Description
These easy turtle bars combine a buttery, crumbly crust with a gooey caramel and pecan topping, finished with melted chocolate chips and a sprinkle of sea salt flakes. Perfect as a decadent dessert or sweet snack, these bars offer a delightful balance of crunchy, chewy, and rich flavors with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 cup pecan halves
Caramel Layer
- 2/3 cup butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
Topping
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- Extra chopped pecans (for garnish)
- Sea salt flakes (for garnish)
- Drizzled caramel sauce (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing the edges to hang over for easy removal.
- Make the Crust: In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut in cold cubed butter until the mixture resembles coarse, sandy crumbs, working quickly to keep butter cold.
- Press Crust: Press this crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan using the back of a spoon or your fingers to create a compact and even layer.
- Add Pecans: Sprinkle pecan halves evenly over the crust to form a base for the caramel layer.
- Prepare Caramel: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine butter and brown sugar. Stir constantly until the mixture bubbles and changes color.
- Cook Caramel: Continue stirring and cook for exactly one minute after boiling to achieve the ideal caramel consistency without burning.
- Pour Caramel: Carefully pour the hot caramel evenly over the pecans and crust, using a spatula to spread if necessary to cover completely.
- Bake: Bake the pan in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes until the caramel topping is bubbly and golden brown.
- Add Chocolate: Immediately after removing from the oven, sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the hot bars and allow to sit for a few minutes to soften.
- Spread Chocolate: Use an offset spatula or back of a spoon to spread the melted chocolate into an even layer using the residual heat of the bars.
- Garnish and Cool: Sprinkle extra chopped pecans and sea salt flakes over the top. Optionally, drizzle caramel sauce before slicing and serving once fully cooled.
Notes
- Ensure butter is very cold when mixing crust for the best crumbly texture.
- Do not overcook caramel to avoid burning and bitterness.
- Use parchment paper with edges overhanging to easily lift bars out of the pan.
- Let bars cool completely before slicing to get clean slices.
- Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for longer freshness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: turtle bars, caramel pecan bars, chocolate caramel bars, easy dessert bars, homemade turtle bars
