Decadent Sweet Chewy Turtle Bars (Print-Friendly)

Caramel swirls coat toasted oats and tender pecans, while melted chocolate pools into each crevice. A buttery crumb topping bakes until golden, delivering chewy squares with every bite.

# 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

# Cooking 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 bottom of prepared pan to form the 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 top with chopped pecans.
07 - Pour warm caramel sauce evenly over chocolate and pecan layer.
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 crumb layer does double duty as both crust and topping, so you get that buttery oat texture in every bite.
  • You don't need a candy thermometer or perfect caramel skills because store-bought sauce works beautifully when warmed with cream.
  • These bars slice cleanly once cooled but stay chewy in the center, which is exactly what you want from a turtle-inspired dessert.
  • Pecans toast slightly as they bake under the caramel, adding a nutty depth that balances all the sweetness.
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 into delicious rubble.
  • Let the caramel cool for a minute or two before pouring so it doesn't instantly melt all the chocolate into a slick layer.
  • Use parchment paper with overhang if you want clean edges, it makes lifting the whole slab out so much easier.
  • Don't skip the cooling time because warm caramel is basically lava and the bars need to set or they'll be a gooey mess.
03 -
  • Toast the pecans in a dry skillet for a few minutes before adding them to intensify their flavor.
  • If your caramel sauce is too thick, thin it with an extra tablespoon of cream so it spreads easily.
  • Use a sharp knife wiped clean between cuts to get neat squares without dragging the topping.
  • Let the bars sit overnight if you can, the flavors meld and the texture gets even chewier.
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