Decadent Sweet and Chewy Turtle Bars (Printable format)

Buttery oat crumb layers filled with rich caramel, melted chocolate chips, and toasted pecans for an indulgent dessert square.

# 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 Steps:

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 the bottom of prepared pan to form crust base.
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 well combined. Remove from heat.
06 - Remove crust from oven. Evenly sprinkle 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 Hints:

01 -
  • The oat crumb topping bakes into golden clusters that crunch against the chewy caramel center, giving you contrast in every bite.
  • You can prep the crust mixture in under ten minutes, and the rest is just layering and watching it transform in the oven.
  • They hold their shape when you cut them, so you can stack them on a plate without a sticky mess.
  • The smell of toasted pecans and warm caramel fills your kitchen and makes everyone wander in asking what you're baking.
02 -
  • Don't skip the parchment paper unless you enjoy scraping caramel off the bottom of your pan with a butter knife.
  • Let the caramel cool for a minute before pouring it over the chocolate, or it can seize and turn grainy instead of melting smoothly.
  • Press the crust down firmly, otherwise it will crumble apart when you cut the bars.
  • If your caramel sauce is too thick to pour, add an extra tablespoon of cream and warm it a bit longer.
03 -
  • Use a bench scraper or a large chef's knife to cut the bars, it slices through the caramel more cleanly than a small knife.
  • If you make your own caramel, cook it until it's a shade darker than you think it should be, it will taste richer and less sugary.
  • Toast the pecans in a dry skillet for three minutes before adding them to the bars, it brings out their flavor and makes them crunchier.
  • Let the bars sit overnight before serving if you can, the flavors meld together and the texture becomes even chewier.
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