Caramel Pecan Clusters

Caramel Pecan Clusters are a spin-off of the chocolate turtles.  They have the same great taste, but the pecans are chopped.

You can use this recipe to make the traditional turtle candies or the clusters. 

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Homemade candy makes the perfect gift for the holiday season and it isn't as hard to make as you may think! The perfect combination of crisp pecan pieces with a creamy caramel center and a delicious chocolate coating makes for the perfect sweet treat. 

There are four main steps to making the Caramel Pecan Clusters: toasting the pecans; melting the chocolate; making the dry caramel; and assembling the clusters. All of the steps are easy to do and I will walk you through each process. 

Suggested Kitchen Tools & Supplies for Homemade Caramel Pecan Clusters

For this recipe, you do not need a candy thermometer, but there are a few kitchen tools and supplies that will make the process easier.

• Double Boiler for the chocolate -- I use my Ninja Foodi with a mixing bowl on top
• 10-12" sauté pan for the caramel -- It can be non stick or stainless
• Wooden Spoon
• 2 large baking trays or sheet pans
• Fork and Spoon
• Parchment Paper

Ingredients & Substitutions

You can decide if you want to make your own caramel or melt caramel candies or if you want to use my melting chocolate recipe or temper your chocolate.

In this recipe I make the caramel but use a combination of melting wafers and chocolate chips for the chocolate.

Chocolate

You can use any type of chocolate you like, I prefer dark chocolate and find the blend of (affiliate link)Ghirardelli melting wafers and (affiliate link)Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips to be the perfect balance of sweetness in the chocolate.

You can also make milk chocolate pecan clusters by using semi-sweet chocolate chips and milk chocolate melting wafers or, if you have a major sweet tooth and love milk chocolate, then use milk chocolate chips and milk chocolate melting wafers.

The way to get the best chocolate covered candies is to temper real chocolate and skip the melting wafers and chips, but I find the method I use to be incredibly easy and the results are great. The candies stay nice and shiny and, unless it is really warm in your house, the chocolate does not come off on your hands when you are eating them. 

You can also use all melting wafers, but I find them not to have the best flavor on their own.

Homemade Caramel

I prefer to make a dry caramel which uses very few ingredients and you don't need corn syrup or any kind of invert sugar.

You will need granulated white sugar, heavy cream, butter, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. That's it!

Unfortunately, there are no substitutions when making this caramel, but if you don't want to make the caramel, you can certainly buy caramel candies and melt them down with a little heavy cream.

Just don't use too much cream, or you will end up with caramel sauce!

Pecans

I use fresh pecans that are shelled and halved in this recipe, but you can use the smaller pecan pieces if you prefer.

You can also substitute any kind of nut in place of the pecans to make different kinds of caramel clusters.

Some great choices are:

• peanuts
• cashews
• walnuts
• mixed nuts would work too!

Use whatever kind of nuts you love.

If you wanted to omit the nuts, you could technically make soft caramels covered in chocolate, but it would be a little more complicated because the nuts hold onto the soft caramel.

How to Make Homemade Caramel Pecan Clusters

I find it easiest to break this down into four steps; toasting the pecans, melting the chocolate, making the caramel, and then assembling the pecan clusters.

Toasting the Pecans

1. Measure the Pecans: Start by measuring four ounces, or about one cup, of halved pecans. If your pecans are already chopped, that's fine, too; just make sure you have about four ounces of pecans. If in doubt, toast more than a cup and use the leftovers in salads!

2. Prepare the Pan: Place a frying pan on the stove and set it to medium heat. This will ensure even toasting without burning the pecans.

3. Toast the Pecans: Add the pecans to the pan. Stir them occasionally to ensure they toast evenly. This process should take about five to seven minutes.

4. Cool the Pecans: Once toasted, transfer the pecans to a cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely before using them in your recipe.

Tips for Perfectly Toasted Pecans

Keep an Eye on the Heat: Medium heat is ideal, but if you notice the pecans browning too quickly, reduce the heat slightly.

Don't Walk Away: Nuts can go from looking untoasted to burnt in seconds, so stay close to the pan.

Stir Frequently: Regular stirring prevents any one side from burning and ensures even toasting.

Use Your Senses: You'll know the pecans are done when you can start to smell the nutty aroma.

