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These Browned Butter Turtle Cookies are rich, nutty, and decadently gooey with a molten caramel center that stays soft even after cooling. Browned butter and toasted pecans create serious flavor depth, and the best part? This no-chill dough means you can skip the waiting and get straight to baking.
These are going to be popular on that cookie tray.
I’m just going to come right out and say it: These cookies are a bit more effort than a lot of my cookie recipes. I mean, let’s be honest – nothing is easier than our chocolate chip Christmas cookies!
These turtle cookies call for browning butter, toasting pecans, and stuffing caramels into dough – but if you’re looking for a seriously impressive cookie, these are where to start.
None of the steps are difficult in any way, but they do end up taking a bit more hands on time than a lot of my recipes.
The browned butter gives you that deep, nutty, almost toffee-like flavor that makes people ask “what’s in these?” The toasted pecans double down on that richness. And that gooey caramel center? Pure magic when you bite into a warm cookie and hit that melty middle.
Best part? No chilling required. Most holiday cookies make you wait hours (or overnight) before baking. Not these. Mix, stuff, bake, devour.
♥ 3 Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe:
Browned Butter: It’s honestly shocking how transformative it is when you brown your butter. The way it adds a deep, rich, nuttiness is just magical.
Caramel Center: These look like a standard cookie, but once you bite into and hit that gooey caramel center you know you have something special on your hands.
No Chill: When you need impressive cookies fast, this recipe delivers. From start to finish in about 40 minutes.
Ingredients, Swaps, & Tips:
- Butter: Browning the butter gives these cookies a rich, nutty depth that makes them unforgettable. Don’t skip this step! It’s only another 5 minutes of effort and it is worth it. Use unsalted butter here.
- Pecans: Toasting the pecans is optional but we definitely recommend it! It brings out the nutty, buttery flavor and it goes great with the browned butter. You could also swap these for walnuts if you prefer.
- Vanilla: It helps round out the flavor. Use a good quality vanilla extract for the best flavor. We like this one.
- Chocolate Chips: We’re using semi-sweet chocolate chips here but you can swap those out for dark or milk chocolate if you prefer.
- Caramels: We love classic Kraft caramels! They melt perfectly and make up the sweet gooey center of the cookies. Other brands of soft caramels will also work. If you prefer to use caramel bits, fold them into the dough with the chocolate chips, but do note that you won’t have molten centers.
- Salt finish: A sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top before serving adds an amazing sweet-salty contrast.
My Favorite Cookie Scoop!
We use cookie scoops for everything from baking cookies to scooping meatballs to easily filling muffin tins.
Karly’s Tips & Tricks
Watch your browned butter closely – it goes from perfect to burnt fast. Same with the pecans.
Fully wrap that dough around the caramel to prevent leaking during baking.
Don’t overbake – they should look slightly underdone in the center. They’ll finish setting as they cool while staying perfectly soft.
Finish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top for an amazing sweet-salty contrast. We like Maldon salt for the unique texture and crunch.
Serving Suggestions:
These are cookie tray stars, but they’re also fantastic as:
- Weekend baking project with kids (they love stuffing the caramels)
- Gifts packed in festive tins or boxes
- Plated dessert with vanilla ice cream and extra caramel drizzle
- Potluck contribution that’ll get you recipe requests
Storage:
These browned butter turtle cookies can be stored pretty much like you would any other cookie. Let them cool completely before storing at room temperature in a cookie jar or covered container for up to 4 days.
Cookies can also be frozen for up to a few months. Freeze them on a cookie sheet for an hour before transferring to a freezer safe bag so they won’t stick.
You can also rewarm the cookies any time in the microwave to get that perfectly gooey center!
More Holiday Cookie Recipes:
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- M&M Christmas Cookies
- Christmas Sugar Cookies
- White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
- Grinch Cookies
- Peppermint Cookies
Browned Butter Turtle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 cup pecans finely chopped
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 24 Kraft caramels unwrapped
Instructions
- Melt 1 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once it begins to foam, stir constantly for about 4-6 minutes or until butter turns golden brown and smells nutty. There will be some brown bits forming on the bottom of the pan. Immediately remove from heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl to cool for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped pecans and lightly toast for 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until golden and fragrant. Watch closely to prevent burning. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- To the cooled brown butter, add the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer until well incorporated. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth.
- Sprinkle the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt over the wet ingredients. Gently stir the dry ingredients together with a fork. Then, stir the wet and dry ingredients together until a soft dough forms.
- Fold in the toasted pecans and chocolate chips.
- Scoop out heaping 2 tablespoon-sized portions of dough to make 24 dough balls.
- Shape the caramels into slightly flattened disks, then press into the centers of each dough ball. Wrap the dough around the caramel to fully enclose. Top dough balls with extra chocolate chips and pecan pieces if desired.
- Place dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet spaced about 2 inches apart and bake for 12-14 minutes, or until edges are golden and crispy and centers are slightly underbaked.
- Allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle with some flake salt for a sweet-salty flavor, if desired.
- Serve warm for the ultimate gooey centers.
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