Healthier “candy” for the win! Let us show you how easy it is to make these 5-ingredient Vegan Chocolate Turtles!
This easy, 5-ingredient dessert starts by mixing dates and almond meal to form a moldable dough that acts as the turtle base.
Next, toast pecans and add four to each turtle to make the “legs.” We could squeal at the cuteness happening right here.
Last, melt chocolate and coconut oil and top the turtles to make the “shells”!
We know! It’s all very cute! And delicious.
We hope you LOVE these turtles! They’re:
Quick & easy to make
Healthier than your average candy
Kind of adorable
& Incredibly delicious!
These would make the perfect healthier treats to give out or enjoy this Halloween! But they also freeze well and are the perfect healthier dessert to have around when sweet cravings strike.
More Easy Desserts
- 10-Minute Vegan Chocolate Truffles
- Vegan Chocolate Protein Pudding (2 Ways!)
- Mini Blueberry Galettes
- No-Bake Vanilla Cake Bites
- Raw Vegan/GF Carrot Cake
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
5-Ingredient Vegan Chocolate Turtles
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw pecan halves
- 1 ½ cups packed large pitted dates (if dry, soak in hot water 10 minutes, then drain // 16 dates yield ~1 ½ cups)
- 3 Tbsp almond meal (ground from raw almonds)
- 2/3 cup chopped vegan dark chocolate
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and roast pecans on a bare baking sheet for 10-12 minutes (watch carefully as not to burn). Set aside.
- In the meantime, add pitted dates to a food processor and pulse/mix until small bits remain or a ball forms. Then add almond meal and pulse again. If dough appears too sticky to handle, add more almond meal and pulse to combine.
- Using your hands, form the date mixture into 8 small, round discs and place on a parchment-lined pan. Add four toasted pecan halves to make the turtle “legs,” then freeze 10 minutes to harden.
- In the meantime, melt chocolate and coconut oil over a double boiler on the stovetop (a ceramic or glass bowl set over a saucepan with 1 inch simmering water will work) or in the microwave in 30-second increments and set aside.
- Remove turtles from freezer and top each with a generous spoonful of melted chocolate. Use the spoon to evenly coat the tops of the candies. If you have leftover chocolate, reserve it for another use, like dipping strawberries or bananas.
- Pop turtles back in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to set. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days, or the freezer up to 1 month. If frozen, set out for 10 minutes before consuming for best results.
Meg says
Wow! So easy to make and a true delight! Added some flaky salt on the top to add a salted caramel like taste. Will be making these again and again!
Ooo great add, Meg! 🙌 We’re so glad you enjoy them! xoxo
Adriana says
Love this recipe. the flavors remind so much of a praline but in a healthier way! Can’t wait to make these again! The only thing I would change for next time is to make smaller turtles to have a better patty to pecan ration!
Yay! Thanks so much for the review, Adriana!
Harlie says
Hi I have all purpose wheat flour can I substitute that instead?
Hi Harlie, unfortunately the flour in this recipe is not baked so you need to use a type of flour that can be eaten raw for food safety. Coconut flour, almond flour, almond meal, or even pecan “meal” would work best. Hope this helps!
Kim says
Wow, this recipe is amazing! I ended up making smaller turtles and was able to make about 25 little turtles with this recipe! Still large enough to fit 2-4 pecans on each though. I used my vitamix, and the only complaint is cleaning up the dates off the blender afterwards. Looking forward to sharing these with friends & family!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Kim! We’re so glad you enjoyed the result! xo
Kristin Ackerman says
SO GOOD! And quick! Will make these again and again!
Yay! Thanks, Kristin!
Miriam Miller says
These look delicious. Due to allergies, I was wondering if almond meal can be substituted for flour? Also, can I use a different type of oil?
Hi Miriam, we’d suggest oat flour. We wouldn’t suggest another oil for coconut oil, but you could leave it out.
Abigail Jacob says
OMG I discovered these 2 weeks ago and I’m making them today for the 3rd time. They are so yummy and the perfect little treat. Easy to store and eat directly from the freezer. I have such a sweet tooth so am always looking for alternates to sugar. This treat really ticks all the boxes!! Another hit!! Thanks
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy them, Abigail. Thanks so much for sharing! xo
abi says
I found these tonight and made them so quickly. they really satisfied my craving for something sweet. i love how the dates and chocolate really combine well to mimic the turtles. Thanks for another great recipe! So quick and easy to follow. Brilliant!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks so much for sharing, Abi!
Shannon says
So easy and so good and just like store bought turtles (but better)
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Shannon! xo
Amy says
These are my absolute favorite! They are a perfect dessert or treat during the day.