Chopping the Pecans

Once the pecans are cool enough, you can transfer them to your cutting board and chop them into the size pieces you want in your clusters. The size really doesn't matter and is a personal preference.

You can also leave them in halves and place 2-3 pecan halves on the parchment instead of making the clusters.

Melting the Chocolate

You can use any kind of double boiler and the stove to melt the chocoalte or you can even use the microwave and put the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl.

I find it hard to regulate the heat in a microwave, so I don't usually use that method.

The best way I have found to melt chocolate for dipping is to use the Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker & Air Crisper or Instant Pot.

1. Prepare the Ninja Foodi
   • Pour four cups of water into the Ninja Foodi inner pot. Place a large glass or metal mixing bowl on top so it rests on the lip of the pot. If you don't have a mixing bowl that fits, you can use a rack and sit the bowl on the rack, but watch for steam coming from the sides and make sure it does not get into your chocolate.
   • Turn on the Foodi and select the 'Sear/Sauté' function. It defaults to high, so press 'Start'.
   • Important: Do not add the chocolate yet to avoid overheating.
2. Measure the Chocolate
   • For this recipe, use a two-to-one ratio of melting wafers to chocolate chips by weight. I use 4 ounces of chips to 8 ounces of melting wafers and that is just enough to dip the pecan clusters.
   • If you prefer milk chocolate over dark chocolate, feel free to substitute. The process remains the same.
3. Watch for steam
   • As the water heats, watch for steam and check if the bottom of the bowl is warm.
   • As soon as the bottom of the bowl is warm, switch the function to 'Slow Cook' on low to prevent overheating. Even low sear/sauté will overheat the chocolate.
   • Add the chocolate melting wafers and the chips.
   • Set the timer to 15 minutes instead of the default 8 hours.
4. Melting Process
   • Stir a few times while you make the caramel.
   • After 15 minutes, the chocolate will be nearly melted.
   • The Ninja Foodi will automatically switch to 'Keep Warm', maintaining the perfect temperature for dipping.

Make the Caramel

This process is for making a dry caramel, which means we heat sugar in a pan until it melts and turns amber, this is the actual caramel. Then we add a few ingredients to get it to the consistency we need for the caramel pecan clusters.

• Choose Your Pan:
  • Use a pan with at least an 8 or 9-inch cooking surface. It can be stainless steel or nonstick, as long as it can handle high sugar temperatures that reach upwards of 370℉/187℃
• Add Sugar:
  • Pour one cup of white granulated sugar into the pan, spreading it evenly over the bottom.
• Heat and Stir:
  • Begin heating the sugar over medium heat. Stir every minute or so until you start to see sugar rocks forming.
• Watch the Transformation:
  • As the sugar rocks form, stir constantly. You'll notice the sugar melting and turning into a liquid amber color.
• Melt Completely:
  • Continue stirring until all the sugar rocks have melted into a smooth, amber liquid.

• Add Remaining Ingredients:
  • Add three tablespoons of butter (salted or unsalted) and five tablespoons of heavy whipping cream. Stir until well incorporated.
  • The mixture will bubble and you may even see some separation of the sugar and cream, just continue to stir.
  • If you start to smell burning sugar at any point, turn the heat down or off.

• Flavor and Finish:
  • Add one teaspoon of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Stir well and remove from heat.

Assembling the Pecan Caramel Clusters

Before you get started with assembling the clusters, you will want to decide how big you want them. I like the size of them when I use ½ Tablespoon of pecans per cluster, but if you want them bigger like the one on the right in the picture below, use a full Tablespoon.

The large ones are just about the size of my palm and you can get 12 large clusters or 24 smaller ones from this recipe.

You can double or triple the recipe if you need to make more. No changes to the process.

Tips for Ensuring the Clusters Hold Together

• Make sure the caramel covers all the pecans to keep them intact when dipping in chocolate later.
• If the caramel thickens too much, you can reheat it over very low heat.

Step-by-Step Guide to Assembling the Clusters

• Prepare Your Tray:
  • Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit your tray or baking sheet. If the edges aren't lying flat, use a small amount of butter on the corners to hold it down.

• Arrange the Pecans:
  • Place about half a tablespoon of pecans in small clusters on the tray. For larger clusters, use a full tablespoon. Keep them about three inches apart to allow room for the caramel to spread.

