These Dark Chocolate Pecan Turtles are homemade and easy to make with just a few simple ingredients, they’re the most addicting healthy treat!
It never fails that around Christmas time, I have the biggest craving for sweets. Traditional chocolate pecan turtles are a classic holiday treat that everyone loves. The combination of the gooey caramel, crunchy pecans and sweet chocolate makes them so irresistible to only have one.
The ingredients in these famous turtles are made with a variety of refined sugars, corn syrup, soy lecithin, modified ingredients and artificial flavors. So my solution was to make my own healthier version of the chocolate pecan turtles that are just as delicious. They pair great with my oat milk hot chocolate or vanilla chai latte during the holidays.
These dark chocolate pecan turtles are free from refined sugar since they are naturally sweetened with dates and maple syrup. It’s truly a sweet treat you don’t have to feel guilty about eating. Make them as a stocking stuffer, package them in treat bags for guests at holiday parties or give them as a gift to all the dark chocolate lovers for the holidays.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
There’s many reasons to love these dark chocolate turtles. Here is just a few:
- Dates - The dates work perfectly as the “caramel” with their sweet, sticky, and rich taste and texture
- Dark Chocolate - quality rich dark chocolate with a high cocoa content contains antioxidants, fiber, iron, magnesium, copper and manganese in addition to many other benefits.
- Pecans - provides a healthy amount of omega-rich fats, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
Ingredients You’ll Need
These homemade chocolate turtles are made with simple ingredients you can find at any local grocery store. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Medjool dates - be sure to choose the dates with the pits removed, or you can simply slice them and remove the pits before adding to the food processor.
- Milk - the recipe uses almond milk however any non-dairy milk or dairy milk will work.
- Maple syrup - adds to the sweetness from the dates and also helps bind the date mixture together.
- Vanilla extract - use pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla, for the best taste
- Sea salt - A little salt to help balance out the flavors.
- Pecan halves - make sure to use halves not pecan pieces. The halves will help give you the “turtle look” and will give you a nice crunchy texture on top of the date mixture.
- Dark chocolate - I prefer using the microwaveable dark chocolate melts for ease of use. You can also melt chocolate pieces using a double broiler method on the stove. You can also substitute dark chocolate for milk chocolate if you prefer.
How to Make the Healthy Turtles
- Prepare the caramel date mixture. In a blender or food processor, process the dates, milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt until it makes a sticky and very thick jam-like consistency.
- Chill the mixture. Place the mixture in the fridge to chill for about 5 to 10 minutes. This will help harden the mixture to make it easier to roll into balls without it being too sticky.
- Form the turtles. Remove the date mixture from the fridge and roll them into about 10 balls using the palms of your hands. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using the back of a spoon you can gently press on the back of each of the balls to flatten them slightly.
- Add the pecans. Press 3-4 pecan halves into the date mixture and place the pecan clusters in the freezer for 10 minutes to set.
- Melt dark chocolate. This can be done in the microwave (using a microwavable safe bowl) or using the double boiler method.
- Add the dark chocolate. After melting the chocolate, spoon a small amount of chocolate sauce over each date/pecan mound. Repeat until each one is covered with the chocolate, then sprinkle with a little sea salt.
- Set the chocolate. Place the turtles back on the same baking sheet and place them in the freezer to set for at least 10 - 15 more minutes. The chocolate will harden quickly becoming a shell over the date/pecan mounds.
Serving and Storage Instructions
- Serving- Keep turtles cold (in the fridge) until ready to serve. They are best served after sitting at room temperature for about 5 minutes.
- Storage - The turtles can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks in an airtight container.
- Freezer - the turtles can be stored in a freezer-friendly container for up to 2 months. Allow them to thaw in the fridge before serving.
Most Asked Questions
- What are turtle candies made of?
- Generally, Turtle candy is made with pecans and caramel that’s dipped in chocolate and resembles the shape of a turtle.
- Can I fully-coat the turtle in chocolate?
- Yes. I suggest using a large spoon for this. After combining the date mixture and adding the pecans, place it on the spoon and lower them into the chocolate until it’s fully covered. Note, you will probably need double the amount of chocolate for this method.
- How many calories in a chocolate pecan turtle?
- Depending on the products used and the size of each turtle, a medium sized dark chocolate pecan turtle has about 251 calories.
More Recipes You May Like:
Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Banana Bites
Dark Chocolate Pecan Turtles
Ingredients
- 1 cup medjool dates pitted
- 1 tablespoon almond Milk or any non-dairy milk
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup pecans halved
- 8 ounces dark chocolate
- 1 pinch sea salt extra for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor, process the dates, milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt until it makes a sticky and very thick jam-like consistency.
- Place the mixture in the fridge to chill for about 5 to 10 minutes. This will help harden the mixture to make it easier to roll into balls without it being too sticky.
- Remove the date mixture from the fridge and roll them into about 10 balls using the palms of your hands. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using the back of a spoon you can gently press on the back of each of the balls to flatten them slightly.
- Press 3-4 pecan halves into the date mixture and place the pecan clusters in the freezer for 10 minutes to set.
- Melt dark chocolate. This can be done in the microwave (using a microwavable safe bowl) or using the double boiler method.
- After melting the chocolate, spoon a small amount of chocolate sauce over each date/pecan mound. Repeat until each one is covered with the chocolate, then sprinkle with a little sea salt.
- Place the turtles back on the same baking sheet and place them in the freezer to set for at least 10 - 15 more minutes. The chocolate will harden quickly becoming a shell over the date/pecan mounds.
Notes
- Serving- Keep turtles cold (in the fridge) until ready to serve. They are best served after sitting at room temperature for about 5 minutes.
- Storage - The turtles can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks in an airtight container.
- Freezer - the turtles can be stored in a freezer-friendly container for up to 2 months. Allow them to thaw in the fridge before serving.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Although HalfPastHungry.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on which products you use, the brand that was purchased, or in other unforeseeable ways. HalfPastHungry.com will not be held liable for any reliance on given nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your physician first.
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