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Home / Dessert

Turtle-Twix Thumbprint Cookies

3.93
/5
80 Comments
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By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 03/25/2015

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.


Thumbprint cookies are such a classic… this spin on them includes a gooey caramel center and drizzled melted chocolate.  Tastes just like a Twix!


Easy to make shortbread cookies filled with a decadent caramel sauce and salty pecan pieces, drizzled with creamy melted chocolate…. they taste just like a Twix bar mixed with a turtle candy!

Turtle Twix Thumbprint Cookies | The Chunky Chef | Thumbprint cookies are such a classic... this spin on them includes a gooey caramel center and drizzled melted chocolate. Tastes just like a Twix!

Thumbprint cookies are such a classic... this spin on them includes a gooey caramel center and drizzled melted chocolate. Tastes just like a Twix!

Okay, I have a very serious question… what is your favorite candy bar?  I know, I know… it’s hard to answer isn’t it?  I like wayyyyyy too many to list, (I am the CHUNKY chef after all lol), but one of them is definitely a Twix bar!  That crisp bottom, gooey center, all covered in rich milk chocolate… *drool*.  So when I came across this recipe for a Twix inspired cookie, I knew I absolutely had to try it!

I bet you’re probably thinking, “Ummm, twix doesn’t have pecans, ya crazy lady”.  And you’re right 😉  But there’s another candy I love, turtles, and I thought I would mesh the two together.  Man is it ever good!

I also made some regular Twix cookies, sans the toasted pecans… and they are equally good!

These cookies come together pretty quickly, the only real downtime you have is when the dough is chilling, and then once the cookies are cooling (although that doesn’t take too long).

You only need 5 ingredients for the shortbread cookie, and another 4 for the caramel and chocolate… so only 9 ingredients.  That’s all that’s standing in your way of some of these fantastic cookies!

Start by creaming your butter, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla in a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer).  Once it is light and fluffy, slowly add in your flour.

Tip:  I always add in my flour in 1/3 batches.  So no matter how much flour I’m adding, I still only add it in thirds.  This ensures a well combined dough 🙂

Your dough at this point will be packed and fairly firm.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for about 1 hour.

Roll some dough in your hands to form a ball, about the size of a marble.  I used my teaspoon measuring spoon and made it a rounded teaspoon of dough.  Place them on parchment paper lined baking sheets about 2 inches or so apart, I did 12 cookies per baking sheet.

Now you can use your thumb, or whatever you want, to make the indentation (the “thumbprint”).

Thumbprint cookies are such a classic... this spin on them includes a gooey caramel center and drizzled melted chocolate. Tastes just like a Twix!
I used our corn on the cob holders, but you could use the round handle of a wooden spoon, or anything round that fits inside the cookie

Bake the cookies for 7-10 minutes (mine were done in 8).  As your cookies bake, the indentations will sort of puff up… that’s okay and easily fixed.

Thumbprint cookies are such a classic... this spin on them includes a gooey caramel center and drizzled melted chocolate. Tastes just like a Twix!
Just use the same tool you used to make the first indentation and lightly press down again

Lay your cookies on a wire cooling rack for about 30 minutes or so, or until cooled.

For the caramel sauce, if you wanted to make your own… go for it!  I actually wanted to make my own salted caramel sauce, but was running short on time, so I used the caramel baking squares (Kraft brand) and just added a pinch of salt once it was melted 🙂

Thumbprint cookies are such a classic... this spin on them includes a gooey caramel center and drizzled melted chocolate. Tastes just like a Twix!

Use a teaspoon measuring spoon to pour a little caramel sauce in each cookie, careful not to overflow the indentation.  Although a little extra caramel is never really a bad thing 😉

Melt your chocolate chips and drizzle it over the cookies, let cool… then devour them!

I put the melted chocolate in a ziploc bag, sealed it, and then snipped off a corner to drizzle the chocolate.  However… I was a bit overzealous with the snipping, and cut off too much… so the chocolate pretty much just poured right out (as you can see in the top right picture in that collage).  Still tasted delicious, just wasn’t as “pretty”.

