Sweet Chewy Turtle Bars (Printable)

Buttery oat crust topped with melted chocolate, pecans, and caramel swizzle creates these irresistible chewy squares.

# What You'll 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 Make It:

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 crust 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 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 squares.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The layers create a textural adventure in every bite, from buttery crumb to chewy caramel to crisp pecan.
  • You can make them look bakery-perfect without any tricky techniques or special equipment.
  • They hold up beautifully in a lunch box or on a dessert table without falling apart.
  • The combination of oats and brown sugar gives them a homemade warmth that store-bought bars never capture.
02 -
  • If you skip the parchment paper overhang, you'll spend ten frustrating minutes trying to pry the first bar out of the pan without destroying it.
  • Warming the caramel with cream is non-negotiable, straight-from-the-jar caramel is too stiff to spread and will tear up your chocolate layer.
  • Cutting these bars with a hot, wet knife makes all the difference, rinse the blade under hot water and wipe it dry between each cut for bakery-clean edges.
03 -
  • Toast the pecans in a dry skillet for three minutes before adding them to intensify their flavor and make the bars taste even more like turtle candy.
  • If your caramel sauce is too thin, simmer it for an extra minute or two before adding the cream, it should coat the back of a spoon.
  • Let the bars sit in the fridge for 15 minutes before cutting if you want ultra-clean edges, the caramel will firm up just enough to slice without squishing.
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