Turtle Pecan Pie

This turtle pie is unlike any other pecan pie! Everybody needs a tried and true pecan pie without corn syrup that tastes every bit as good as traditional pecan pie, if not even better!

And let me tell you.. this turtle pie made with salted caramel sauce mixed right in the filling along with a chocolate chunks studded throughout is absolutely incredible. You need this pie on your Thanksgiving table! 

For more pie recipes, try Salted Caramel Apple Pie, Balsamic Molasses Pear Galette, Maple Pumpkin Hand Pies, andBlack Bottom Pumpkin Custard Pie. 

Why you'll love this turtle pie

• Flaky, Buttery Pie Crust: My go-to all butter pie dough that creates an ultra flaky, tender crust that's perfect with any pie filling. 
• Gooey Caramel Filling: This rich salted caramel sauce is mixed right in the filling! Its thick, sweet consistency is what allows the corn syrup and some of the sugar to be replaced. 
• Chocolate & Pecans: Melty chocolate chunks and chopped pecans layered in this gooey caramel filling is to die for!

Ingredient Notes

• Flour: Weigh your flour! Homemade pie dough is very simple, so long as everything is measured precisely!
• Salt: Use kosher salt, not table salt.
• Butter: Since there are so few ingredients in pie dough, it gets all of its flavor from the butter, so be sure to use high-quality unsalted butter.
• Ice Water: Pie must be cold at all times, so it's important that the water is iced!
• Salted Caramel Sauce: You could use store-bought or make this recipe!
• Brown Sugar: Since caramel sauce is primarily sugar, there's no need to add too much brown sugar to the filling.
• Eggs: You'll need three eggs at room temperature.
• Chocolate: Use your favorite semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks!
• Pecans: Roughly chop the pecans for the filling, and pick out the perfect pecan halves to arrange on the top!

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.

Step by Step Instructions

This might be one of the easiest homemade pie recipes! Once you nail the homemade pie crust and homemade caramel sauce, the rest of this recipe is just a simple bowl & whisk batter. So so easy. The most important part of this recipe is chilling the pie every time it's touched. This will ensure is doesn't shrink or lose it's crimp when it's baked!

For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.

STEP 1: Make the pie dough: A day or two before, make the pie dough and chill overnight. For more detailed step by step instructions, see this 3 Ingredient Pie Crust Recipe.  

STEP 2: Make the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together the caramel sauce, flour, brown sugar, salt, eggs, and vanilla until fully combined.

STEP 3: Assemble the pie: Roll out the pie dough and transfer to the pie dish, ensuring it is nestled up against the sides and corners. Fold the edges of the pie over and crimp the edges as desired. Spread the chopped pecans and chocolate chunks into an even layer into the pie dough. 

STEP 4: Assemble the pie: Pour the filling over the chopped pecans and chocolate.

STEP 5: Assemble the pie: Arrange the pecan halves on top, and place back in the fridge one last time for about 10 minutes to ensure the crimp holds its shape in the oven.

STEP 6: Bake the pie: Place the pie on the hot baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 40-45 minutes until the edges are golden and the filling appears set. Allow the pie to set for at least two hours or overnight.

Expert Baking Tips

• For more detailed step by step instructions on how to make homemade pie dough, see this post.
• If you have vodka on hand, you can add a tablespoon or two to the pie dough before the water. You'll end up adding less water, so still pay close attention to the hydration level. Vodka does not develop the gluten as much, which makes it perfect for hydrating pie dough and creating a super tender pie crust!
• The most important thing with making pie crust is to always keep the dough cold at all steps. So use ice cold water and cold butter, and any time you touch the dough you should put it back in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. 
• If making homemade caramel, I recommend making at least an hour before (or up to a week before) making the apple pie filling to give it time to cool down and thicken up. 

Make Ahead Tips

You can make the pie dough up to 3 days ahead of time stored in the fridge or up to 3 months ahead of time if stored in the freezer. If it's stored in the freezer, be sure to thaw it out in the fridge overnight before using. 

The caramel sauce can be made up to a week ahead of time stored in the fridge. 

The day the pie is assembled, it must be baked! I highly recommend baking it the day before serving, as it needs a few hours to cool and set. This gives the filling enough time to set so you can get clean cut pie slices!

Storage Tips

Store leftover pie slices covered at room temperature or in the fridge for 2-3 days.

All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale. 

If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.

But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!

Happy baking! x