Turtle Twix Thumbprint Cookies | The Chunky Chef | Thumbprint cookies are such a classic... this spin on them includes a gooey caramel center and drizzled melted chocolate. Tastes just like a Twix!

If you wanted to make your cookies “turtles” like I did… just chop some pecans, toast them for a few minutes in a small, dry skillet over medium low heat, until they smell toasty.  Add a few pieces inside the indentations of the cooled cookies, fill with caramel, top with a few more pieces, and drizzle with chocolate 🙂

Thumbprint cookies are such a classic... this spin on them includes a gooey caramel center and drizzled melted chocolate. Tastes just like a Twix!

I loved the extra flavor and texture from the toasted pecans, although my husband preferred the regular twix cookies 🙂

Turtle Twix Thumbprint Cookies | The Chunky Chef | Thumbprint cookies are such a classic... this spin on them includes a gooey caramel center and drizzled melted chocolate. Tastes just like a Twix!

I’ve made these cookies several times, and each time is just as delicious as the first!  Once I didn’t have milk chocolate chips, so I substituted semi-sweet chips, and it worked, and was still really good… although not quite as “twix-like” as they are with the milk chocolate.  It’s really up to you 🙂

Thumbprint cookies are such a classic... this spin on them includes a gooey caramel center and drizzled melted chocolate. Tastes just like a Twix!

This recipe makes 24-36 cookies, depending on how small you make them, but could easily be doubled if you wanted.

Thumbprint cookies are such a classic... this spin on them includes a gooey caramel center and drizzled melted chocolate. Tastes just like a Twix!

I’m not even going to tell you all how many of these cookies I’ve eaten… here’s a hint… it’s A LOT  lol.  But seriously you guys, once you try one, you’ll understand… they’re so insanely delicious, and really do taste like a Twix bar!

Thumbprint cookies are such a classic... this spin on them includes a gooey caramel center and drizzled melted chocolate. Tastes just like a Twix!

For the next batch, my husband has requested that they be dipped in chocolate… so that’s definitely an option as well!

If you’re a big fan of chocolate and caramel together, try my Gooey Carmelitas, you’ll love them!  Like the small, bite sized cookies?  My Butter Pecan Cookies are perfect little morsels 🙂

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

Turtle Twix Thumbprint Cookies | The Chunky Chef | Thumbprint cookies are such a classic... this spin on them includes a gooey caramel center and drizzled melted chocolate. Tastes just like a Twix!

Turtle-Twix Thumbprint Cookies

3.93 from 14 votes
Author: The Chunky Chef
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Thumbprint cookies are such a classic... this spin on them includes a gooey caramel center and drizzled melted chocolate. Tastes just like a Twix!

Ingredients

  • Shortbread Layer:
  • 2/3 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • Caramel Filling:
  • 14 wrapped caramel candies like Kraft Caramels
  • 3 Tbsp heavy cream
  • pinch of salt if desired
  • 3-4 Tbsp chopped pecans toasted (optional)
  • Chocolate Drizzle:
  • 6 ounces milk chocolate chips
  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Instructions

  • For the shortbread cookie:
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, add softened butter, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla. Beat with the paddle attachment at medium-low speed, scraping the bowl often, until light and creamy. Add one third of the flour; beat at low speed until just combined, repeat with remaining flour. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto parchment paper lined baking sheets. Make indentation in center of each cookie with your thumb or whatever tool you choose. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until edges JUST begin to brown.
  • Repeat indentation once cookies are done baking, if necessary. Cool completely on wire cooling racks.
  • For the caramel filling:
  • Melt the caramel and heavy cream in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds or so until it is fully melted and smooth. Add pinch of salt and stir. Using a teaspoon measuring spoon, fill each indentation with the caramel.
  • For the chocolate drizzle:
  • Pour vegetable oil over chocolate chips and melt the chocolate in the microwave, stirring 30 seconds at a time until melted and smooth, and scoop into a ziploc bag. Barely snip the corner and drizzle over the cookies.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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3.93 from 14 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




  1. Rosie says

    Posted on 3/7 at 4:36 pm

    Made these at Christmas and they were a big hit! Really good and fun to make.
     Will made again and again

    Reply
  2. Kathy says

    Posted on 12/13 at 5:05 pm

    Can these be frozen??

