These melt in your mouth Gluten-Free Turtle Bars have the perfect buttery crunch. A buttery cookie layer topped with caramel, pecans, and dark chocolate.

If you are a gluten-free chocolate dessert fan you are going to swoon over these easy gluten-free turtles in bar form. If you like these gluten-free turtle bars you might also like my Gluten-Free Seven Layer Bars.

For more sweet treats check out my Gluten-Free Desserts.

Gluten-Free Turtle Bars

Deliciously decadent dessert doesn’t have to mean difficult to make. Three incredibly simple layers is all it takes to create the perfect Gluten-Free Turtle Bar. It only has five ingredients, which may seem deceptively simple for how delicious these gluten-free turtle bars taste.

But really, the most delicious things in life don’t have to be that hard to make. It almost makes them better, them being so easy to make, if you think about it.

They’re easy to make, and even more satisfyingly to eat. These gluten-free turtle bars are perfect paired with your favorite red wine or cold milk. You’ll be reaching for these bars all evening.

Of course, when you share these mouth-watering treats with your guests, you don’t have to tell them how easy they were to make. If you decide to share them (but I recommend you do, it’s worth it).

We’ve been making these Gluten-Free Turtle Bars for over ten years now. This recipe was first published in my cookbook, Sweet & Simple Gluten-Free Baking. It’s one of my most popular recipes, and one that I make for pot lucks and family dinners. This recipe is super simple to double, and it freezes well.

Ingredients in Gluten-Free Turtle Bars

• butter
• all-purpose gluten-free flour blend
• brown sugar
• pecan pieces
• gluten-free chocolate chips

No, seriously. This gluten-free turtle bars recipe is made using ONLY those five ingredients. Want to know how to make them?

How to make gluten-free turtle bars

These gluten-free turtle bars are full of fat and sugar and are seriously addicting. I usually make them for parties so I can share them and not eat them all myself.

1. For the crust- Using a spatula or fork, in a medium mixing bowl combine 1/2 cup butter, flour and 1 cup brown sugar until the mixture forms fine crumbs. Press the mixture into an un-greased 9x13X2 inch pan. Sprinkle the crust with the pecan pieces; set aside.
2. For the caramel layer- Combine 2/3 cup butter and 1/2 brown sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue to boil for 1 minute.
3. Drizzle the caramel mixture evenly over the crust.
4. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven.
5. For the topping- Immediately after removing the crust from the oven, sprinkle it with chocolate chips. Allow the chocolate chips to stand for 5-10 minutes so that they will melt. Using the back of a spoon spread the chocolate evenly over the surface of the bars.
6. Let the bars cool completely before cutting.

Super easy, right? See the gluten-free turtle bars recipe card below for the full list of ingredients.

Confession: I sometimes can’t wait for the Gluten-Free Turtle Bars to set up and I eat them hot and gooey with a spoon. Don’t tell my kids. They would be super made that I snuck a bite without them (also they would think it was gross that I ate out of the pan even though I don’t double dip my spoon).

Just a warning, these Gluten-Free Turtle Bars are super sweet and rich. One bar is more than enough to curb any sweet tooth.

If you make these gluten-free turtle bars please stop back by and leave a starred review and comment letting me know what you thought!

Yield: 24

Gluten-Free Turtle Bars

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These melt in your mouth Gluten-Free Turtle Bars have the perfect buttery crunch. The cookie layer, caramel, pecans, and dark chocolate will have your mouth singing.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

For the cookie crust:

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour blend
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup pecan pieces

For the caramel layer:

• 2/3 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

For the topping:

• 1 cup gluten-free chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Position the oven rack in center of oven.
2. For the crust- Using a spatula or fork, in a medium mixing bowl combine 1/2 cup butter, flour and 1 cup brown sugar until the mixture forms fine crumbs. Press the mixture into an un-greased 9x13X2 inch pan. Sprinkle the crust with the pecan pieces; set aside.
3. For the caramel layer- Combine 2/3 cup butter and 1/2 brown sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue to boil for 1 minute.
4. Drizzle the caramel mixture evenly over the crust.
5. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven.
6. For the topping- Immediately after removing the crust from the oven, sprinkle it with chocolate chips. Allow the chocolate chips to stand for 5-10 minutes so that they will melt. Using the back of a spoon spread the chocolate evenly over the surface of the bars.
7. Let the bars cool completely before cutting.
8. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1 bar
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 225Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 75mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 2g