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. 

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 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. They 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.

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 like these Gluten-Free Turtle Bars you might also like my Gluten-Free Caramel Pretzel Pecan Bars. They use similar ingredients, but the Gluten-Free Caramel Pretzel Pecan Bars have a little more of a crunch to them.

Yield: 16

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[br][br]

For the caramel layer:

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

For the topping:

• 1 cup gluten-free chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life)

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:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 5053 Total Fat: 270g Carbohydrates: 623g Protein: 68g