Love them!
We’re so glad you enjoy them, Amy! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Cheryl Mandell says
Thanks so much! So simple – so delicious. Made them for a lunch at our place and 2 people asked for the recipe. They couldn’t believe how easy they were to make. Still have a few in my freezer….I’m sure my grandson will love them too!
Yay! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed them. Thanks for the lovely review, Cheryl!
Nicole says
These are an absolute dream. A wee bit labor intensive but very worth it. Topped mine with a little bit of sea salt.
We’re so glad you enjoy them, Nicole! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Annie Blodgett says
My second year making these for Christmas! My whole family loves them :)
Yay! Thanks so much for sharing, Annie! xo
Charlene says
Delicious and ingenious! My store didn’t have dates in the bulk section, which I like to buy from to eliminate packaging waste, but had other fruits so I used dried cherries instead. I love how simple to make and delicious these were. Thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Charlene! Thanks so much for sharing!
Ana says
I made this with oat flour because I didn’t have almonds and replaced the chocolate with self made chocolate from coconut oil, cacao powder and maple sirop.
It was so delicious!
Thank you!
So lovely! Thanks for sharing, Ana!
Morgan says
Sooo yummy! I got a little “maximal” when making these.
To the dates, I added 2 tsp of white miso paste, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and a little coconut flour because my date paste ended up being a little wet.
After I covered and dipped them in chocolate, I gave them a sprinkle of salt.
Simply amazing! Thanks for the inspo!
Love the creativity! Thanks for sharing, Morgan!
April says
Made these several times…..so good! I also add a little vanilla and cinnamon to the date/almond mix. Also have topped with white chocolate, which is also really good.
Thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoy them, April! And love your additions! Thanks for sharing!
kessie says
Hello, could you mix with a blender if you do not have a food processor?
Thanks these look amazing!!!
It might work, but we have found that blenders can overheat with dates.
Vicky says
These turtles are magical! I’ve been wanting to make these as soon as they where posted but I always kept forgetting or didn’t have enough time ( I have a very demanding toddler who doesn’t like me to be busy in the kitchen much). I finally made them last night and WOW I can’t believe how delicious they are! I guess I’m surprised! The flavors and textures go so well together it’s amazing! So delicious! Thank you for exceeding my expectations one more time!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Vicky! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Nancy R. says
Hello! I am going to make these for a party I am going to with a vegan family. I’m so excited to make these turtles, but I don’t care for dark chocolate. I hope there is a vegan milk chocolate! Is that a possibility or do you have any suggestions? Thanks!!!
Hi Nancy, we haven’t tried it with a vegan milk chocolate, but you may we able to find some at the store!
Sylvie says
So quick and easy! I had coconut flour on hand (instead of almond) and they turned out amazing! I also added a pinch of salt and cinnamon to the date mixture and voila! Amazing turnout!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Sylvie! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Hallie says
Can you sub anything else for the almond meal?
Thank you!
We would recommend coconut flour!
Ellie says
I made these a second time today in preparation for my vegan sister and her family coming into town tomorrow, and I messed up a bit; I got cocky because I had made them before, so I didn’t read the recipe carefully this time and I ended up blending the dates along with the almond meal all at once, instead of blending the dates first and then adding the meal. So the texture wasn’t quite as creamy, so I decided to add a few tablespoons of boiling water to make it blend more easily. It worked, but then I had to add a lot more of the almond meal to make it firm enough to handle without collapsing and sticking. I ended up adding almost 1/2 of a cup of extra almond meal, but it was still delicious, and I ended up with enough for 14 good-sized turtles! It was less sweet this time due to the dilution of the date to almond ratio, but I actually think some people might prefer that! I added a few punches of salt to the date caramel as well as a scraped vanilla pod. Super yummy! It got the thumbs up of approval from my non-vegan 8-year old nephew (although I didn’t tell him it had dates in it, so he thought it was just regular caramel). I will let you know what my sister’s kids think!
Great problem solving! We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe and that your nephew enjoyed as well =) Thanks for sharing!
Sorcia says
Oh! I forgot to rate this recipe with my last comment, so here is my 5 stars ⭐️
I also want to add that every time I follow an internet recipe, I am usually disappointed. So you get an extra star from me ?
Aww, thanks so much, Sorcia! We’re so glad you enjoyed these!
Sorcia says
LOVE Love Love this recipe. Super simple, so delicious! I don’t even miss the caramel. (Yay!!!!!!!)
