Easy Pretzel Turtles (3 Ingredients!)

These rolo pretzel turtles recipe is fast and super fun to make. A delicious mix of sweet caramel, creamy chocolate, whole pecans and just enough salt from the pretzel.

 

Why We Love Rolo Pretzel Turtles

Decorate with sprinkles or more chocolate candies after they are out of the oven for the perfect easy treat. This easy no bake dessert is fast to make, and fun to make with the kids! It’s an easy treat to make for any Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or even Fourth of July, plus you only need 3 ingredients.

Ingredients For Rolo Pretzel Turtles

• Chocolate Caramel Candies– I used Rolos, but any chocolate filled with caramel should work well. Unwrapping these candies before you start if they are wrapped in foil will help the process go even faster.
• Mini Pretzels– I used the twists, but most mini crunchy pretzels work.
• Pecan Halves – You can use pieces also, but you may want to add more then one piece.

Optional Ingredients For Decorating

• White Chocolate- A white chocolate drizzle over top of these homemade chocolates make these look so pretty!
• Sprinkles– We used some pink, red and white sprinkles for Valentine’s Day but you can swap out any colors you prefer.

How To Make Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Turtles

1. Place Pretzels On A Parchment Lined Baking Sheet– Place the pretzels on the baking sheet. I was able to fit twenty-eight on my parchment paper. Since these treats don’t spread on the pan, you can place the pretzels right next to each other.
2. Place Chocolate Caramels On Pretzels– Unwrapping the Rolo chocolate caramels and place one on each pretzel. Putting the wider side down isn’t a big deal with Rolo candies since both sides are almost the same size, but if you’re using a chocolate caramel candy with one side that’s significantly bigger than the other, it may affect how the chocolates look at the end.
3. Bake The Chocolates– We’re placing these homemade turtles in the oven just long enough to make the chocolates gooey. Don’t go far, it only takes three to four minutes.
4. Add The Pecans– Place a Pecan in the center of each chocolate and allow them to cool. You can stop and leave your Rolo turtles just as they are, or you can use my tips below to decorate them further.

Decorate The Pretzel Treats! (Optional)

1. Drizzle White Chocolate– Melt white chocolate in the microwave and drizzle it over the chocolates. You can also place the melted white chocolate in a piping bag or plastic zip-top bag and snip the corner, then drizzle the white chocolate over top.
2. Add Sprinkles– We’ve pink and red Valentine’s Day style sprinkles today, but you can use whatever colors you like!
3. Cool and Enjoy– The turtles will be melty for a while, it does take a bit for the chocolate to set up. You can place them in the refrigerator or freezer to help the chocolate set up faster.

What Could I Use Instead of Rolos?

Rolo candies are convenient to make that turtle flavor because they are made of chocolate and caramel. Any chocolate caramel candy that is slightly smaller than your chosen pretzels works. I have also made a Christmas caremel pretzel version inspired by the Grinch.

Dove has great chocolate or dark chocolate filled individual candies, you could use Hershey Kisses that have been filled with caramel or Cadbury has some delicious caramel-filled chocolates called Caramello.

You can also use other kinds of candy and candy bar minis, but your flavor combo will change a little. I’d pick the bite-sized version of these chocolates, as cutting larger candies may make the center of the candies melt out too fast. You can try candies like Snickers, Milkyway, Reeses, 3 Musketeers that have a soft filling to them and experiment a little from this Rolo pretzel recipe.

If you choose to use another kind of chocolate, this may affect your baking time. Watch the oven carefully so you don’t overbake, and only keep the chocolates in the oven long enough for the chocolate to just begin to melt.

Can I Use Other Kinds of Nuts?

Sure, if pecans aren’t your thing you can swap out other kinds of nuts. Peanuts, cashews, pistachios, walnuts, or sliced almonds all work easily, but you can play around with what you have on hand.

I recommend for a harder nut like almonds using a sliced or slivered version. You can also sprinkle crushed nuts on top.

The combination of chocolate, pecans and caramel give that homemade turtles candies flavor, but other flavor combos are delicious too.

I’ve also seen others make a similar treat with a chocolate-coated candy like M&Ms pressed into the top.

Can I Make These In the Microwave, Toaster Oven Or Air Fryer?

These can be made in the microwave just a few at a time, but I wouldn’t recommend making a large tray in the microwave because microwaves tend not to heat very evenly. I recommend melting them for about 20-30 seconds, it may vary a little depending on your microwave.

Any toaster oven or air fryer that has a bake setting should work as long as you watch the chocolate carefully.

I wouldn’t recommend using the air fryer mode or setting for these chocolates as it heats up pretty intensely and may overcook the chocolate too quickly. It’s possible it would work, but would likely be more efficient to use an oven or toaster oven style setting.