Chocolate and Pecan Billionaires

Name: Chocolate and Pecan Billionaires
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Ingredients: 2 cups caramel nibs; 4 Tbsps water; 1.5 cups pecans (chopped); 1 cup rice krispy cereal; 3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips; 2 Tbsps shortening

Jump to Recipe

Rich caramel and crunchy pecans paired with Rice Krispy cereal all wrapped in a chocolate coating, these chocolate and pecan billionaires make the perfect treat. Made with only 5 ingredients, this chocolate candy recipe is the last-minute dessert that everyone will gush over.

A plate of caramel pecan clusters covered in chocolate is shown. One piece has a bite taken out, revealing the interior texture of the caramel and nuts. The background includes a blurred view of more clusters on a tray.

Crunchy, chewy, and sweet is what you can expect when you make chocolate pecan billionaires. They taste almost like a classic turtle recipe but with a bit of extra crunch from the Rice Krispy cereal.

And the best part? They come together in under 90 minutes making them a great choice when you’re short on time. You can enjoy these chocolate pecan billionaires when you need a dessert for a potluck in a pinch, want something sweet to curb a craving, or as a simple treat after a family dinner.

With minimal ingredients and a melt-in-your-mouth texture, this recipe is one you’ll make over and over. And it is the perfect snack to make with kids! Fun, messy and in almost no time, they get to enjoy them.

Ingredients

You only need a handful of items for the chocolate billionaires to come together and most of them you’ll find in your pantry.

Chocolate-covered clusters are placed on a white plate. Nearby, a baking tray with parchment paper holds additional clusters. The clusters appear to contain nuts or cereal, drizzled or coated with chocolate, set on a wooden surface.

What You’ll Need

Caramel nibs melt down to a gooey texture to hold it all together.
Pecans and Rice Krispy cereal give a delicious crunch.
Chocolate chips and shortening will coat the billionaires to pull it all together.

See recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities.

Instructions

The chocolate billionaires come together quickly but do need time to set and firm up. Thankfully, this means that most of the effort for the recipe is hands-off. For the best pecans you can get, visit our friends at PRIESTER’S PECANS to get yours.

A person pours spices from a small blue and white bowl into a pot of chickpeas on a stove. Nearby are chopped nuts in a cup and a bowl, with a spoon and a baking tray lined with parchment paper on a wooden surface.

Melt the caramel and water together over low heat stirring it until smooth.

A person's hand holds a measuring cup filled with chopped nuts over a large white mixing bowl. The bowl sits on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. A small glass bowl with more nuts is nearby on a wooden countertop next to a stove.

In a large bowl add in chopped pecans.

A stovetop scene with a saucepan containing caramel being stirred by a hand. Nearby are chopped nuts in a measuring cup and a blue-patterned plate with a spoon. A large white bowl and a lined baking sheet are on the wooden counter.

Once caramel is smooth, remove from heat.

Overhead view of a person holding a small bowl of sliced almonds above a larger bowl containing chopped nuts. A pot with a caramel-colored mixture and a stove are visible on a wooden countertop.

Add cereal into pecans and mix well. Slowly add caramel and mix until everything is coated.

A person is scooping cookie dough from a mixing bowl onto a parchment-lined baking sheet with a cookie scoop. The dough appears to contain oats. The baking sheet is placed on a wooden countertop next to a stove.

Use a spoon or ice cream scoop to portion the mixture out onto parchment or wax paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate for 10 minutes to firm.

A white mixing bowl with chocolate chips and a piece of butter on a wooden countertop. Next to it, a wrapped stick of butter sits on the counter. A black stove is partially visible on the left.

Melt the shortening and chocolate chips in the microwave at intervals until smooth,

A person is spooning melted chocolate onto oat-based cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. The tray is on a wooden countertop next to a black stovetop.

Dip or drizzle the bites of candy with chocolate and place back on the baking sheet.

Close-up of chocolate-covered peanut clusters on a plate. One cluster is bitten, revealing the crunchy peanut center and layered caramel coating. The background shows additional clusters blurred.

Freeze for one hour to set.

A baking tray with parchment paper holds chocolate-covered clusters. Beside it, a white plate displays more of the same chocolate clusters, with a wooden surface underneath. The clusters have a rough, irregular shape.

Chocolate and Caramel is great on its own but pairing it with the crunchy texture of rice cereal AND chopped pecans hits all of the candy marks for me. To make them a bit more special, consider using ROASTED PECANS to add even more flavor.

Why Brooke loves this recipe!

Recipes are like antiques. They are meant to be handed down from one generation to another. Each one holding a special memory or nostalgic memory. Here is why we love this one!

