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If you love the flavors of a classic pecan turtle—rich chocolate, buttery caramel, and crunchy toasted pecans—then you’re going to fall hard for these Chocolate Caramel Cookie Sandwiches. There’s something about this time of year that makes rich, comforting flavors even more irresistible, Cookie Sandwiches fit right into that seasonal craving.
How to Package These Cookies for Gifting
These Chocolate Caramel Cookie Sandwiches make incredible homemade gifts, especially when you want something that feels thoughtful without requiring hours of work. Because they’re soft and filled with a creamy caramel center, a little care in the packaging goes a long way. Start by chilling the assembled cookies for 10–15 minutes—this helps the filling firm up so the cookies stay neatly stacked. Once they’re set, place each cookie in a small parchment or cupcake liner to prevent them from sticking together. From there, you can arrange them in a cookie tin, a kraft bakery box with a clear window, or even a simple cellophane bag tied with ribbon. Feel free to also include a side of caramel sauce with directions to drizzle on top when ready to eat.
Chocolate Caramel Cookie Sandwiches – Pecan Turtle Styled Cookies Made Easy
Ingredients
Chocolate Pecan Cookie:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (113 g)
- ¾ cup white granulated sugar (150 g)
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all purpose flour, spooned and leveled (95 g)
- ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, (37 g)
- ½ tsp baking soda 2.5 g
- ¼ tsp salt 1.5 g
- ½ cup toasted pecans chopped (55 g)
Caramel Filling:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (56 g)
- ¼ cup caramel sauce, (75 g)
- 1 cup powdered sugar, (120 g)
- 1-2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- Drizzle of caramel
Instructions
Toasted Pecans:
- First, toast the pecans. Preheat the oven to 400°F, spread chopped pecans on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, keeping an eye on them so they don't burn (this can happen very quickly). Once toasted, set aside to allow to cool slightly while you make the dough.
Chocolate Cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
- Using a stand mixer or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Then mix in the egg and vanilla extract, scraping down the sides as needed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, then fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Stir in the toasted chopped pecans.
- Scoop 18 equal size cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet (I recommend 6 per cookie sheet as for these cookies will spread).
- Bake for 9–11 minutes, once removed from the oven, swirl using a round object to create the perfect round cookie and leave on the baking sheet for an additional 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to allow the cookies to cool completely before assembling.
Caramel Filling:
- For the caramel filling, in a medium sized bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Blend in the caramel sauce, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until creamy. Add heavy cream in slowly until desired consistency.
- Pipe or spread the caramel filling onto half of the cooled cookies, top with the remaining cookies, and gently press to create sandwich cookies.
- Optional: Drizzle with extra caramel sauce if desired.
