Fresh Milled Flour Turtle Cookies

Soft, chewy turtle cookies made with fresh milled soft white wheat, chocolate chips, and pecans. Easy to make, and they bake in 10 to 12 minutes. Makes about 24 cookies.

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These turtle cookies are soft in the middle, a little crisp on the edges, and loaded with chocolate chips and chopped pecans. They’re made with fresh milled soft white wheat instead of bagged flour. Using both butter and lard gives them a rich, chewy bite, and the brown sugar adds that warm caramel flavor you expect from a turtle.

This recipe uses 2 1/8 cups (275 grams) of fresh milled soft white wheat flour and makes about 24 cookies. You cream the butter and sugars first, then mix in the rest, and use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop (a #30 scoop) to portion the dough. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden brown. Every ingredient is listed in cups and grams below.

These are one of our favorite cookies especially for fall. I never have to worry about them going to waste because there are never any leftovers.

Soft white wheat is the best wheat for cookies. It mills into a lighter, more tender flour than hard wheat, so your cookies stay soft and don’t turn dense or bready. If you are new to milling your own flour, my Fresh Milled Flour Baking Guide for Beginners walks you through the basics, including which wheat berries to use for what.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• 1/2 cup butter, softened (113g)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150g)
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed (150g)
• 1/2 cup lard, melted. You can substitute any other oil. (about 100 to 105g, depending on the fat you use)
• 2 large eggs (about 100g )
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract (6g)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (5g)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (3g)
• 2 1/8 cups fresh milled soft white wheat flour (275g)
• 2 cups chocolate chips (340g)
• 1 cup chopped pecans (113g)
• 1/4 cup salted caramel (for drizzling on top)

What You’ll Need

• A large mixing bowl
• A stand mixer or hand mixer
• A small bowl
• A 2 tablespoon cookie scoop (a #30 scoop)
• Baking sheets
• Parchment paper
• A wire cooling rack

How to Cream Butter and Sugar

Creaming is the most important step in this recipe, so here is a closer look before the full instructions. When you beat softened butter with sugar, the sugar crystals cut tiny air pockets into the butter. Those pockets help your cookies rise and give them a soft, chewy texture.

Start with butter that is softened but still cool. It should be about room temperature, and your finger should leave a dent when you press it without sinking right through. If the butter is melted or greasy, it can’t hold air and the cookies will spread too thin.

Add the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar to your bowl. Beat on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Stop once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. The butter and sugar are creamed when the mixture looks lighter in color, turns fluffy, and has grown a little in the bowl. Rub a bit between your fingers and it should feel only slightly gritty.

Scooping Tips for Even Cookies

For about 24 even cookies, use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop. It’s sold as a #30 scoop or disher, and it’s often called a medium cookie scoop. Scoop sizes can vary a little from brand to brand, so check the tablespoon amount on the label.

Scrape the scoop against the side of the bowl so every dough ball is the same size, and the whole tray bakes evenly. If you have a kitchen scale, weigh your first dough ball and use it as a guide for the rest.

If you’d like bigger cookies, you can use a 3 tablespoon scoop (a #20 scoop). You’ll get fewer cookies, and they may need an extra minute or two in the oven.

Variations

• Add a caramel drizzle. If you want that classic turtle look, drizzle a little melted caramel over the cooled cookies. (This is how we prefer to enjoy them!)
• Switch up the chocolate. Semi-sweet, milk, or dark chocolate chips all work. Chopped chocolate bars give you those big melty pools of chocolate.
• Leave out the pecans. If you have a nut allergy in the house, you can skip the pecans or add another 1/2 to 1 cup of chocolate chips instead.
• Use walnuts. Chopped walnuts can be swapped for the pecans cup for cup.

How to Store Turtle Cookies

• Counter top: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
• Freezer (baked cookies). Freeze cooled cookies in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Let them thaw on the counter.
• Freezer (cookie dough). Scoop the dough into balls and freeze them on a parchment lined baking sheet until firm. Then move them to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen at 350°F and add 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.