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 12/13 at 8:19 pm

      I haven’t tested the recipe for freezing, but I think it should work okay 🙂

      Reply
  3. Hope says

    Posted on 12/2 at 3:01 pm

    Do you have to have the paddle attachment to make this recipe work? Can I just use the whisk attachment on my hand mixer?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 12/2 at 7:58 pm

      I’ve not tested the recipe with the whisk attachment, so I can’t say for sure. I think the dough might be too thick for the whisk, but you’re welcome to try it if you don’t have the paddle.

      Reply
  4. Chelsy says

    Posted on 11/14 at 1:19 pm

    Hello there!

    These look Amazing! I am curious though, how much does this recipe yield? We are doing a cookie exchange and I need about 9 dozen cookies.

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 11/14 at 1:45 pm

      This recipes makes about 2 dozen cookies, so I would 5x the recipe, then enjoy the remaining dozen yourself 😉

      Reply
  5. Natalie says

    Posted on 10/12 at 2:50 pm

    HI there, I want to make these and was wondering if I can substitute 1/2 cup flour for 1/2 cup of ground pecans. Also, will the caramel harden a bit if refrigerated. I want to ship these to school with my daughter and don’t want them to get all stuck together when i store them. Thank you

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 10/12 at 8:44 pm

      Hi Natalie, I’m not sure what you mean about substituting flour for the ground pecans… there aren’t any ground pecans in this recipe. You can add some chopped pecans to make them “turtle” twix, but they’re entirely optional. As for the caramel, yes, it should harden a bit if refrigerated, but will soften a bit once at room temperature again. I’d try laying pieces of wax paper between layers of the cookies in a box 🙂

      Reply
  6. Linda Domroes says

    Posted on 12/3 at 10:31 am

    Thank you for answering so promptly. I did refrigerate the batter overnight. Seven hours later, I took the bowl out of the fridge and let it rest for a short time. I preferred making the cookies a little larger by using tablespoons instead. They came out beautiful and yummy!
    I read all your tips which were very helpful! I’m excited to bring them to the cookie swap today.
    Thank you so much!

    Reply
  7. Linda Domroes says

    Posted on 12/2 at 8:38 pm

    These look so yummy. Would like to make them for a cookie swap. Can you make the batter and refrigerate overnight before baking?
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 12/2 at 9:38 pm

      Hi Linda 🙂 I’ve never tried it, but I think that should work alright.

      Reply
  8. Julie Meadows says

    Posted on 11/26 at 7:09 pm

    Can I freeze them after they are baked and cooled? Thanks

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 11/26 at 8:53 pm

      Hi Julie 🙂 I’ve never tried it (we always eat them too quickly lol), but I think it should work just fine.

      Reply
  9. Lynne says

    Posted on 11/25 at 9:48 pm

    Can’t wait to to try this recipe. I plan to give a tin of them out as gifts for Christmas. Can you freeze the cookies and then add the filling just before Christmas?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 11/25 at 10:47 pm

      Hi Lynne 🙂 I’ve never tried that, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work 🙂 Sounds like a wonderful gift!

      Reply
  10. Sofia says

    Posted on 8/17 at 6:24 pm

    Hi there,
    This recipe sounds amazing!
    I too love twix.
    I noticed the actual amount of sugar to be used is missing from the recipe. I tried to scroll through the comments to see if anyone asked but couldn’t find it.
    Could you please tell me how much sugar to use. I intend to bake these soon.
    Thanks,
    Sofia

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 8/17 at 8:56 pm

      Hi Sofia 🙂 There was a problem with the recipe plugin coding when I switched designs… I believe it’s fixed now. In any event, the amount of sugar is 1/2 cup and the amount of flour is 1 1/2 cups. Hope you enjoy the cookies!