Little treats like this are fun to make with your kids and grandkids. Easy no bake recipes like this one are the perfect thing to do so they don’t have to wait very long to reap the rewards of making them. They get a chocolate treat but also a ton of memories made with you!

Variations and Substitutions

Though delicious as written, these chocolate and pecan billionaires can be adjusted with a few variations to create something new when you need it. Below are a few favorites.

Want to save this recipe?

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Nuts: Pecans and chocolate will always be the best combination. However, try
using toasted hazelnuts if you want to switch it up.
White chocolate: Replace the milk chocolate with white chocolate for a fun, new
taste, and aesthetic switch.
Salted chocolate: Sprinkle the top of the billionaires with large, flaked sea salt for
a salty and sweet combination

Equipment

🔧 I love to share recipes that are no special equipment required but here are a few things that would definitely make this recipe easier!

Storage

Once the chocolate pecan billionaires are set, store them at room temperature in an airtight container. They’ll stay fresh for up to a week.
If your kitchen is extra warm, you can store them in the fridge as well. Just bring them back to room temperature to enjoy them.

A white plate with several clusters of caramel corn covered in melted chocolate. In the background, a baking tray with more chocolate-coated caramel corn sits on parchment paper. The scene is set on a wooden surface.

⭐ LOVE THIS RECIPE? It would mean so very much to me if you would take a moment to rate this recipe and leave me a sweet comment in the recipe card below! ❤️❤️We hope you love all of the Southern and healthy recipes we share here at The Buttered Home and would love to see you back here often!

**DON’T MISS OUR TIPS AND TRICKS BELOW THE RECIPE CARD!

A close-up of caramel and chocolate-covered clusters on a white plate. The clusters appear to contain nuts and are drizzled with melted chocolate, creating a glossy texture. The plate is positioned on a wooden surface.

Chocolate and Pecan Billionaires

Bites of sweet, gooey caramel with an added crunch and coated in a hardened shell, these chocolate and pecan billionaires are a bite-sized treat you'll love.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Serving Size

Ingredients

2 cups caramel nibs
4 Tbsps water
1.5 cups pecans chopped
1 cup rice krispy cereal
3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsps shortening

Instructions

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. You may grease it a bit with nonstick cooking spray if you like.
In a large saucepan over low heat, combine the caramel nibs with the water and melt, stirring until it is smooth and loose. Remove from heat.
2 cups caramel nibs, 4 Tbsps water
Stir in pecans and rice cereal and mix until they are coated with the caramel. Drop by the spoonful onto the prepared pans. Keep in mounds, shape to balls or even flatten with the back of a spoon. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes until caramel cools and candy sets up.
1.5 cups pecans, 1 cup rice krispy cereal
Melt chocolate chips with shortening in the microwave in short bursts of 15 to 30 seconds until melted and smooth. Dip in or drizzle the prepared candy with the chocolate and place back on prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate for about an hour until set.
3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips, 2 Tbsps shortening

See How To Make It!

Notes

Tips:

When melting the chocolate and shortening, do so in intervals and stir frequently so that it doesn’t burn. Remove it from the microwave once it has just melted.

You may have to grease the wax paper with cooking spray to make sure nothing sticks.

The caramel and cereal mixture can be kept in mounds, shaped into balls, or flattened depending on your preference.

🍴 PRO TIP!

We give you the general recipe but there is no limit to what you can do with these! You can add more pecans or cereal or use different colored chocolate depending on the holiday or occasion you are making them for. Get creative with this one!

🗹 RECIPE FAQ’S

Can I use melting wafers in place of chocolate chips?

Yes. Just take care to melt them down with the shortening slowly so that they don’t burn.

Why is shortening used to melt the chocolate?

Shortening gives the chocolate a smoother texture once melted which makes it easier to drizzle or dip. Coconut oil can be used in a pinch, too

How do I get them to be the same size?

Use a large spoon or an ice cream scoop to control the size you want. You can shape them into balls or even flatten them out like we did!

If you make this recipe, be sure and post it to Facebook or Instagram and tag us. We love pictures of food.

Also, if you pin this recipe, we would appreciate that when you make it, you use the Made It function in Pinterest too.

And don’t forget to subscribe to our YOUTUBE channel for some great tutorial videos!

Looking for other great recipes like this? Try these:

And don’t forget to subscribe to our YOUTUBE channel for some great tutorial videos!

Reader Review

“I loved the freezer tips and made a double batch so we could enjoy some next week. This easy delicious recipe is a keeper.”

– Karen

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chocolate and Pecan Billionaires

Ingredients

What You’ll Need

Instructions

Why Brooke loves this recipe!