a caramel consistency.
- Pour Caramel. Remove the caramel from heat and immediately pour it over the baked crust, spreading it evenly with a spatula.
- Add Pecans. Sprinkle the chopped pecans evenly over the warm caramel layer.
- Bake Again. Return the baking pan to the oven and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes until the caramel bubbles and the pecans become lightly toasted.
- Add Chocolate Chips. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately sprinkle the semi-sweet chocolate chips on top of the hot caramel-pecan layer.
- Spread Melted Chocolate. Allow the chocolate chips to sit for a few minutes to soften, then gently spread the melted chocolate evenly over the surface.
- Cool Completely. Let the bars cool at room temperature or refrigerate until the chocolate and caramel layers are fully set.
- Serve. Once cooled, slice into bars and optionally sprinkle with sea salt before serving.
Notes
- Line the baking pan with parchment paper for easy removal and cleaner slices.
- Make sure to stir the caramel constantly to prevent it from burning.
- Use fresh pecans for the best texture and flavor.
- Chilling the bars can help the layers to set faster and make slicing easier.
- Optional sea salt topping adds a nice contrast to the sweetness.
