Salted caramel sauce, chopped crunchy pecans and a fudgy chocolate center makes these turtle brownies a heavenly delight!
I came across the name ‘turtle’ while I was scrolling down the brownies category on a food blog (gosh I wish I could remember the name). They look so good that I stopped for a while and read the whole blog post. All I can remember was that those brownies are made of 3 layers which are pecan, salted caramel sauce and a gooey chewy chocolate center. So I decided to give it a try.
I don’t know why turtle brownies are called that way, but I like it anyway. If you haven’t tried it now, it’s about time you do as they will bring you something called heaven. Gooey caramel, rich chocolate, and crunchy pecans. What would you ask for more?
TURTLE BROWNIES LAYERS
Three layers in a brownie does sound like a lot of work but they are actually easy to prepare. Remember the chocolate brownies I made a while ago? Turtle brownies are based on that with extra caramel sauce and studded with crunchy chopped pecans. You can drizzle some caramel sauce on top of brownies after they are done baking but for those who like richer caramel flavor filled in the center, poke some holes and spread the sauce evenly on top.
HOW TO MAKE TURTLE BROWNIES
First you will need to prepare the caramel sauce before proceeding any further step in the recipe. I already had a recipe for this and fortunately it’s always available in my fridge. Remove from heat and let it cool while we make the brownies batter.
For the batter, combine melted butter with sugar until smooth and shiny. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until they’re just barely combined then add in melted chocolate and whisk until combined and smooth. Add in dry ingredients and fold, using a rubber spatula, just until combined. Fold in chopped pecans and chocolate chips until evenly distributed and bake for 22-26 minutes until the brownies are set along the side and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let it cool down for 5-10 minutes and poke some holes while the brownies are still warm. Spread the sauce evenly on top and sprinkle with extra chopped pecans and chocolate chips as desired.
Turtle Brownies
Ingredients
For Brownies
- 1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons/140g) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar packed
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate bar melted
- 3/4 cup (98g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder or dutch process cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (87g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup (28g) chopped pecans
For Salted Caramel Sauce
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon (13g) unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For Toppings
- 3/4 cup (83g) chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup (87g) chocolate chips
Instructions
Make Salted Caramel Sauce
- Add sugar to a saucepan, heat over medium-low. Allow the sugar to dissolve in a few minutes.
- Increase the heat to medium high. Cook the sugar to caramelize by stirring until it turns medium brown. Immediately add the butter into the sauce and keep stirring. The butter will stop the caramel cooking process and leave the smooth texture of the sauce. Remove from the heat. Carefully add salt and the heavy cream and stir until the sauce smooths out. Let the sauce cool while we prepare the batter.
Make Brownies
- Preheat oven to 350° F/175° F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray and parchment paper.
- In a large bowl melt the butter in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until melted. Pour melted butter into a large mixing bowl. Whisk in granulated sugar and brown sugar until smooth and shiny. Let it cool.
- Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until they're just barely combined; don't over-mix. Add in melted chocolate and whisk until combined and smooth. Make sure the chocolate is not too hot or it will cook the eggs.
- Sift flour, cocoa powder and salt into the wet mixture. Use a spatula to gently fold in the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips and chopped pecans until evenly distributed.
- Pour into prepared pan and smooth it out. Bake in the preheated oven for 22-26 minutes, or until the brownies are set along the side and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. My brownies were done in 24 minutes.
- Remove brownies from the oven and allow them to cool. While the brownies are still warm, use a fork to poke some holes and spread the caramel sauce over the brownies. Make sure to reheat the caramel sauce until it's warm again so you can easily pour over. Sprinkle chocolate chips and chopped pecans over the top of warm caramel. Let it sit for 20-30 minutes.
- Cut into 9-16 pieces and serve. Brownies will be kept in an airtight container for up to a week.
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