My one caveat would be that the turtles work better smaller for me. Like two bites worth, with the date/almond meal disks being about the size of a Canadian loonie. Otherwise the date mix seems a bit intense.
Thanks for sharing! ?
Marissa says
My daughter and I just made these to have as an additional Thanksgiving dessert tomorrow. We doubled the batch and made about 20 turtles. They are absolutely delicious. We used Theo’s 70% dark chocolate baking bars. My mother-in-law said she enjoyed them more than regular store bought turtles. Thank you for a wonderful and easy recipe. I will definitely be making these again before Christmas and giving them as gifts.
We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed these, Marissa! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Babs says
Wow, so good. You’ve done it again Dana. I decided to make them smaller as they are quite rich. Left over chocolate, haha! I just piled it on. So yummy. Thank you creative one!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing!
Shannon Brady says
I kept seeing these on instagram, and after a few days they looked so good I had to make them. They were fantastic and SO EASY! It barely took me 15 to throw them together and they were delicious. The only “meal” I had on hand was flaxseed meal. This left a slightly strange after taste but after firming up in the fridge they tasted great! However, next time I will use the recommended almond meal.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Shannon! Thanks for sharing! Definitely try with almond meal next time =)
Ellie says
These are so good! I added some kosher salt flakes to the tops of about 2/3 of these, which I thought made them taste even better! I will make these again for my sister’s vegan family when they come into town for the holidays.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Ellie! What a great sister =) Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Jo says
These were so delish. I just made each “turtle” smaller. So I made about 12. Definitely making again. Thanks for sharing.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Jo!
Laurence says
Turtles were my favorite chocolates before I turned vegan and this recipe is very close to the real thing (and even better because I know exactly what’s in it)! I decided to put chocolate on both sides and it was a very good idea. Next time I will do smaller turtles to have the impression I have more!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Laurence!
Karisa Yoder says
Amazing! Decadent and dreamy! I saw them on Instagram and made them the next day! They were simple to make, and I didn’t even need to use oil for the chocolate (Trader Joe’s Chocolate chips). I’m keeping a batch in the freezer to keep as a treat!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Karisa!
Tavon Mayweather says
I absolutely recommend this! OMFG so simple yet so damn delicious! Great job!
Thanks, Tavon!
Rachel >> Strangers on a Plain says
I’m going to need to make these because everyone in the family can eat them.
Chantal says
I just made these and my oh my they are yummy. I used regular chocolate as I didn’t have any vegan chocolate to hand. These are definitely a winner. Thank you!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Chantal!
Lauren says
After hauling home 7 lbs of Halloween candy, my kids put up a resistance to our “mommy and daddy tax!” Seeing this recipe on Insta, I had to make them for hubby and me…. for after the kids are in bed, because now I’m I the one who’s not sharing! Yummy!!
Ha! Hope you loved them, Lauren!
Lauren says
Thanks for great recipes!! ?
Aviva says
Can I use almond flour instead of almond meal in this recipe?
Yep!
Aza says
Dana, this looks AMAZING! I gotta do it! Just brilliant. Thank you.
Hope you love them, Aza!
patricia says
Allergic to all raw nuts and some roasted – is there another flour that can be substituted for the almond or perhaps use roasted almonds instead?
How about coconut?
Makenzie says
How delicious AND easy! 5 stars for sure!!
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Makenzie!
Amanda says
Super easy to make and oh so satisfying! I made these as a gift for a family member and I can’t wait for them to try these! Now I’m going to have to make a batch for myself!
Great! Thanks for sharing, Amanda!
Hunter O. says
Hey! So I’m intolerant to almonds. What could I use in place of almond meal?
Thank you!
We would recommend coconut flour!
Maureen says
I LOVE turtles but haven’t made them in so long due to the unhealthy ingredients so I’m VERY happy to see this recipe! Can’t wait to make them for Christmas Eve!
Thanks Dana!
Great idea, Maureen! Hope you love them.
Emily says
Do you think you can use date paste instead of whole dates or would that be too sticky?
May be too sticky, but let us know how it goes!
Asiya says
What can I substitute for the almond meal, I am allergic to them?
Coconut flour!
Laura says
These are so cute and sound delicious!
Oce W says
I just saw these on Instagram, and happened to have all the ingredients therefore I had to make them! They are delicious! I followed recipe exactly. I only was able to bake pecans for 7/8min after burning the first batch, however I used a breville toaster oven, so perhaps that was my problem. Also, I made 16 from the recipe, which were nice bite size! Delicious! Thanks!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Oce!!
Laura says
What type of food processor do you use?
Hi Laura, this is the one we have! Hope that helps!