Sweet Chewy Turtle Bars Chocolate Caramel (Print Version)

Chewy oat bars layered with rich chocolate, toasted pecans, and smooth caramel swirled under a golden buttery crumb topping.

# 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.
03 - Reserve 1 cup of crumb mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture evenly into prepared pan to form base crust.
04 - Bake crust for 10 minutes until slightly golden.
05 - Meanwhile, combine caramel sauce and heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. 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 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.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The bars have this perfect balance where the toasty oats and crunchy pecans create little pockets for the melted chocolate and caramel to nestle into, making every bite slightly different and exciting.
  • These squares somehow manage to satisfy both the cookie lovers and candy bar enthusiasts in your life, which I discovered when they disappeared within minutes at my sister in laws birthday gathering.
02 -
  • My first batch turned into a sticky disaster because I tried cutting them while still warm, so trust me when I say these bars absolutely must cool completely before cutting, or youll end up with a delicious but structurally challenged mess.
  • If your caramel sauce is particularly thick, warming it with the heavy cream makes all the difference between teeth challenging chew and that perfect melt in your mouth texture that makes these bars so addictive.
03 -
  • Line your baking pan with parchment paper with overhang on two sides so you can lift the entire block out before cutting, which gives you perfect edges instead of the mangled corners I suffered through my first few attempts.
  • Slightly warming your knife under hot water and wiping it clean between cuts creates those bakery perfect squares that make everyone think youre a professional pastry chef.
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