Decadent Sweet and Chewy Turtle Bars (Printable)

Buttery oat base topped with melted chocolate, pecans, and caramel swirls, finished with golden crumb topping.

# Ingredient List:

→ Crust & Topping

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup rolled oats
03 - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
04 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
06 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
07 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

→ Filling

08 - 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
09 - 1 cup chopped pecans

→ Caramel Layer

10 - 1 cup caramel sauce
11 - 1/4 cup heavy cream

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x9-inch baking pan with butter or line with parchment paper.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar, melted butter, salt, and baking soda. Mix until crumbly texture forms.
03 - Reserve 1 cup of crumb mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture evenly into bottom of prepared pan to form crust base.
04 - Bake crust for 10 minutes until slightly golden brown.
05 - While crust bakes, combine caramel sauce and heavy cream in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until smooth and well combined. Remove from heat.
06 - Remove crust from oven. Evenly sprinkle chocolate chips over warm crust, then sprinkle chopped pecans on top.
07 - Pour warm caramel sauce evenly over chocolate and pecans.
08 - Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture evenly over caramel layer.
09 - Return pan to oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until topping is golden brown.
10 - Remove from oven and cool completely in pan on wire rack. Once cooled, cut into 16 equal squares using sharp knife.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The oat crumb base holds up beautifully under all that caramel without getting soggy, something I learned after my first attempt with just flour turned into a puddle.
  • You get all the flavors of a turtle candy in bar form, which means no individual wrapping and way more caramel per bite.
  • They slice cleanly once fully cooled, making them perfect for packing into lunch boxes or stacking on a dessert tray.
  • The contrast between the crunchy toasted pecans and the chewy caramel center is completely addictive.
02 -
  • If you skip the cooling time and try to cut them warm, the caramel will ooze everywhere and the bars will fall apart, patience really does pay off here.
  • Using parchment paper with an overhang lets you lift the whole slab out of the pan before cutting, which makes slicing much cleaner and saves your pan from sticky scratches.
  • Store-bought caramel works beautifully, but check the consistency before adding cream, if it's already thin, cut the cream down to 2 tablespoons.
03 -
  • Use a sharp chef's knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between each cut for the cleanest edges and neatest squares.
  • If your caramel sauce is too thick to pour, warm it gently on the stove with the cream until it flows easily, but don't let it bubble.
  • Press the crust firmly into the pan so it holds together under all that gooey filling, a loose crust will crumble when you cut the bars.
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