Decadent Sweet and Chewy Turtle Bars (Printable Version)

Buttery oat crumb layers with rich chocolate, toasted pecans, and velvety caramel bake into golden chewy squares.

# 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

# How-To:

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 form base layer.
04 - Bake crust for 10 minutes until slightly golden.
05 - In small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine caramel sauce and heavy cream. Stir constantly until smooth and well combined. Remove from heat.
06 - Remove crust from oven. Evenly sprinkle chocolate chips over warm crust, then distribute 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 squares.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Every bite has that satisfying chew from oats and caramel, with bursts of chocolate and crunchy pecans.
  • You don't need a candy thermometer or any tricky techniques, just a few bowls and one pan.
  • They taste like something from a bakery case, but you can make them on a Tuesday night without stress.
  • The crumb topping doubles as the crust, so there's less fuss and more time to lick the spoon.
02 -
  • Press the crust firmly into the pan or it will crumble when you cut the bars, I learned this after my first batch fell apart.
  • Let the bars cool completely before slicing, warm caramel will pull and stretch, making a sticky mess of your knife and your squares.
  • Use parchment paper with overhang on two sides so you can lift the whole slab out of the pan before cutting, it's a game changer for clean cuts.
  • If your caramel sauce is too thick, thin it with a tablespoon of cream at a time until it pours smoothly but isn't runny.
03 -
  • Toast your pecans in a dry skillet for a few minutes before adding them to boost their flavor and crunch.
  • Line your pan with parchment paper that overhangs the edges so you can lift the whole block out and slice it on a cutting board for perfect squares.
  • Use a pizza cutter instead of a knife to slice through the sticky caramel layer without dragging or tearing the topping.
  • If your caramel is homemade, let it cool for five minutes before pouring so it doesn't melt the chocolate chips completely, you want some chunks left.
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