Chocolate and Caramel Turtle Cupcakes
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Turtle Cupcakes taste just like the candy of the same name! Chocolate caramel cupcakes are topped with the creamiest frosting, plus a crunchy pecan and even more caramel and chocolate!!
Turtle Cupcakes
Turtle candies are a family favorite treat. Pecans slathered in ooey gooey caramel and covered in rich delicious chocolate… Who can resist?
I created these insanely delicious caramel pecan cupcakes in the same fashion!
A moist delicious chocolate cupcake will melt in your mouth as the rich caramel sauce frosting dances across your palette.
The nuts, chocolate, and caramel on top combine to create the perfect turtle cupcake.
You won’t be able to get enough of this flavor combination, and you won’t have to!
Try my Double Chocolate Caramel Pecan Trifle for a more elegant occasion, or top apple slices with the same tasty trio!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – Choose your favorite, though gourmet brands tend to provide the best flavor.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda – You’ll need both to get enough lift in these chocolate caramel cupcakes!
- Eggs & Milk – Bring both to room temperature before starting this recipe to guarantee a silky smooth turtle cupcake batter.
- Instant Coffee Granules – Don’t worry, you won’t taste the coffee — it simply deepens and enhances the chocolate flavor!
- Caramel Frosting – Make this from scratch with butter, powdered sugar, milk, and salt. The secret ingredient is brown sugar, which gives it that caramel flavor!
- Pecans – These wouldn’t be true turtle cupcakes without the nuts, so you’ll need whole pecans to press on top. Leave them plain, or toast them in the air fryer or oven!
Tips and Tricks to Make Perfect Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes
- Dissolve instant coffee granules first.
You’ll need boiling water to do the job — I usually add water and granules to a measuring cup and microwave until boiling, then give it a good stir.
If you happen to have freshly brewed coffee on hand, that’ll do the job too! Either way, it needs to be piping hot when added to the batter.
- Keep a close eye on baking times.
Overbaked cupcakes will be dry and crumbly. Avoid overbaking and know that the center will continue to bake a little as they cool in the pan.
Remove cupcakes from the oven as soon as a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
A few moist crumbs are fine, but wet batter means they need more time.
You can also test them by sight and touch. The tops will appear mostly matte with a little shine (but not wet) and should be springy when lightly tapped.
- Make the frosting from scratch — no mixer needed!
All it takes is a saucepan and a sturdy spoon or spatula to prepare a batch of homemade caramel frosting.
Start with the ingredient amounts listed, then add a little more powdered sugar if it isn’t quite thick enough for piping.
And speaking of piping… You’ll need an open star piping tip to make the swirls shown in the photos.
But if you aren’t stocked with decorating tools, you can improvise by snipping an upside-down V into the bottom corner of a Ziploc baggie.
Prep Ahead
- Bring eggs and milk to room temp
- Dissolve instant coffee in boiling water
- Add liners to muffin pan
- Preheat oven to 350°F
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Muffin Pan lined with Cupcake Liners
- Whisk – These have held up for over 10 years and are still as good as the day I bought them.
- Mixing Bowls – I like to have a variety of sizes on hand, and this set has them all.
- Large Saucepan – Make sure there’s enough room to stir in the powdered sugar!
- Cooling Racks – Cool a large batch of treats without taking up a lot of counter space.
Serving Suggestions
Aside from a whole pecan, I like to top turtle cupcakes with even more caramel and chocolate!
You have a couple of options — either melt caramel candies and chocolate pieces for drizzling, or simply use chocolate ganache and caramel sauce.
If you have a big bag of pecans to use up, make yourself a whole nutty sweet spread!
Pair these chocolate and caramel cupcakes with toffee bars, Sandies cookies, and my famous pecan pie bombs for a decadent dessert table.
Storing Leftover Chocolate and Caramel Cupcakes
Keep turtle cupcakes in an airtight container for 2 days at room temperature, or up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
The pecans will soften the longer they sit in the frosting, so wait to add those to your chocolate and caramel cupcakes if you know there will be leftovers.
You can freeze the chocolate cupcakes by themselves for 1-2 months, but wait to add the frosting until serving. Wrap each cupcake in plastic wrap, store in a freezer-safe storage bag, and thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Turtle Cupcake FAQ
Both the chocolate cupcakes and caramel frosting can be made several days in advance, though the texture and consistency are best when fresh.
Storing frosting in the refrigerator in an airtight container and stir well before piping. You may need to whip it with an electric mixer if it’s very dense.
This recipe calls for both baking powder and baking soda, so make sure you included both!
If you’re still having trouble, it could be that your leavening agents are stale. Baking soda should bubble when combined with vinegar, while baking powder should do the same with boiling water. When in doubt, open a new package!
Yes, but you’ll need to make up that caramel flavor somewhere else.
Try coring each cupcake and filling it with melted caramel or sauce, then top with chocolate buttercream. Don’t forget extra caramel on top!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Easy Cupcake Recipes
Chocolate and Caramel Turtle Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
Caramel Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces milk
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Toppings
- Pecans, chopped
- Chocolate, melted
- Caramel, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare muffin pans with liners. Set aside.
- Place 1 cup of water with coffee granules in microwave and bring to boiling. (1 minute at a time).
- In a large bowl whisk together; sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt, until well combined. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; whisk again until well mixed. Stir in boiling coffee (batter will be thin). Whisk well until you have a smooth batter. Pour batter into muffin pans, filling 2/3 full.
- Bake 22-25 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with caramel frosting. Drizzle melted caramel and chocolate over top. Garnish with a pecan.
Caramel Frosting
- Melt butter, stir in brown sugar and salt. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add milk and return to heat. Bring to rolling boil, cool to lukewarm and stir in powdered sugar. Add a bit more if necessary for piping.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published November 2012, updated and republished April 2024
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I'll take one of the caramel turtle ones, please. Say, Saturday after next, 7pm? Muchas Gracias!
this looks so delicious…. Love anything chocolate and caramel.. Pinning it.
You are far too talented!
oh my gosh yuuuuum! and i love the cute wrappers!
While its a good recipe, I wish it stated how high to fill the cupcakes or how high it would rise, or how many it would make.
Fill cupcakes 2/3 full and they will rise to just above the liner.
Hope that helps!
I made these for my granddaughter's softball team. They were amazing! Most of them were eaten by the parents. I also shared the link with my sister who made them to take to work. Every one raved about them. This recipe is a keeper!
you know i love cupcakes and these are on my hit list thank you. xoxo
I love cupcakes and I love caramel, these were the perfect combination of flavors!