Turtle Coffee Recipe: Chocolate, Caramel, Pecan Cluster Candy Inspired (2024)

Turtle coffee?! No, not like those turtles with the shell. We’re talking about the combination of chocolate, caramel, and pecan.

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Don’t worry, turtle coffee has nothing to do with turtles, you know the animals with the hard shell.

Today’s coffee is inspired by Turtles candy.

A turtle is a cluster of pecans and caramel and covered in chocolate. The original creators of this treat is DeMet’s, founded by George DeMet in 1916. He sold these in his candy shop in Chicago.

Over 100 years later, you can still purchase DeMet’s Turtles, make it at home, or turn it into a coffee drink like I did.

Oh and if you’re wondering why it’s called a turtle, it’s because the pecans covered in the chocolate kind of looks like a turtle shell.

Turtle Coffee Ingredients

• ¼ cup espresso (or ½ cup coffee)
• 1 tbsp chocolate sauce
• 1 tbsp caramel sauce
• 1 tsp hazelnut syrup (or butter pecan syrup)
• 1 cup milk
• Toppings: Whipped cream, extra chocolate and caramel sauce, crushed pecans (or walnuts)

Tips for Making Turtle Coffee

Coffee

I used a moka pot to make espresso.

Though you can choose any of your preferred coffee brewing methods, I recommend using espresso, or any coffee that you can get as concentrated as possible so you can still taste coffee among the chocolate and caramel flavors.

If you don’t have an espresso machine at home, the tool I use the most often for making concentrated, espresso like coffee is a moka pot.

Check out our guide to making espresso without an espresso machine (including how to use a moka pot.)

Chocolate/Caramel Sauce

I used Dark Chocolate and Caramel sauce from Torani.

These are versatile sauces that mix well with both hot and cold coffee. Plus, you can use it to drizzle over ice cream and other desserts.

You may be able to find Torani sauces in grocery stores, but if not, I get mine from Amazon.

Nut Syrup

I used Monin hazelnut syrup.

I added a little of the syrup for a bit of a nutty taste to mirror the turtle candy. Other nut syrup options could be the Torani Butter Pecan syrup or try a Caramel Pecan syrup from Jordan’s Skinny Syrups, a sugar free option.

Toppings

I used storebought whipped cream, extra chocolate and caramel sauce and crushed pieces of pecans or walnuts.

If you’d like your turtle coffee to be exactly like the turtle candy, add pecans on top. I just chose walnuts this time. Crush whichever nut you choose and put the pieces on top of the whipped cream and extra drizzles of sauces.

Additionally, I squeezed some chocolate and caramel sauce on the inside of the glass just for a fun effect and for a little extra chocolate and caramel.

How to Make Turtle Coffee

1. Brew coffee. I used a moka pot.
2. Optional: Squeeze chocolate and caramel sauce on the inside of a glass.
3. Pour coffee into a mug and mix in chocolate sauce, caramel sauce and nut syrup.
4. Add milk. (Steam milk before pouring if you prefer your coffee hot.)
5. Top with whipped cream. Drizzle more chocolate and caramel sauce and top with crushed pecans.

Step 1

Brew coffee. I used a moka pot.

Step 2

Optional: Squeeze chocolate and caramel sauce on the inside of a glass.

Step 3

Pour coffee into a mug and mix in chocolate sauce, caramel sauce and nut syrup of choice (butter pecan or hazelnut.)

Step 4

Add milk. For a hot version, steam the milk before mixing with the coffee.

Step 5

Top with whipped cream. Drizzle more chocolate and caramel sauce and top with crushed pecans (or another nut of choice, like walnuts.)

See Also

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Turtle Coffee Recipe