Decadent Sweet Chewy Turtle Bars (Printable Version)

Buttery oat layers with melted chocolate, caramel swirls, and toasted pecans create these irresistibly chewy squares.

# What You'll Need:

→ Crust and 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 the bottom of prepared pan to form the crust base.
04 - Bake crust for 10 minutes until slightly golden. Remove from oven.
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 - Evenly sprinkle chocolate chips over warm crust, then layer 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 using a sharp knife.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The buttery oat crust stays tender even after it cools, never turning hard or dry like some bar recipes do.
  • Caramel and chocolate meld together in a way that tastes expensive but comes together with pantry staples.
  • You can make them ahead and they actually improve after a day, the flavors deepening as everything settles.
  • They slice cleanly once chilled, so you get neat squares instead of crumbly messes.
02 -
  • If you pour the caramel while it's too hot, it will seep straight through the crust and pool at the bottom, so let it cool slightly after heating.
  • Cutting these bars while they're still warm turns them into a sticky mess, patience here makes all the difference.
  • Pressing the crust firmly is crucial, a loose base will crumble when you try to lift the bars out.
03 -
  • Toasting the pecans for five minutes before adding them deepens their flavor and makes the bars taste more expensive.
  • Line your pan with parchment paper in both directions so you can lift the whole block out and cut it on a cutting board for cleaner edges.
  • If you're making your own caramel, pull it off the heat just before you think it's ready, it will continue darkening from residual heat.
  • Sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon into the crumb mixture for a subtle warmth that plays beautifully with the caramel.
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