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Turtle Cookie Balls couldn’t be cuter as a make-ahead holiday treat. Homemade gifts are the best, and these babies prove it!

White plate with 3 turtle cookie balls in front of a cup of coffee

As soon as Thanksgiving is over, I start to think about the gift-giving season. Since we can’t get together in person with all of our family this year, I’m trying my very best to make sure I am ready with lots of homemade treats on hand to give to my loved ones.

Store-bought gifts are awesome, sure. (I’d never turn down some new candles from that smell-good place at the mall, after all!) But there’s something so lovely about giving your family homemade yummies.

Like these Turtle Cookie Balls. Let me just say that there’s something truly spectacular when chocolate, caramel, vanilla wafers, and pecans come together in one little morsel. And they’re SO easy to make!

Ingredients for turtle cookie balls on a marble counter

Honestly, the hardest part of making these cookie balls is keeping yourself from eating the filling by the spoonful before you can enrobe each little ball with a decadent covering of chocolate.

For these Turtle Cookie Balls, you’ll need:

  • Softened cream cheese
  • Crushed vanilla wafers
  • Caramel ice cream topping
  • Semi-sweet baking chocolate
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans
shaped cookie balls lined up on a parchment-lined baking sheet, ready to dip into chocolate

I’ve made a number of variations on this recipe over the years: Peppermint Oreo Cookie Balls, Peppermint Kahlua Oreo Cookie Balls, and Berry Oreo Cookie Balls

But this combination of chocolate, caramel, and pecans might be one of my favorites. If you’ve made my Caramel Pecan Clusters or my Turtle Pretzel Candy Clusters, you know how good that classic turtle combo is.

Gray spatula set on the edge of a glass mixing bowl filled with chopped chocolate

HOW TO MELT CHOCOLATE IN THE MICROWAVE

If you’ve ever watched shows like the Great British Bake Off, the idea of tempering chocolate might scare you. 

But melting chocolate for recipes like these Turtle Cookie Balls doesn’t need to be complicated! In fact, you can get perfectly smooth results using a microwave.

spatula stirring melted chocolate in a small glass bowl next to a tray of shaped cookie balls

(And we know from my Microwave Lemon Curd that I’m a fan of microwave shortcuts that really work!)

Just make sure you’re using baking chocolate bars or couverture chocolate wafers. Chocolate chips have extra ingredients to hold their shape so they don’t melt as smooth.

Fork holding a dipped turtle cookie ball over a bowl of melted chocolate

Here’s how you do it:

  1. Break the chocolate into equal-size pieces and place in a microwave-safe glass bowl. 
  2. Microwave on high for 30 seconds and stir.
  3. Repeat and stir.
  4. Continue cooking and stirring in 10 second increments until completely melted and perfectly smooth.
Decorated turtle cookie balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet

Remember how I said that the hardest part of making Turtle Cookie Balls is not eating the filling before you can coat them in chocolate?

It’s true! All you have to do is finely crush some vanilla wafer cookies and combine them with softened cream cheese.

To give this Turtle Cookie Balls recipe that key caramel component, you’ll also mix in a few tablespoons of caramel ice cream topping.

Three turtle cookie balls on a white plate, with one cookie ball bit in half to show the inside

From there, it’s as easy as shaping the dough into balls – a perfect activity for kids! – letting them chill and then dipping them in the melted chocolate.

These Turtle Cookie Balls will store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to gift them out to everyone you love or indulge a little after a long day at work.

Think of the other combinations you could try too – chocolate sauce and peppermint chips, cherry sauce and lime zest – this cookie ball recipe is fully customizable!

Turtle cookie balls arranged on holiday gift boxes

If dipping these little beauties seems like it could get really messy, don’t worry. I’ve got a simple method for you that will save you from making a mess!

Place one of the frozen “dough” balls on a fork over the bowl of melted chocolate. Use a spoon to pour the chocolate over the cookie ball, letting the excess drip back into the bowl.

Use a toothpick to gently push the chocolate-covered cookie ball off of the fork and onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. 

Don’t forget to sprinkle on the chopped pecans before the chocolate hardens!

Three turtle cookie balls on a blue and white plate
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By: Jamie
4.43 from 133 votes
Prep: 30 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 21
Turtle Cookie Balls couldn’t be cuter as a make-ahead holiday treat. Homemade gifts are the best, and these babies prove it!

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 70 vanilla wafer cookies finely crushed (about 2-1/3 cups)
  • 3 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping
  • 16 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate broken into pieces, melted
  • ¼ cup chopped pecans

Instructions 

  • Mix first 3 ingredients until blended.
  • Shape into 42 (1-inch) balls. Freeze for 10 minutes.
  • Dip balls in melted chocolate and place in a single layer in a shallow waxed paper-lined pan.
  • Sprinkle with nuts. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cookie balls, Calories: 270kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 12mg, Sodium: 126mg, Potassium: 161mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 159IU, Vitamin C: 0.03mg, Calcium: 26mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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120 Comments

  1. tanya says:

    You could mail these to me if you’d like, I know I would love them!  Such an easy recipe, the kids could easily help with this one!

  2. Linda R says:

    Do these have to be refridgerated because of the cream cheese?

    1. Jamie says:

      Linda-
      Yes,I would refrigerate them until ready to serve.
      -Jamie

  3. Pam says:

    These look easy to make and so decadent. I wonder how they would taste with toffee bits instead of or in addition to the nuts?  Hmmm……. 

    1. Jamie says:

      Pam-
      I think they would taste AMAZING! Great idea!
      -Jamie

  4. Kayla says:

    Does it not make a difference that the chocolate is not tempered? Or do you have to keep these refrigerated?

    1. Jamie says:

      Hi, Kayla! I would definitely keep these refrigerated until you want to eat them. I hope you enjoy them!

  5. Leslie @ My Kitchen Is Open says:

    I’m excited to make these. I always forget how simple and elegant these little cookie balls can be! Thanks for the reminder. These will appear as a part of Christmas gifts this year! :-)

  6. jeanine says:

    Hey Jamie, quick question. Is the cookie measurement equivalent to 1 box?

    1. Jamie says:

      Jeanine-
      I had some leftover in my box, but we had a pretty large box of vanilla wafers. I hope this helps.
      -Jamie

  7. Laura @ Laura's Culinary Adventures says:

    What a great gift to share during the holidays!

    1. Jamie says:

      Thank you, Laura! I hope you had a good holiday season!

  8. Carla says:

    Baker’s Chocolate is what I buy for my melting chocolate needs. Plus I think they are the only brand who makes German chocolate, which is what I use for my German chocolate recipes. Anyway, I would be thrilled if you gave these to me for Christmas!

  9. Alida @My Little Italian Kitchen says:

    These little bites look so good. They would make a great Christmas present. Love those nuts on top!

  10. Rachelle says:

    I was wondering what type of Vanilla Wafers you used? DId you use Nlla Wafers? I live in Canada and we cannot buy Nilla wafers….our vanilla wafers are crispy and layed with an icing like filling. I am not sure what I can substitute.

    1. Jamie says:

      Rachelle-
      Yes, I used Nilla Wafers. I think any crisp cookie similar to a Nilla wafer would work!
      -Jamie