Living in the south means I’m obsessed with turtle desserts. Every candy shop has their own version and I can never resist the salty nuts that add a bit of crunch with the gooey caramel and chocolate. Now I’ve brought two desserts to the next level and created these Unbelievable Turtle Pecan Cookie Cups recipe. The bottom cookie base is chewy and soft, then it’s topped with everything I love about turtles. The end result is a bite-size dessert that’s irresistible.

If you’re unfamiliar with cookie cups, they’re made by taking cookie dough and placing them in a mini muffin tin to bake. When they’re cooling, you use a teaspoon to indent the tops which makes a cup shape. You can put anything in those cup shape and it holds it nicely. For these turtle cups, they’re filled with chocolate chips, chopped pecans and caramel. 

What I love about making cookie cups versus traditional cookies, is that they’re all baked at the same time. You don’t have to wait around the oven to pull out multiple trays of cookies. Everything is baked at the same time, which saves you a lot of work in the kitchen.

Our family enjoys the Turtle Pecan Cookie Cups all year round, but we originally made them as a treat during the holiday season. We loved them so much that we couldn’t just have them at Christmas time. We don’t need a special occasion to enjoy this dessert because it’s so great.

Looking for more great sweet treats to try? Here are some of my top-rated recipes by my readers:

• Salted Bourbon Caramel Cookies
• Pecan Pie Brownies
• Lemon Bars

How To Make Turtle Pecan Cookie Cups

You’ll need a mini muffin pan for this recipe – that is what makes the cookie cup shape. The last thing you want to do is make your cookie cups and not be able to remove them from the pan. There’s nothing sadder than baked goods being stuck. I use Baker’s Joy for these Turtle Pecan Cookie Cups. It’s a non-stick cooking spray with a touch of flour which makes the cookie cups easy to remove. 

What To Serve With Turtle Pecan Cookie Cups

Even though they’re a bite-size dessert, you’ve got a big mouthful of cookie cup. I love to enjoy these with a fresh pot of coffee (and occasionally I sneak one for breakfast) and my kids love them with a glass of ice cold milk. My Husband loves to add a scoop of vanilla ice cream – which definitely takes it to the next level.

How To Keep Turtle Pecan Cookie Cups Fresh

After your cookie cups have baked and cooled, you’ll want to keep them fresh. They’ll be good to enjoy for 5-7 days. You can put them in an air-tight food storage container. If you stack them, place a sheet of wax paper in-between to protect the cookie cups from the tops being damaged. Or you can put them on a plate and add a freezer bag over the top. Either way, you’ll keep the cookie cups fresh!

Can You Freeze Turtle Pecan Cookie Cups?

Yes! You can freeze these cookie cups after they’ve been baked. Place them in a freezer bag and you can freeze them for up to three months. Let them thaw for 24 hours before enjoying again.

Recipe Substitutions You Can Make

If you prefer to use milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet, that’s an easy substitute and you’ll have a slightly sweeter version. The same goes for dark chocolate chips. The other substitution you can make is the type of nut you use. I prefer the classic pecan nut for turtles – but try the recipe with any nut that you like.

What You’ll Need From The Grocery Store:

• Butter
• Brown Sugar
• Sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla Extract
• All-Purpose Flour
• Baking Soda
• Salt
• Semisweet Chocolate Chips
• Chopped Peans
• Kraft Caramel Bits
• Heavy Whipping Cream
• Pecan Halves

Step-By-Step Directions To Make Turtle Pecan Cookie Cups

Preheat the oven to 375º. In a large stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (5-7 minutes). Beat in the eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the dry mix to the butter mixture.

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place in prepared mini muffin pan (using Baker’s Joy). Press evenly onto the bottoms of the molds. Bake until the edges are golden brown for 9-11 minutes.

With the back of a measuring teaspoon, make an indentation in each cup when they’re removed from the oven.

Place 3/4 cup chocolate chips and chopped pecans in the tops of the cookie cups. Let the cookie cups cool for 10 minutes and keep the cups in the pan.

Meanwhile, in a small pot, melt caramel bits and heavy whipping cream over medium heat. Stir until smooth. Spoon the caramel over the cups. Top each with a pecan half.

In a small glass bowl, microwave the remaining chocolate chips and stir until smooth. Drizzle over the tops of the cookie cups. Remove from pan and enjoy.