Vegan Chocolate Turtle Cookies
These vegan chocolate turtle cookies combine the rich flavors of chocolate, sweet caramel, and crunchy pecans in one scrumptious treat!
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegan butter or margarine stick or block, not unsalted, soften slightly
- ⅔ cup granulated cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- ⅓ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons plant-based milk oat or soy
- ½ cup pecans finely chopped
- 14 pieces vegan soft caramel candies
- 2 tablespoons plant-based milk for the filling
- ¼ cup dairy-free semisweet or dark chocolate chips or chopped bar, optional
Instructions
- Cream the vegan butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale in color. Add the vanilla and mix until combined.½ cup vegan butter or margarine, ⅔ cup granulated cane sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sift in the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Fold in the dry ingredients with a silicone or rubber spatula until evenly combined.1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Gradually mix in 3 tablespoons of the plant-based milk until a dough is formed. Add more if needed. The dough should be soft but not sticky. Do not over mix.3 tablespoons plant-based milk
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or until firm.
- Place the oven racks in the upper and lower middle positions and preheat to 350°F or 180°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop 1 teaspoon portions of the dough and form into balls. Moisten your palms with water if needed to help with shaping. Place them on the baking sheet spaced at least 2 inches apart.½ cup pecans
- Add the pecans to a small bowl. Roll each dough ball in the pecans until coated, then return them on the baking sheets. Use a rounded ½ teaspoon to make an indentation in the center of each dough ball.
- Bake the cookies for 12 to 13 minutes, switching and rotating the cookie sheets halfway through the baking time.
- While the cookies are baking, add the caramels and 2 tablespoons plant-based milk to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high, at 15-second intervals, stirring between each until completely melted and smooth.14 pieces vegan soft caramel candies, 2 tablespoons plant-based milk
- Once the cookies are baked, gently reshape the indentation with the rounded ½ teaspoon. Fill each cookie with ½ teaspoon of caramel.
- Cool the cookies on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
- Optional step: Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl at 10-second intervals, stirring in between each until melted. Pour the chocolate into a small piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped and drizzle over the cooled cookies. Chill the cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes to quickly set the chocolate¼ cup dairy-free semisweet or dark chocolate