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These Turtle Chocolate Cookie Cups have a moist, chewy chocolate cookie base and a caramel cheesecake filling. They’re topped off with chopped pecans and a caramel drizzle!
Love chocolate and caramel together? You’ll love these Turtle Cheesecake and Turtle Poke Cake recipes!
So this past weekend we went to visit my parents. We went to a Panthers game, had a baby shower to attend and also had a little cookbook party for friends and family in Charlotte – which is basically where I grew up. With so many things happening in one weekend, the car was quite loaded down.
Since we were celebrating the cookbook – Simply Beautiful Homemade Cakes, I made several things from the book for people to try – Margarita Cupcakes, Red Wine Chocolate Cake, Bananas Foster Cheesecake, Bourbon Peach Streusel Cheesecake, Caramel Popcorn Layer Cake and Bourbon Spice Toffee Layer Cake. Of course they were all in some kind of mini form so people could try them all. It was so fun to watch everyone sample them. The Bananas Foster Cheesecake was the biggest hit both this weekend and last. I doubled them this time around and they were still the first to go!
But since we had the car loaded down with cake as we drove to Charlotte, Jessie got pushed out of her normal spot in the car when traveling. She normally has her big, soft bed in the back and sleeps like a princess. This time she was on the floor between the captains chairs in the back, just behind us. I’m pretty sure she was thinking, “Um, this is not how a princess travels.” Several times when we looked back she had her cute little face propped against the center console just looking at us like “this is total crap”. 🙂
But we all made it – and so did the desserts! It was a great weekend.
Speaking of great desserts – these are a must! I am always a fan of anything turtle flavored. Chocolate, caramel and pecans are a match made in heaven! Plus, they really are easy to put together and add a little more fancy to your cookie tray than your average chocolate chip cookie. Yay for the holidays! They are coming fast!
The base of these is a moist chocolate cookie. Like most of my cookies, you’ll start with creaming the butter and sugar until it lightens up and gets nice and fluffy. You’ll add an egg and some vanilla extract, then the dry ingredients and you’re ready to go – easy! Feel free to make the cookie dough ahead and refrigerate it for a day or two, or bake them right away.
Once they are cooled, they are filled with a cheesecake filling that uses only a few ingredients – cream cheese, powdered sugar and caramel sauce. I’m a big fan of this homemade caramel sauce, but you could use a store-bought one if you wanted to save on time. I just think the homemade one has such great flavor and gives the cheesecake an even more wonderful caramel-y flavor.
Top the cookie cups with a caramel drizzle and some chopped pecans and you’re done!
These babies are sure to be a hit! Everyone who tried them loved them – and my mom quite enjoyed them with her morning coffee. 🙂
Other Tasty Caramel Desserts
Turtle Cheesecake
Turtle Brownie Cheesecake
Chocolate Turtle Cupcakes
Turtle Layer Cake
Salted Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Cookies
Mini Rolo Cheesecakes
Slow Cooker Turtle Bread Pudding
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 12 minutes
- Yield: 15-17 cookie cups
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Turtle Chocolate Cookie Cups have a moist, chewy chocolate cookie base and a caramel cheesecake filling. They’re topped off with chopped pecans and a caramel drizzle!
Ingredients
CHOCOLATE COOKIE CUP
- 3/4 cup (168g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (207g) sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups (163g) all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (57g) cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cornstarch
CHEESECAKE FILLING
- 12 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 1/4 cups (259g) powdered sugar
- 5 tbsp caramel sauce
- Additional caramel sauce, for drizzling
- Chopped pecans
Instructions
1. Spray cupcake pan with non stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter and sugar together for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Dough will be thick.
5. Makes balls of about 2 tbsp of dough. Press cookie dough in bottom and about 1/3-1/2 way up the sides of each cupcake cup, forming a cup shape.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes, then remove to cooling rack to finish cooling. The centers should fall a bit while cooling, but if the centers aren’t cupped enough to add filling, use the underside of a measuring tablespoon to press the center down a bit.
8. Once cookie have cooled, make the cheesecake filling. Beat the cream cheese until smooth.
9. Add the powdered sugar and caramel sauce and mix until smooth.
10. Pipe the cheesecake filling into the cookie cups and top with more caramel and chopped pecans. Cookie cups should be refrigerated until served.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cookie Cup
- Calories: 281
- Sugar: 30.2 g
- Sodium: 245.4 mg
- Fat: 13.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 39.8 g
- Protein: 3.7 g
- Cholesterol: 43.3 mg
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These were AMAZING! Made them for a family party and everyone loved them. The caramel sauce really added to the whole thing and who doesn’t like saying they made everything from scratch!
Glad you enjoyed them!
Just tried to book the turtle cookies today, the dough is pretty wet and sticky to the fingers. Do you have to chill the dough? Thanks
Hmm, I don’t remember it being particularly wet and sticky. Are you sure the amount of flour and cocoa added is correct? And that the butter wasn’t too soft? You could certainly try refrigerating it – shouldn’t hurt anything.
My 13yr old daughter and I made these this weekend. Turned out beautiful and delicious!
Y-U-M!!!!!!!!!! These look like absolutely perfect little morsels. Turtles are my favorite, so whenever I see that flavor profile incorporated in a recipe, my little antennae pick up!
Hi Lindsay
Since peach season is over with, did you make the bourbon peach streusel cheesecake with frozen or can peaches.
I actually made a version with both fresh and canned peaches. 🙂 Both were great! Canned peaches did really well. I didn’t try frozen.
Everything you make is picture perfect! I’m a big fan of all things turtle chocolate! Thank you for sharing my link too!
Thanks Lise! 🙂
All of these turtle recipes look amazing. On the Turtle Chocolate Cookie Cups…it looks like you used the mini cupcake tins. Is this correct?
Thanks Christa! I used regular sized cupcake tins for these, actually. I have done some in mini cupcakes though, like this one.