Turtle Cookies

5 from 1 vote

These turtle cookies are not only easy but they use a cake mix to keep the ingredients needed, even easier! The chocolate and caramel combo you'll love!

Prep Time10

Cook Time12

Total Time22

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: Cookies

Calories: 146kcal

Author: Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

15.25 ounces box of chocolate cake mix
2 large eggs
⅓ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup caramel bits divided
¾ cup pecans roughly chopped, divided
¾ cup semi sweet chocolate chips divided

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Toast the pecans in a small dry skillet over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until toastyand fragrant. This step is optional but highly recommended.
Mix the cake mix, eggs, and oil in a large bowl until well combined. The mixture will be thick.
Fold in ½ cup each of caramel bits, toasted pecans, and chocolate chips.
Scoop the cookie dough on the prepared cookie sheets using a large cookie scoop.
Leave at least two inches between each cookie. The cookies will spread a good amount during baking.
Press the remaining pecans, caramel bits and chocolate chips into the top of the cookie dough.
Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes or until the edges of the cookies have set. The cookies will form a dry crust but should still be soft in the middle.
Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheets for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days. I like to place my leftover cookies in the microwave for 5-10 seconds so the chocolate and caramel become salty.

The cookie dough can be frozen for up to three months. Scoop the cookie dough and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet in the freezer. Once the cookie dough is frozentransfer to an airtight container of freezer bag. If baking the cookies from frozen add 2-3minutes to your bake time.

You can use a medium cookie scoop to make smaller cookies. If using a medium scoop, start checking for doneness starting after 8 minutes of baking.

If the cookie dough is too sticky to scoop, place it in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to firm up.

Use your favorite chocolate cake mix. I used Devil’s food chocolate cake mix for these cookies, but any chocolate cake mix will work.

If you cannot find caramel bits, you can use caramel candies cut into small pieces.

The semi-sweet chocolate chips can be substituted with milk or bittersweet chocolate chips.

This recipe was tested using Betty Crocker devil’s food cake mix, Kraft caramel bits, and Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips.

I highly recommend toasting the pecans before adding them to the cookie dough. Toasting the pecans amplifies their nutty flavor and makes them crispier, creating the perfect textural contrast to the soft cookie

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