Chocolate Caramel Turtle Cupcakes

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Chocolate Caramel Turtle Cupcakes have creamy caramel, chocolate chips and pecans on the inside and are topped with chocolate buttercream. They have an unbeatable fudgy, brownie-like flavor and texture.

chocolate-caramel-turtle-cupcakes

OK, friends.  I have a special recipe to share with you today.  These Chocolate Caramel Turtle Cupcakes were one of those recipes that was swimming in my head for awhile.  But I didn’t allow these to stay in my head for long.  Just a few days after I put these together in my mind, we had a weekend full of three parties.  When those kind of weekends roll around, I bake up serious amounts of desserts, because I know I can take them to the parties and not end up eating the decadent treats all myself.  I like to spread around the calories and not keep them all to myself, ya know?

If you love chocolate cake, caramel, pecans, chocolate chips and chocolate buttercream, you’ll be so happy to meet these little Chocolate Caramel Turtle Cupcakes. The chocolate cupcakes themselves have a gooey caramel filling, chocolate chips and pecans throughout.

chocolate-caramel-turtle-cupcakes

Chocolate Caramel Turtle Cupcakes are easy to make.  Here are a few hints for making these:

1. You’ll start with a Duncan Hines chocolate cake mix. Instead of using the water and oil as it says on the back of the box, use butter and milk.  You’ll use the same amounts, but switching to butter and milk will give you more of a bakery flavor to your cupcakes.  So you’ll add 3 eggs, 1 stick of softened butter and 1 ¼ cups milk to your dry cake mix.

2. Fill cupcake liners half full with cake batter.  Bake this for 7 minutes at 350 degrees. You’re doing this step so that the caramel in the middle doesn’t sink to the bottom of the cupcake when it is baking.  You want it to bake nicely in the center of the cupcake!

chocolate-caramel-turtle-cupcakes

3.  While the cupcakes are baking for those 7 minutes, melt your caramels, butter and sweetened condensed milk together on the stovetop over medium-low heat.  Keep stirring until your caramel is soft and smooth.

4.  Put a spoonful of this melted caramel over each partially baked cupcake.  Then fill the cupcakes liners to the top with the remaining cake batter.  Sprinkle some chocolate chips and chopped pecans on top of the batter and bake the remaining 13-15 minutes until a toothpick comes out of the center of the cupcake without any cake batter on it.

These Chocolate Caramel Turtle Cupcakes…they’re fudgy. FULL of chocolate flavor. Almost brownie-like in texture with the extra caramel and chocolate inside.

Just try not to eat one of these turtle cupcakes fresh from the oven with that gooey caramel and those melty chocolate chips inside.  Even without the buttercream, they’re amazing!

Q: What is your favorite cupcake flavor?

chocolate turtle cupcake on a wrapper
chocolate turtle cupcake on a wrapper

Chocolate Caramel Turtle Cupcakes

4.80 from 5 votes
Caramel Turtle Cupcakes have creamy caramel, chocolate chips and pecans on the inside and are topped with chocolate buttercream. The best!
Servings 24 servings
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

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Ingredients
 

  • 1 Duncan Hines chocolate cake mix 16.25 ounces
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1 1/4 cup milk 2%
  • 1 bag Kraft Caramel Bits 11 ounces
  • 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 recipe Chocolate Buttercream
  • Semi-sweet chocolate chips and extra chopped pecans if desired, for topping

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the dry cake mix, eggs, 1 stick of softened butter and milk.
  • Beat this on low to medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl, as needed.
  • Fill 24 cupcake liners ½ full with the cake batter.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes.
  • While the cupcakes are baking, melt the caramel bits, sweetened condensed milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir often until the caramel is soft and completely smooth.
  • Remove the cupcakes from the oven and put a spoonful of melted caramel on top of each cupcake half. Then fill the cupcake liners to the top with the remaining cake batter. Sprinkle the chocolate chips and pecans on top of each cupcake.
  • Bake for an additional 13-15 minutes, until the cupcakes are cooked through. You can use a toothpick to test them, but remember that there is gooey caramel in the middle that may come out on the toothpick. Just make sure there is no uncooked cake batter on the toothpick.
  • While the cupcakes are cooling, make the Chocolate Buttercream .
  • Once the cupcakes are cooled, use a cake decorating bag and Wilton tip 1M to make a swirl of frosting on top of your cupcake. Or, just use a knife to spread the frosting on top of the cupcakes.
  • If you have any remaining caramel, drizzle the caramel overtop the frosting swirls. (If the caramel has hardened, melt it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds until it is drizzling consistency.)
  • Immediately sprinkle a few chopped pecans on top of the caramel and place a chocolate chip on the top center.
  • Store in an airtight container.

Video

Notes

Make this recipe quicker by using store-bought chocolate frosting, or just leave the frosting off of the cupcakes!

Nutrition

Calories: 362kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 301mg | Potassium: 228mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 240IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 1.7mg
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Calories 362

 

About JulieJulie Clark

About Julie Clark

I'm Julie Clark, CEO and recipe developer of Tastes of Lizzy T. With my B.A. in Education and over 30 years of cooking and baking, I want to teach YOU the best of our family recipes.

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Tina
5 years ago

Hi! I love your blog! You guys do a great job! I saw these and thought these would be perfect for my niece for her Birthday party next week did you use Dark cocoa powder in frosting? It looks darker than frosting recipe picture and also does the carmel harden hard on cake after its aplied on cake say within 24 hours? Thank you!!! Tina

Sheila
5 years ago

I was just curious, could I make the chocolate cake from scratch and then follow your recipe

Mary
6 years ago

5 stars
When reading the Instructions for this recipe, at Step 8 I questioned the additional baking of 3 – 15 minutes and thought this unusual. I went back to your hints (with photos) and at #4 you state bake an additional 13-15 minutes which makes more sense.

Sharon
7 years ago

Yummy cupcakes! Can you use caramel topping
In place of the Kraft caramels?

Peggy
8 years ago

Can you substitute anything for the sweetened condensed milk so you don’t waste the rest of the can?

Leanne
8 years ago

I see this post is from quite awhile ago so I hope you see this. You have 1 stick of butter how many tablespoons or ounces of butter is this? 4oz or 8oz?

Marina
9 years ago

They look incredible and the pictures are just gorgeous!

Sue
9 years ago

Can the turtle cupcakes be frozen if already frosted? If so, what is the best way to do so?

Baby June
9 years ago

Those looks fabulous! I just love turtle flavors, these cupcakes sound perfect for that 🙂 pinned

Lisa
9 years ago

Hello, I was viewing your caramel turtle cupcakes and wondered if the cupcake batter can be frozen.

Hacer
9 years ago

I have discovered cup cakes by the magic you create, thank you:)

Hacer
9 years ago

I have known cup cakes by your inspiration.

Rebecca Cooper
9 years ago

These look divine!!

Betsy @ BPhotoArt
9 years ago

These look tasty! Thanks for sharing at Happiness is Homemade 🙂

Lizzy T
9 years ago

Thanks, Wendy!