• Drizzle the Caramel:
  • Pour about a tablespoon of caramel over each pecan cluster starting in the middle.
  • If the caramel spreads too much, let it cool slightly before drizzling to prevent excessive spreading.
  • Repeat for all the clusters of pecans on all the trays.

Once all the pecans are covered in caramel, allow them to set up at room temperature for 20-30 minutes or pop the trays into the fridge for 5-10 minutes before dipping them in chocolate.

Dipping the Clusters in Chocolate

1. Stir the Chocolate: Make sure the chocolate is a good dipping consistency. It should flow off a spoon or spatula easily.
   • You can add some coconut oil to thin it, but it won't quite set as firm.
2. Dip Quickly: Dip the clusters quickly in the warm chocolate, if they stay in the chocolate too long, the caramel will soften too much.
   • I put them caramel top side down first and then use a fork to flip and lift them out of the chocolate.
   • Allow the excess chocolate to drip off before placing it back on the tray.

Repeat for the rest of the tray of caramel covered pecans.

Optional Finishing Touches

Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle pecan pieces or a touch of Maldon salt flakes on top for added flavor and texture if desired.

Let the chocolate-covered pecan caramel clusters sit at room temperature for several hours to harden, or you can put them in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes for a quicker set.

Break one open and eat it! You have to! The calories don't count!

Storage Instructions

To keep your homemade pecan caramel clusters fresh and delicious, it's important to store them properly.

• Make sure they are fully set and placed in an airtight container.
• When layering them in a Tupperware container, use a piece of parchment paper between each layer to prevent sticking.

You can store them at room temperature for 1-2 weeks or freeze them for longer storage. If you prefer, they can also be kept in the refrigerator for several weeks.

For the best texture and flavor, serve the clusters at room temperature. If they've been refrigerated, allow them to warm up before serving to achieve that delightful ooey gooey caramel texture.

Straight from the fridge, the caramel may be a bit firmer.

More Homemade Candy Recipes

Bring a tray of homemade candy or cookies to your next holiday party or to give candy boxes as gifts.

These recipes are some of my favorites, and they are all easy to make!

Caramel Pecan Clusters Recipe

Recipe By: Louise

Toasted pecans covered in soft caramel and dipped in chocolate are the perfect treat for the whole family or make them for holiday gifts!

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Difficulty Level : Moderate

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Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Chocolate Setting Up 4 hours hrs

Total Time 5 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Candy, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 24

Calories 168 kcal

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Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

Melting Chocolate

• 8 ounces dark chocolate melting wafers
• 4 ounces dark chocolate chips

Homemade Caramel

• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 3 Tablespoons butter salted or unsalted
• 5 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅕ teaspoon fine grind sea salt

Caramel Pecan Clusters

• 4 ounces pecan halves about 1 cup
• 1 batch melting chocolate ingredients above
• 1 batch homemade caramel Ingredients above

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Instructions

 

Toast the Pecans

• Place a frying pan on the stove and set it to medium heat.

  Add the pecans to the pan. Stir them occasionally to ensure they toast evenly. This process should take about five to seven minutes.

  Once toasted, transfer the pecans to a cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely before chopping them.
  4 ounces pecan halves
• Prepare 2 large baking sheet pans by lining them with parchment. If the parchment isn't lying flat, dab the corners of the pan with butter and press the parchment down.
• Chop the cooled pecans (the size of the chop is up to you) and place ½ Tablespoon of the chopped pecans on the tray in mounds about 3" apart.

Melting Chocolate

• You can use any type of double boiler that you have to melt the chocolate. If you have the Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot and a large mixing bowl that works perfectly and here are those instructions:

  Pour four cups of water into the Ninja Foodi inner pot. Place a large glass or metal mixing bowl on top so it rests on the lip of the pot.

  If you don't have a mixing bowl that fits, you can use a rack and sit the bowl on the rack, but watch for steam coming from the sides and make sure it does not get into your chocolate.

  Turn on the Foodi and select the 'Sear/Sauté' function. It defaults to high, so press 'Start'.Important: Do not add the chocolate yet to avoid overheating.
• As the water heats, watch for steam and check if the bottom of the bowl is warm.

  As soon as the bottom of the bowl is warm, switch the function to 'Slow Cook' on low to prevent overheating. Even low sear/sauté will overheat the chocolate.

  Add the chocolate melting wafers and the chips.Set the timer to 15 minutes instead of the default 8 hours.

