Crunchy, chocolatey on the outside, sweet and creamy on the inside. These turtle cookie balls are rich in both flavor and texture. These bite-size morsels are not only scrumptious but cute too! They make the perfect holiday treat for adults and kids as well, everyone will love them!
What are Turtle cookie balls?
This is a no-bake dessert consisting of cream cheese, caramel topping, and crushed wafer mixture, that is rolled into balls, dipped in melted chocolate, and topped with chopped pecans. This dessert is usually eaten on special occasions or holidays.
Turtle Cookie Fact
• These cookies get the name “Turtle” from the caramel, chocolate, and pecan ingredients in the recipe, which is said to be the same ingredients used in the famous DeMets Turtles-Shaped Chocolates. This has further influenced the names of other desserts with the same ingredients such as cakes, pies, and ice cream.
Origins
Turtle Cookies were first invented in the early 1930s by the owners of the Hooper’s confectionary, Bobbi and Louis Hooper in Oakland, California. Back then they would make delivers of chocolates and cookies via a Harley Davidson motorcycle all over the city.
When This Should Be Eaten
These chocolate covered cheese balls make a good snack, make a batch or two to share with friends and family on special occasions such as baby showers, birthdays, and anniversaries. They are also good for festive holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Thanksgiving. Present these to your loved ones as a gift and they will love them.
Best Served With
Turtle cookie balls go nicely with a glass of milk, coffee, or ice cream. Share them with friends and family or eat them all yourself (I won’t judge). Drizzle with caramel or white chocolate for extra flavor and appeal!
Essential Steps
Cover With Chocolate- After We removed the cookie balls from the freezer and portioned them, we dipped each of the balls in chocolate. This added not only a color but flavor, and also provided adhesive for the chopped pecans to adhere.
Refrigerate the Turtle Balls- After the cookie balls were sprinkling with chopped pecans, we transferred them to a lined baking pan and placed them in the fridge for an hour until they became firm.
How We Made It!
These chocolate-covered treats were so easy to make, that we finished in no time! We started by mixing together the cream cheese, crushed wafers, and caramel topping. After this, we portioned the mixture into 1” balls and put them in the freezer for 10 minutes.
After that, we removed them from the freezer and submerged each ball in chocolate. After, we topped them with chopped nuts and place them online baking tray and in the fridge for an hour to set.
Why Should You Make Turtle Cookie Balls?
Turtle cookie balls are extremely simple to make, only contain 5 ingredients which, I might add are inexpensive! You can make this bite-sized dessert in just 4 steps and the recipe yields at most 42 servings. Just imagine how many people you could gift these homemade treats. I’m sure they’ll appreciate both the thought and taste!
Terms Used In The Recipe
Waxed Paper- This is paper that has been made moisture-proof through the application of paraffin wax, It is used for lining countertops to prevent spills, it is also used for cold storage.
Semi-Sweet Chocolate- This is chocolate that contains around 60% cacao. Another name for semi-sweet chocolate is dark chocolate.
Questions And Answers
Q: What can I use instead of Chopped Pecans?
A: Can’t stand the taste of pecans? Not to worry you can use either hickory nuts or walnuts. To replace them, use in ether alternative in a 1:1 ratio.
Q: How many wafers make up 2 1/3 cups?
A: there are approximately 69-70 crushed wafers in 2 1/3 cups.
Our recipe is so easy, absolutely anyone could make this dessert! With just five ingredients and four steps, you can prepare turtle cookie balls in a mere half an hour. Savor the rich and creamy taste of these chocolate dipped treats, there’s nothing like a homemade dessert.
Turtle Cookie Balls

Soft and decadent chocolate covered cream cheese balls with chopped pecans for an extra crunch. These mini treats are pleasing to the eyes and palate!
Ingredients
- 1 cup cream cheese
- 2 1/3 cup vanilla wafers (finely crushed)
- 3 tbsp caramel topping
- 2 cups semi-sweet baking chocolate
- 1/4 cup pecans (chopped)
Instructions
- Combine the cream cheese, wafers and caramel topping until well blended.
- Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls (this should give you 42 cheese balls) and place them in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stir at each interval until smooth and melted.
- dip each cheese ball into the chocolate (allow the excess to drain off ) and place on a tray lined with parchment paper.
- Sprinkle with the chopped pecans and refrigerate for about hour or until they firm up, then serve.