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Turtle Brownies

Turtle brownies with fudgy chocolate crumb, thick caramel swirls, and toasted pecan halves pressed on top. Baked until set, then finished with a drizzle of melted chocolate and flaky sea salt.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For fudgy brownies
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 8 oz dark chocolate
  • 1.5 sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1.25 cup flour
  • 0.5 cup cocoa
  • 0.5 tsp salt
For turtle topping
  • 0.5 cup thick caramel sauce
  • 1.5 cup pecan halves, toasted
  • 0.5 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips melted for drizzle
  • flaky sea salt

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and make the brownie batter
  1. Preheat oven to 350F, then line a 9x13 pan with parchment so it lifts out easily after baking.
  2. Melt unsalted butter and dark chocolate, then cool until warm-not-hot.
  3. Whisk in sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and glossy.
  4. Fold in flour, cocoa, and salt just until no dry streaks remain.
Assemble and bake
  1. Spread the batter into the lined pan, keeping the top level for even caramel swirls.
  2. Drizzle thick caramel sauce over the batter and swirl with a knife for marbled ribbons.
  3. Press toasted pecan halves across the surface so they adhere to the batter as it bakes.
  4. Bake 28-32 minutes at 350F until the center is set with moist crumbs when gently pressed.
Finish
  1. Cool completely before slicing to keep the caramel from running.
  2. Melt semi-sweet chocolate chips for the drizzle, then drizzle over the cooled brownies.
  3. Sprinkle flaky sea salt over the top for a crisp, salty finish.

Notes

For clean slices, cool the brownies fully (room temperature, then chilled if you want extra firmness). Store covered in the refrigerator up to 5 days; freeze in an airtight container up to 2 months. For a lighter option, swap half the sugar for brown sugar plus a sugar substitute that measures like sugar, keeping the caramel topping and chocolate chips the same.