  Stir the chocolate occasionally. It should be melted by the time the Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot switches over from slow cook to keep warm.

  You can leave the chocolate on the keep warm setting for hours and it will stay the correct consistency.
  8 ounces dark chocolate melting wafers, 4 ounces dark chocolate chips

Homemade Caramel

• Pour one cup of white granulated sugar into a medium size sauté or frying pan, spreading it evenly over the bottom.

  Turn the heat on medium and Stir every minute or so until you start to see sugar rocks forming.

  As the sugar rocks form, stir constantly. You'll notice the sugar melting and turning into a liquid amber color.

  Continue stirring until all the sugar rocks have melted into a smooth, amber liquid.
  1 cup white granulated sugar
• Add three tablespoons of butter (salted or unsalted) and five tablespoons of heavy whipping cream.

  Stir until well incorporated. The mixture will bubble and you may even see some separation of the sugar and cream, just continue to stir.

  If you start to smell burning sugar at any point, turn the heat down or off.
  3 Tablespoons butter, 5 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• Add one teaspoon of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Stir well and remove from heat. Let the caramel cool about 3-5 minutes in the pan.
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅕ teaspoon fine grind sea salt

Assembling the Caramel Pecan Clusters

• Pour about 1 Tablespoon of caramel over each mound of chopped pecans, starting in the middle and working out to the edges of the pecans. Repeat for all the trays.

  Let the caramel set up on the pecans either at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes or in the fridge for 5-10 minutes before dipping them in chocolate.
  1 batch homemade caramel
• Stir the melting chocolate and make sure it flows off of a spatula (don't use metal to stir or it can cool the chocolate down too much) in a steady stream.

  if the chocolate is too thick, you can add some coconut oil (just a few teaspoons) to thin it out, but the chocolate will not set up as hard.
• Place one of the pecan clusters caramel side down into the chocolate and quickly flip it over with a fork (metal is fine for this step).

  Lift the cluster out of the chocolate and let the excess drip off.

  Place the chocolate covered caramel pecan cluster back onto the parchment lined tray.

  Repeat for all the pecan clusters.
  1 batch melting chocolate
• You can sprinkle some flaky salt on top or some finely chopped pecans or just leave them like they are.

  Let them set up for several hours at room temperature for the best finish. You can jump start the process by placing them in the fridge for 15 minutes, but then bring them out again.

  You don't want them to stay in the fridge too long or they will get so cold that they form condensation when at room temperature which can mess up the shiny chocolate coating.
• Serve & Enjoy!

  See the recipe notes for storage directions.

Video

https://youtu.be/RFzBMXfvOB8

Notes

To keep your homemade pecan caramel clusters fresh and delicious, it's important to store them properly.

• Make sure they are fully set and placed in an airtight container.
• When layering them in a Tupperware container, use a piece of parchment paper between each layer to prevent sticking.

You can store them at room temperature for 1-2 weeks or freeze them for longer storage. If you prefer, they can also be kept in the refrigerator for several weeks.

For the best texture and flavor, serve the clusters at room temperature. If they've been refrigerated, allow them to warm up before serving so the caramel softens. 

After refrigerating or freezing, open the container and place the clusters in a single layer at room temperature so they are less likely to form condensation on the chocolate. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1candyCalories: 168kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 1gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 39mgPotassium: 53mgFiber: 1gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 93IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 0.2mg

Course Candy, Dessert

Cuisine American

Difficulty Level Moderate

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

About the Recipe Author, Louise Long

Louise is a full-time recipe creator and food blogger @ The Salted Pepper. She has over 30 years of experience with cooking and recipe development. She owned a restaurant for several years and was a full-time RN until retiring to blog full-time.

She published her first cookbook in the Fall of 2018 and is very interested in writing several more.

Louise is also the creator of an online Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooking Course with over 100 instructional step-by-step videos. People absolutely rave about the course and all the value they have received from it.

Louise has several very active Facebook groups that help people with the basics of cooking and learning more about the appliances they love.

Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker & Air Crisper 101

Simply Cooking with Louise

Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill & Smoker

Ninja Combi Recipes & Tips

Louise is also a YouTube creator and you can find most of her recipes in video format on The Salted Pepper YouTube channel.

She is very responsive to messages and eager to help in any way she can. Get more Information about Louise & contact information

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