This Healthy Chocolate Turtles Candy has just four ingredients! Made with Medjool dates, chocolate, pecans, almond butter, and a sprinkle of sea salt, this healthier version is one everyone will love. It is also gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan.
With crisp pecans, rich chocolate, creamy almond butter, and deliciously sweet dates, these chocolate pecan clusters are the perfect treat for sweet and salty snacks. Like these chocolate-covered dates and almond bites, they also make a great chocolate gift!
Jump to:
Why you'll love this recipe
- No bake recipe
- Simple healthy ingredients
- Gluten-free and dairy-free
Ingredients and substitutions
Here are a few quick notes about the ingredients in this recipe. You can see a complete ingredient list and instructions in the recipe card below.
Pecans - Use raw unsalted pecans. For extra flavor, you can toast pecans first!
Dairy-free chocolate chips - I used vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can also make dark chocolate turtles with vegan dark chocolate chips.
Medjool dates - The sweetness of dates combined with almond butter creates that buttery caramel flavor without the butter! And no corn syrup is necessary like you'll find in store-bought versions.
Almond butter - I prefer using natural almond butter that only contains two ingredients: almonds and salt. If you love almond butter, you must try my honey almond butter!
How to make healthy chocolate turtles
Step 1: Place a sheet of parchment paper on a large baking sheet. Put date halves in even rows on the parchment. Take a flat-bottomed glass and press down on the dates to flatten. The dates will probably stick to the glass but should peel right off.
Step 2: Top each flattened date half with a teaspoon of almond butter. Place 4 pecans on the top left and right and bottom left and right of each date, with one end of each pecan pressed into the almond butter.
Step 3: Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl for 30-second intervals, stirring after each until almost all the chips are melted. Stir until melted and smooth. Top the center of each date with a teaspoon of melted chocolate, covering the tip of each pecan in the almond butter. Sprinkle chocolate with sea salt and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until set.
Recipe tip
Use the bottom of a glass to smash the date halves before topping with almond butter and chocolate. They will probably stick to the glass but are easily peeled right off.
FAQs
The nut typically found in a turtle candy is pecan. Turtle candies are made by combining pecans with chewy caramel and chocolate, creating a treat that resembles the shape of a turtle.
Chocolate turtles can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature in a cool, dry place for 3-5 days or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
More date recipes
Love this recipe? Please consider leaving a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating on the recipe card below and let me know what you think in the comments!
📖 Recipe
Healthy Chocolate Turtles Candy
Ingredients
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- ¼ c almond butter
- 1 cup raw whole pecans (48)
- 6 Medjool dates, halved and pitted
- sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Place a sheet of parchment paper on a large baking sheet. Put date halves in even rows on the parchment.
- Take a flat-bottomed glass and press down on the dates to flatten. The dates will probably stick to the glass but should peel right off.
- Top each flattened date half with a teaspoon of almond butter.
- Place 4 pecans (1 each on the top left and right and 1 each on the bottom left and right) of each date, with one end of each pecan pressed into the almond butter. This is to make the turtle "legs".
- Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl for 30-second intervals, stirring after each until almost all chips are melted. Stir until melted and smooth.
- Top the center of each date with a teaspoon of melted chocolate, covering the tip of each pecan that has been pressed in the almond butter.
- Sprinkle chocolate with sea salt and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until set.
Leave a Reply