      Reply
  11. chantel Ralley says

    Posted on 4/11 at 5:52 am

    Will be making these this week along with the jam kind. Thanks for sharing

    Am I able to use country crock tub butter? I don’t have unsalted stick

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 4/11 at 7:27 am

      Hi Chantel 🙂 For this one, you might want to run to the store for real butter, unfortunately. Country crock is a margarine spread, which has a lot of oil in it, and I just don’t know how well the dough would set up, or it might spread quite a bit in the oven :/

      Reply
  12. Shannon says

    Posted on 12/30 at 2:50 am

    I made these and the cookie completely “melted” as soon as I put them in the oven. I followed the recipe to the letter. The filling was delish, however.

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 12/30 at 7:32 am

      Hi Shannon! I’m sorry these didn’t turn out as expected, I know how frustrating that can be :/ Without me being there watching you bake, I can’t say why that happened, especially if you chilled the dough. Maybe chilling it for longer next time? It could be that we have our refrigerators set at different temperatures? I’m glad you liked the filling though!

      Reply
    • Sheila Levesque says

      Posted on 11/10 at 4:23 pm

      Is it possible that you tried using margarine or other non-butter spread, rather than actual butter? That, or needing to chill longer, would do what you indicated it did. You should also work fairly quickly with any refrigerated dough, and don’t “overwork” it as you’re rolling the dough balls. 
      I know this was an older thread, but thought some of the solutions may be helpful to someone else.

      Reply
  13. Jaren (Diary of a Recipe Collector) says

    Posted on 10/16 at 2:26 pm

    Turtle anything is my favorite!! Love these!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 10/18 at 10:22 pm

      Thank you Jaren!! 🙂

      Reply
  14. Joanie @ Zagleft says

    Posted on 10/16 at 9:37 am

    I love Twix and I imagine these cookies are amazing. Bite-sized makes them pretty perfect!!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 10/18 at 10:21 pm

      Thank you Joanie!! 🙂

      Reply
  15. Valerie | From Valerie's Kitchen says

    Posted on 10/15 at 11:06 pm

    You need to start selling those corn cob holders as “thumbprint makers”. It is just precisely the right size. These look so incredible. Fabulous idea for thumbprints!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 10/18 at 10:18 pm

      Thank you Valerie!! Lol, I should definitely market them that way 🙂

      Reply
  16. Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog says

    Posted on 10/15 at 8:45 pm

    These cookies look WAY too good! I love how you used a corn holder to make the thumbprint, they came out perfect!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 10/18 at 10:17 pm

      Thank you Sharon!! 😀 I was glad they ended up being the perfect size 🙂

      Reply
  17. Kacey @ The Cookie Writer says

    Posted on 10/15 at 9:23 am

    I cannot continue to come here. I leave hungry and a little ashamed with the amount of drool on my chin, haha! Seriously, though, these look amazing, and I would say my favourite chocolate bar is butterfinger!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 10/18 at 10:15 pm

      Hehe, thank you Kacey!!! Ooooh butterfingers are definitely amazing… I can’t wait for Halloween so I can steal some from my kids’ candy buckets lol 🙂

      Reply
  18. Amy Stafford says

    Posted on 10/15 at 7:12 am

    Love thumbprint cookies! They are always full of so much flavor!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 10/18 at 10:13 pm

      They’re just so cute!! 🙂

      Reply
  19. Cakespy says

    Posted on 7/22 at 9:27 am

    Amazing. That is just me stating a fact. These look like perfect cookies. I’m going to include them on my next friday’s link roundup!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 7/22 at 10:04 pm

      Thank you so much Jessie!! 🙂 I can’t even count the number of times we’ve had these cookies… they get eaten SO quickly!

      Reply
  20. SBOBET says

    Posted on 5/14 at 9:46 pm

    Thank you,I will try to do it.

    I never tired of cookies, These cookies looks awesome!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 5/14 at 10:46 pm

      Thank you! I hope you love it 😀

      Reply
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