Get ready to impress with this easy Turtle Thumbprint Cookies recipe! Decadent chocolate cookies rolled in pecans and filled with soft caramel make any cookie tray look extra special! Perfect for the holidays!
Looking for more delicious cookie recipes? Make sure to try my Linzer Cookies, Thumbprint Cookies and Whipped Shortbread Cookies!
I am seriously in the cookie making mood lately. Bryce got a beagle cookie jar for his birthday and he’s been asking to fill it up almost every day. We have so many cookies recipe that we love to make but these Turtle Thumbprint cookies are something special.
Not only are they gorgeous and oh-so delicious, but the boys love to help make them!
This recipe is terrific in that you can have little helpers for almost every step and that can’t really mess anything up 🙂 The cookies are just beautiful and would be perfect to bring to any party this holiday season and simple enough that you can easily make up a batch for your family any night of the week. I love the classic “turtle”combination of caramel, pecans, and chocolate – it just doesn’t get any better than this!
Their favorite part is making the indentions in the cookie dough. Now, f you have a helper with smaller fingers, you may want to secretly use your thumb or else there won’t be a lot of room for the caramel and that, my friends, would be a catastrophe.
Aren’t these the prettiest cookies EVER??? And by the way, these cookies aren’t just pretty on the outside, they’re quite yummy on the inside 🙂
More Christmas Cookies To Try
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Stained Glass Cookies
- Grinch Cookies
- Whipped Shortbread Cookies
- Peppermint Snowball Cookies
Turtle Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 egg divided
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- â…” cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 16 caramels
- 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1¼ cups chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon shortening
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Beat butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add sugar and continue beating until combined and creamy. Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla and beat until well combined.
- Sift flour, cocoa powder, and salt together in a separate bowl. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture a little at a time {trying to avoid a cocoa cloud – quite messy!} and beat until well combined.
- Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and chill for a couple hours.
- Chop the pecans pretty fine…
- Heat unwrapped caramels and whipping cream in a small saucepan over low heat until nice and smooth.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and roll the balls in slightly beaten egg white. Then roll in pecans until coated. Reece did an entire tray all by himself and he's six. Bryce's balls were not exactly round per se, but who cares!
- Place balls on a lightly greased cookie sheet about one inch apart. Use your thumb to press in the center, making an indention.
- If you have a helper with smaller fingers, you may want to secretly use your thumb or else there won’t be a lot of room for the caramel and that, my friends, would be a catastrophe.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are set. If the indention has disappeared during baking, use a measuring spoon to re-create the indention.
- Spoon caramel mixture into the center of the cookies and remove to a wire rack and let cool. {If the caramel has thickened too much, just reheat on low until it reaches a thinner consistency.}
- Be careful not to overfill the cookies…
- Once the cookies have cooled, melt chocolate chips and shortening in microwave by heating in 15 second intervals, stirring in between.
- Drizzle the chocolate over the tops of the cookies and get ready to enjoy!
Nutrition
Some of my favorite cookie recipes:
Reese’s Freezer-Friendly Oatmeal Cookies
For all appetizer recipes, go HERE.
For all dessert recipes, go HERE.
Sign up to get emails when I post new recipes!
For even more great ideas follow me on Facebook – Pinterest – Instagram – Twitter – Bloglovin’.
Have a great day!
Gina @ Kleinworth & Co. says
Oh yeah- I could eat those all day long. YUM
Liz says
These look so yummy! Pecans are the only nut I like in baking….guess I’ll have to try this recipe! 🙂
Jen @ Yummy-Healthy-Easy says
YUMMMMM!!! Drooling over here! Your recipes/pictures are always amazing! Hope you’re having a great week!
~Jen
Taylor @ Goings on in Texas says
Oh, man these look soooo yummy!!! 🙂 Can you make me some?!? lol
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Thank you Taylor 🙂 My husband is already requesting these again – he took most of the first batch to work and they disappeared in about 20 minutes 🙂 I think the caramel center just takes it over the top!
Jill says
These look ridiculous! OMG I want it in my mouth right now! 🙂
Julie says
Those look A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. Pinned and so going to make 🙂
The Farm Girl
thefarmgirlrecipes.blogspot.com
Judy says
I could go for one of those just about now. Looks amazing. Thanks for sharing at DIYbyDesign.
Mixed Kreations says
Oh these look sooooo good!!! I love turtles. Thank you for sharing these.
Pinning For Sure!!! And Sharing.
Katie Adams says
Oh yummy these cookies look AMAZING!
Holly @ abakershouse.com says
Oh my those look delicious! I think I have found the cookie to make for my holiday cookie-exchange in a month or two. Thanks!!
Chelsea {whatcha makin' now?} says
Oh my goodness! These look so yummy!
BeanBugCrafts says
These look super yummy! Pinning for later!
Shiloh Barkley says
I wasn’t done typing! Pinned. Will make fo sho.
Shiloh Barkley says
Holy shit.
http://www.shilohstaste.com
Kristy Creighton says
These look YUM!!
Kristy @ Shona Skye Creations
http://shonaskye.blogspot.com