Sweet and Chewy Turtle Bars (Printable)

Buttery oat crust topped with melted chocolate, toasted pecans, and velvety caramel swirls, finished with a golden crumb topping.

# What You Need:

→ 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

# Directions:

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 prepared pan to create base layer.
04 - Bake crust for 10 minutes until slightly golden.
05 - In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine caramel sauce and heavy cream. Stir constantly until smooth and fully incorporated. Remove from heat.
06 - Remove crust from oven. Evenly distribute 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 squares.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Every bite delivers that perfect turtle candy experience without tempering chocolate or wrestling with caramel thermometers.
  • The buttery oat crust stays tender underneath while crisping up on top, giving you two textures in one bar.
  • You can make these start to finish in just over an hour, and they hold up beautifully for days without getting soggy.
  • They look impressive enough for gifting but forgiving enough that you won't stress over imperfect edges.
02 -
  • Don't skip the first 10-minute bake for the crust, or it will turn mushy under the caramel and never firm up.
  • Let the bars cool fully before cutting, warm caramel will ooze everywhere and you'll end up with a delicious mess instead of neat squares.
  • If your caramel sauce is too thick to pour, thin it with cream one tablespoon at a time until it flows easily.
03 -
  • Use parchment paper with overhang on two sides so you can lift the whole slab out before slicing, it makes cutting so much easier and cleaner.
  • Toast your pecans in a dry skillet for three minutes before adding them, the deeper flavor is worth the extra step.
  • If the topping browns too fast, tent the pan loosely with foil for the last five minutes of baking.
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