Snappy turtle cookies are sugar cookies with pecans used for the head, arms, and legs, and a rich chocolate frosting on top. They look adorable on a cookie try!
Jump straight to the recipe!
🐢Turtle shaped cookies
These snappy turtle cookies are so cute sitting on a plate. They are so easy to make, and would be so fun for kids to help with.
They come together by arranging 5 pieces of pecan pieces to look like the arms, legs, and head of a turtle. Cookie dough is rolled in a ball, dipped in egg white, and placed on top of the pecans.
After baking they get a spread of chocolate frosting on top. The frosting is the perfect addition and makes these cookies so good!
If you like cookies, check out all my cookies and square recipes!
🥘Ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Unsalted butter - salted butter can be substituted. Omit the extra salt in the recipe.
- Milk - Since only a little is needed, whole milk, 2% or 1% milk can be used.
- Pecan halves - Halves are easier to use because you only have to cut them in half. Whole pecans can be used too, but cutting them into 4 pieces would be difficult. They can break easily.
🔪Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°F) and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
Beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla, 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk (reserve the egg white for later use). Beat well until everything is incorporated.
Mix the dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined. Arrange pecan pieces on prepared baking tray in groups of 5, to resemble head, arms and legs of a turtle.
Lightly beat reserved egg white in a small bowl. Shape cookie dough into 1 inch balls. Dip bottom of balls in egg white and lightly press onto grouped pecans. The tips of pecans should be seen. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are light golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
When the cookies are cooled, make the chocolate frosting. Stir melted butter and cocoa powder together in a small bowl until combined. Add sugar, milk, and vanilla extract, and mix until combined and smooth.
Frost tops of the cooled cookies. Let the frosting set before storing in an air tight container.
For more step-by-step photos and instructions, see the web story for snappy turtle cookies!
✔️Expert tips
- Pecan halves are best used for this recipe since you only need to cut them in half. Pecan pieces would be too tiny, and full pecans would be too large. Cutting them into 4 would not be easy.
- Lightly press the cookie balls into the pecans. You don't want to flatten the balls.
- Make sure the pecans are sticking to the cookie ball.
- Make sure that you can see pieces of pecan after placing the cookie ball on top. The cookie will spread only a little while it bakes.
💭FAQs
You can cut the pecan halves in half and store them in an airtight container. The chocolate frosting can be made ahead too. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
After the cookies have been frosted and the frosting has had time to set, they can be frozen. Store in a freezer container between sheets of waxed paper in between layers.
🔖Related recipes
📋 Recipe
Snappy Turtle Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large egg room temperature, divided
- 1 cup pecan halves cut in half lengthwise
Chocolate Frosting
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons milk
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°F). Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
- Beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla, 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk (reserve the egg white). Beat well.
- Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined. Arrange pecan pieces on prepared baking tray in groups of 5, to resemble head, arms and legs of a turtle.
- Lightly beat reserved egg white in a small bowl. Shape cookie dough into 1 inch balls. Dip bottom of balls in egg white and lightly press onto grouped pecans. The tips of pecans should be seen. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are light golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Chocolate Frosting
- Stir melted butter and cocoa powder together in a small bowl until combined. Add sugar, milk, and vanilla extract, and mix until combined and smooth.
- Frost tops of cooled cookies. Let the frosting set before storing in an air tight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Salted butter can be substituted. Omit the extra salt in the recipe.
- Since only a little is needed, whole milk, 2% or 1% milk can be used.
- Pecan halves are best used for this recipe since you only need to cut them in half. Pecan pieces would be too tiny, and full pecans would be too large. Cutting them into 4 would not be easy.
- Lightly press the cookie balls into the pecans. You don't want to flatten the balls.
- Make sure the pecans are sticking to the cookie ball.
- Make sure that you can see pieces of pecan after placing the cookie ball on top. The cookie will spread only a little while it bakes.
Did you try this recipe? Comment below to let me know ☺️