What do turtles use to communicate? A shell-phone. (eye roll) Speaking of, you’ll be shell-shocked at how simple and positively delightful this recipe is. Find out more below!
I love this recipe because of its simplicity but also easy diversity. You can definitely swap out almonds or walnuts for the pecans. You could even try sunflower seeds if there’s a nut allergy! They’re decadent without being saturated in sweetness. They’re crunchy yet smooth. They’re sweet yet a little salty. They’re just perfect, okay. There, I said it. I even brought them to a few friends and they were gobbled down instantly! Definitely a recipe that pleases the masses, and one that won’t have people thinking there are any modifications to it. I have a few people in my life who are physically averse to the word healthy, and these weren’t a deterrent!
Before we jump right into the recipe, I wanted to pause to talk about the little pecan. Because this blog is all about learning and laughing (ie horrible food/animal puns, see above) and licking (see turtle recipe below) and just overall loving.
Ingredient highlight
Pecans:
- They’ve got your covered with antioxidants from A to Z, particularly vitamin A to Zinc. Zinc helps with our immune system in terms of both the cell development and function. It also plays a roll in our reproductive and nervous systems , keeping them regulated and communicating well.
- They play a roll with cholesterol excretion, and help contribute to overall healthy levels of cholesterol – both LDL (the “bad” boi) and HDL ( the “good” boi).
- Not bad in the fiber department. One serving boasts about 2g (we want to aim for ~30g per day for healthy digestion).
- Good source of magnesium, which assists with overall inflammation.
- good source of phosphorus: key ingredient for proper bone health
Overall: lots of antioxidants, and good for cholesterol, digestion, immunity, bone health, and inflammation.
Now onto the recipe. The caramel recipe is from Downshiftology.
Healthy Pecan Turtles
A simplified caramel delight treat made with real food ingredients. Perfect for the holidays!
- 2 cups pecans (whole)
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate (melted)
- 1 can full fat coconut milk ((13.5 oz))
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar ((or date sugar / cane sugar))
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp coconut oil
-
Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
-
Arrange pecans in small clusters in rows on the tray (I used ~5 pecans per cluster, and made 20 of them)
-
Before melting the chocolate, begin making the caramel.
-
Combine 1 can full fat with sugar and sea salt. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until well combined.
-
Reduce heat to a simmer and stir occasionally for ~45 minutes. (note: the time may differ for you. It took me ~an hour until the texture of the caramel felt right). This is somewhat of a labor of love, but well worth it!
-
Once the caramel is thickened, stir in the vanilla extract and coconut oil until well combined.
-
Once the caramel is made, pour a small amount (~1 tsp) over each pecan cluster and store in the freezer.
-
As it's freezing, melt the chocolate. You can either toss in the microwave, stirring occasionally until melted or do so over the stove top.
-
Once melted, pour ~1 tsp of chocolate over the caramel of each cluster.
-
optional: you can place back in the freezer for ~5 minutes, then drizzle more chocolate on top of each for a more ~dramatic effect
-
Top with a sprinkle of sea salt
-
Win favorite daughter/son/wife/husband/sister/brother/friend/person award when you bring these to the table.
caramel recipe is from Downshiftology.
