Have you ever made caramel turtle candies? I have a recipe for them in my book Sally’s Candy Addiction. They’re made with 3 key components: caramel, chocolate, and pecans. Today we’re taking the same flavors and serving them as a turtle brownie pie on a bed of crushed Oreo cookies. Consider it the brownie version of my caramel turtle cheesecake. Get ready for this.
Tell Me About This Caramel Turtle Brownie Pie
Texture: This pie is mega-rich. Each bite delivers a chewy caramel fudge brownie, studded with pecans and chocolate chips, on a crisp, buttery Oreo cookie crumb crust. Flavor: Chocolate. Caramel. Pecans. Oreos. Any questions? Ease: While there’s a few separate parts to this pie, and there’s nothing difficult about any of them. The 2-ingredient Oreo pie crust is quick and easy, and there’s no pre-baking required. The brownie batter can be made in 1 bowl and whisked by hand. Make the brown sugar caramel sauce on the stove while the pie is in the oven. It’s a less-fussy way to make homemade caramel, and—though you can use one if desired—there’s no candy thermometer needed. It’s basically the same delicious sauce we use on this pecan pie cheesecake!
The best part? Not only will you use homemade caramel sauce for topping, you’ll prick the warm pie all over with a fork and spread the caramel right on top so it gloriously seeps down into the pie. YES! Grind the Oreos into crumbs, stir in the melted butter, and press into a 9-inch pie dish. It’s the same exact crust you use for cookies & cream pie and mocha chocolate pudding pie, but there is NO pre-baking required for this recipe. If you ever need more help making an Oreo cookie crust, see my Oreo crust recipe & shaping tips.
Here’s Everything You Need After Making the Crust:
You can prepare the caramel sauce ahead of time or make it while the brownie pie bakes, which is what I usually do. See more about the caramel sauce below.
Make the Brownie Pie Filling
Tip: Do not make brownie batter in advance. Because butter is solid at room temperature and because cocoa powder and flour soak up liquid, this brownie batter will thicken the longer it sits. Mix it up immediately before spreading into the crust.
Make the Easy Caramel Sauce
If you have some extra salted caramel leftover from making a caramel apple cheesecake pie, you can warm that up and use it instead. I wanted to try something a little different for this pie. Today’s caramel is similar to the topping used on this pecan pie cheesecake; I loved it and wanted to make use of it again! It’s very similar to the sauce from caramel monkey bread, too.
Butter & Oil: Melted butter is the base of this brownie pie filling. I always love how vegetable oil keeps chocolate cake soft and moist, so I added some here. Granulated Sugar: Whisking granulated sugar into warm butter helps the sugar migrate to the top of the batter as the pie bakes, creating that shiny, crackly top—brownies’ signature! Eggs: Eggs are the main performer in this recipe by adding structure and texture. You need 3 eggs total: 2 whole eggs + 1 egg yolk. An extra egg yolk makes for a rich and chewy texture, just as it does in these chewy chocolate chip cookies. Vanilla Extract: Flavor enhancer #1. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: All of the chocolate flavor comes from cocoa powder, so you don’t need baking chocolate like in these frosted brownies. You can use natural or dutch-process. Flour: All-purpose flour adds structure. Salt: Flavor enhancer #2. Add-ins: Chopped pecans and chocolate chips add wonderful texture to the chewy brownie filling.
And now the best part… prick the warm brownie pie all over with a fork and spread some of the warm caramel sauce all over the top. Like a “poke cake” recipe of sorts, but with brownies and caramel:
Topping This Caramel Turtle Brownie Pie
The toppings are the pie’s main accessories. Let the caramel-infused brownie pie cool for about 1 hour before topping and serving. It can still be slightly warm. Top with more pecans, more of the homemade caramel sauce, some melted chocolate (optional), and a pie’s best friend: whipped cream. Taste testers also loved the slightly warm pie with vanilla ice cream. If you’re going to indulge, you might as well go for dessert gold. This recipe is part of Sally’s Pie Week, an annual tradition where I share a handful of new recipes that fit into the pie/crisp/tart category. Join the community below!
