50 turtle recipes

Turtle cookies shaped around hidden caramel centers and nestled on pecan halves, then dipped in chocolate glaze. The Christmas cookbook classic that mimics the candy in cookie form.

Low fat turtle cheesecake sets with gelatin instead of baking, blending nonfat cream cheese and low-fat cottage cheese into a silky filling crowned with caramel, hot fudge, and pecans.

Chocolate turtle cake with a gooey caramel and pecan layer hidden between two devil's food cake layers, topped with a boiled cocoa frosting. Inspired by turtle candy.

Adorable brown sugar pecan cookies shaped like tiny turtles with pecan halves for legs and heads. Frosted and irresistible, these bake up in about 10 minutes.

Peanut butter apple turtles made with apple halves, grapes, and carrot shavings shaped into fun turtle snacks. A no-cook kid-friendly snack that takes 10 minutes to make.

German chocolate cake layered with gooey melted caramels, chopped pecans, and chocolate chips between two layers of batter. A semi-homemade turtle cake that's sinfully rich and ridiculously easy to make.

Frozen turtle pie with an Oreo crust layered with vanilla and chocolate ice cream, caramel sauce, and nuts. A no-bake freezer dessert that slices clean.

Turtle swirl cheesecake on a chocolate wafer crust with semi-sweet chocolate ribbons, butterscotch drizzle, and toasted pecans. Marbled, dense, and unapologetically rich.

Turtle pie deluxe, a no-bake frozen ice cream pie with chocolate cookie crust, fudge layer, pecan-praline ice cream, butterscotch sauce, and toasted pecans. A make-ahead dessert showpiece.

Terry's turtle cake layers chocolate cake with melted caramel, chocolate chips, and pecans, then tops with more batter for a gooey caramel center. A church potluck classic on a doctored cake mix base.

These rich chocolate-toffee bars from Mary Lueke of Menasha were our top pick in the bar category.

Creamy vanilla cheesecake on a cookie crumb crust, drizzled with melted caramel and German chocolate toppings, then showered with toasted pecans. Every slice is a candy-counter dream come true.

Rich Creole-style mock turtle soup with beef, tasso, and a dark roux, simmered until the meat melts into a spicy, tangy broth. Finish with hard-boiled eggs and a splash of sherry.

A buttery oat crust topped with gooey melted caramel, a layer of melted chocolate chips, and crunchy pecans, then chilled and cut into bars. Turtle candy in bar form that takes just 30 minutes to make.

Turtle pie layers a pecan-chocolate cookie crust with melted caramel, silky chocolate ganache mousse, and clouds of whipped cream. No-bake-ish dessert that pulls all the candy-bar flavors into one chilled pie.

Easy chocolate turtle pie: graham cracker crust layered with caramel, pecans, fudge pudding, and whipped topping. A no-bake five-ingredient dessert for busy weeknights.