Every year around my mom and I get together a few days before the holidays to have a day of cookie baking. We eat and give the cookies away to friends and family along the way, plus it's a great excuse for us to spend even more time together.

These cookies have definitely become one of my favorites to make. I think that's because they remind me of one of my fondest memories from childhood. Around the holidays my great aunt would make her famous chocolate turtle. You know those lovely and addictive candies made with pecans, ooey-gooey caramel and chocolate? Yeah, those.

What I love about these cookies is that they taste just like the candies and are a million times easier. I mean let's face it, I'm no candy making expert.

As you can see, these cookies are definitely a show-stopper as they look amazing and taste even better! After all, who doesn't like the mixture of creamy caramel, chocolate, and pecans?

By the way, don't be scared off by the lengthy step-by-step. These are actually super easy to make, just that there's several quick little steps to the process.

Skinny Chocolate Turtle Thumbprint Cookies

Yield: 28

Author: The Skinny Fork (Amanda Plott)

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 12 MinTotal time: 22 Min

Chocolate thumbprint cookies that are rolled in pecan bits and filled with a soft caramel. Delish!

Ingredients

Cookies

1 C. Flour
1/3 C. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/4 Tsp. Salt
1 C. Light Butter
1/3 C. Sugar
1/3 C. Natural Sweetener
1 Egg White + 1 Whole Large Egg, Separated
2 Tbsp. Unsweetened Original Almond Milk
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 C. Chopped Pecan Pieces

Caramel

1 C. Caramel Bits
2 Tbsp. Heavy Cream

Instructions

Combine the 1 C. flour, 1/3 C. cocoa, and 1/4 Tsp. salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
Beat the 1 C. butter, 1/3 C. sugar and 1/3 C. sweetener on medium speed until light and fluffy; about 2 minutes.
Add 1 egg yolk, 2 Tbsp. almond milk, and 1 Tsp. vanilla; mix until incorporated.
Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture until just combined.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm; about 1 hour.
Once the dough has firmed up, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper; set aside.
Roll the chilled dough into 1-inch balls.
Whisk the 2 egg whites in a small bowl until frothy.
Place 1 C. chopped pecans in another small bowl to set up your 'dredging station'.
Dip each ball of dough into the egg whites, and then roll it around in pecans.
Place the balls about 2 inches apart onto the prepared a baking sheet.
Using a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon, make an indentation in the center of each dough ball; flattening the cookie out slightly.
Bake at 350 degrees until set; about 12 minutes.
Once done, remove the cookies from the oven and gently re-press in the center indentions; set them aside to cool.
While the cookies are cooling, microwave 14 soft caramels or 1 C. caramel bits and 2 Tbsp. heavy cream together in a small bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth; about 1 to 2 minutes.
Fill each indentation in the cookies with about 1/2 teaspoon of the caramel mixture; allow the cookies to continue to cool for another 10 minutes or so.
Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy right away or store in an airtight container for 3-5 days.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

107.70

Fat (grams)

7.92

Sat. Fat (grams)

3.30

Carbs (grams)

8.08

Fiber (grams)

0.69

Net carbs

7.39

Sugar (grams)

3.69

Protein (grams)

1.68

Sodium (milligrams)

66.71

Cholesterol (grams)

16.33

Nutritional Claims: Low Sodium • Low Potassium • Kidney Friendly • Keto Friendly • Pescatarian • Peanut Free • Fish Free • Shellfish Free • Pork Free • Red Meat Free • Crustacean Free • Celery Free • Mustard Free • Sesame Free • Lupine Free • Mollusk Free • Alcohol Free