Decadent Sweet Chewy Turtle Bars (Printer-friendly)

Buttery oat crust topped with chocolate chips, pecans, and caramel swirls. These chewy squares feature a golden crumb topping and rich, indulgent layers.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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

# Directions:

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 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 sprinkle 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.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The oat crumble stays tender and chewy instead of crumbly, giving you that perfect bite every time.
  • You get three textures in one square: gooey caramel, melty chocolate, and buttery crunch.
  • The caramel seeps down and binds everything together so nothing falls apart when you cut them.
  • They taste like expensive candy but come together with pantry staples and a single pan.
02 -
  • Don't skip the parbake on the crust or it'll stay gummy and soft underneath all that caramel.
  • Let the bars cool completely before cutting, warm caramel will smear and make a mess no matter how sharp your knife is.
  • If your caramel is too thick to pour, add an extra tablespoon of cream and warm it a little longer.
03 -
  • Use parchment paper with overhang so you can lift the whole block out and cut perfect squares on a cutting board.
  • Toast your pecans in a dry skillet for three minutes before adding them, it brings out an almost buttery flavor that makes the bars taste homemade.
  • If the caramel hardens too quickly, pop it back on low heat for 30 seconds and stir until it loosens again.
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