Turtle Cheesecake
Last Friday was my mom’s birthday… a great big belated happy birthday to my mom!! She spent the latter part of the afternoon and evening running around with me to do last-minute errands before our party on Saturday. I’ll be making her very favorite dinner (sausage, pepper & mushroom risotto with chocolate chip scones for dessert) soon, but since Friday was spent doing party prep, she only requested some Five Guys takeout for dinner. I couldn’t let her birthday come and go without giving her something special to eat, so I surprised her with this cheesecake. Turtles are by far her favorite candy, and I’ve been wanting to make her a turtle-inspired cheesecake for quite some time. It took me awhile to decide how I wanted to build such a cheesecake, and I finally ran with it. This turned out even more fabulous than I imagined, and was a perfect celebratory cake.
I took all of the elements of classic turtle candies and built it into one extremely dreamy cheesecake. I started with an Oreo cookie crust and topped it with a mixture of homemade caramel sauce and chopped pecans. I chilled the pan in the refrigerator while I prepared a fantastic basic cheesecake recipe. Once the cheesecake was baked and cooled, I topped it with a chocolate ganache, then finished it off with more caramel drizzles and chopped pecans.
The result? One of the most fabulous cheesecakes to ever come out of my kitchen. My mom absolutely loved it, as did the rest of us. Caramel and nuts, sandwiched by chocolate and a luscious cheesecake layer… it’s all win. A perfect dessert for a mom that deserves only the best!
One year ago: Quick & Easy Chicken Pot Pie
Two years ago: Honey Cake
Three years ago: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple-Cream Cheese Filling
Five years ago: Cream of Mushroom Soup
Six years ago: Cinnamon Rolls
Turtle Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 24 Oreo cookies, finely crushed into crumbs
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Pinch of salt
For the Caramel-Pecan Layer:
- 1½ cups (339 ml) caramel sauce, omit the salt for a sweeter version
- 1 cup (99 g) chopped pecans
For the Cheesecake:
- 32 ounces (907.19 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (178.5 ml) heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Ganache:
- ¾ cup (178.5 ml) heavy cream
- ¼ cup (85.25 ml) light corn syrup
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toss together the Oreo crumbs, melted butter and salt until all of the crumbs are moistened. Press into the bottom and two inches up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Place pan in the freezer for 10 minutes. Bake for 7 minutes, or until crust is firm. Remove from oven and cool completely.
- Make the Caramel-Pecan Layer: In a small bowl, stir together the caramel sauce and pecans. Pour onto the cooled crust and gently spread into an even layer. Refrigerate while the cheesecake is prepared.
- Make the Cheesecake: Beat together the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well until fully incorporated and scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition. Add the heavy cream and vanilla and beat until well combined, about 1 minute. Pour the batter on top of the caramel-pecan layer and bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the edges are set, but the middle still jiggles a little.
- Keeping the oven door closed, turn off the oven and let the cheesecake rest in the oven for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the cheesecake from the oven, and place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely, about an additional 2 hours. Once completely cool, refrigerate for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight).
- Make the Chocolate Ganache: Combine the heavy cream, corn syrup, chocolate and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Set the glaze aside to cool and thicken at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Pour the ganache over the top of the cheesecake, gently spreading it to the edges. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, or until set. Remove the sides of the pan, garnish with additional caramel sauce and chopped pecans, and serve. Leftover cheesecake can be stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
- Note: Some readers have mentioned issued with the caramel sauce leaking through the springform pan while baking. To avoid a mess, place a rimmed baking sheet on the oven rack below the cheesecake to catch any drips.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Why would you put the caramel bit at the end? You should probably put that up front.
I normally use vanilla wafers for the crust, but I’m going to try the Oreo. Do you scrape out the middle or just leave it and crumble the whole cookie?
This is a master recipe. Visually it looks like a professional made it. I decided to buy a well known caramel sauce to cut down on time as I was concerned about consistency. Sometimes when I make Sticky Toffee Pudding sauce it’s quite runny so the store bought was perfect. I used a crock pot bag and set the cheesecake in it for leaks. I am making it again today and bought smaller springform pans to do two smaller sizes. One for a luncheon and I’m keeping one! It’s that yummy. When this doesn’t turn out for people it’s definitely not your recipe. Thanks every so much.
This is absolutely the best turtle cheesecake that I have ever made! It is a bit complicated and time consuming, particularly the first time I made it, but it is well worth it for a special occasions. I now make it for Christmas and for my son’s birthday since it is his favorite dessert.
Method of baking the cheesecake makes a big difference in the final result. Unlike past recipes for cheesecake, I have never had this recipe crack. It is perfect! The caramel is a bit tricky and takes close watching and experience, at least for me. The first time I made it, it was slightly over-cooked and tasted a little bitter, but still delicious. The second time I made it, it was not cooked enough and ran all over the cake. My first attempts were incredibly good, however, even with the mistakes .Now I have conquered it!!
The turtle cheese cake is rich , but I usually serve small pieces. I also have enough left offer to give it to special friends who also think it is the best they have ever eaten.
Did this cheesecake ever have flour in it? I remember making this in the past but it was a bit different.
I made this for my son’s birthday. He was thrilled and it’s a gorgeous presentation. It looks a like you spent a fortune at a bakery. It was delicious. Thank you! I’m making it again for a luncheon. Yum!
Made for a birthday cheesecake and It was beautiful and amazingly delicious! Perfect in every way!
I can’t think of anything I would want to do differently, although I did garnish with whole pecans.
Thank you!
I made this cheesecake for my wife’s birthday and it was the best cheesecake we have ever tasted! Thanks browneyedbaker!!
I can’t find your dulce de leche cheesecake square recipe on your site!!! I love it and should have printed it. I want to make it for Easter. Please can you put it back on your site?
Honestly I did not read the reviews prior to making this which was my bad but following this recipe to a tee and it was… not good :( I hate to write a bad review but while the flavors were there the caramel and nut layer over the crust did ruin it but worst of all the texture of the cheesecake itself was weird and “grainy” as someone else mentioned below. Overall just very disappointing and I wish I had tested it out before bringing it somewhere. Would skip out on this one.
Yum, yum, yum! I have made this cheesecake twice now and both times it turned out beautifully! After reading the reviews, I skipped the step of adding the caramel onto the crust. Instead, I add the caramel on top of the ganache and then add the pecans. It was delicious. I also had “leakage” during the baking process, even without having the caramel included. Maybe it is the butter? I definitely recommend putting a pan underneath to catch all the drips and make clean up easy. Thanks for another “go to” recipe, Michelle!
Can you bake this cheesecake in a water bath?
Cheesecake came out beautiful and delicious! One question though @browneyedbaker my caramel caramelized my crust making it hard, Amy suggestions to avoid this?
The exact same thing happened to me. I omit the caramel layer and just put the cheesecake on top of the cookie crust and then top it with caramel and pecans. also, 4.5 tbl spoons of butter is enough for the 24 oreo crust then not as messy with melting butter from the pan.
I followed the recipe exactly. The cake rose higher than the 10” pan I baked it in and then shrank to less than half the size as it cooled. The texture was very grainy which I’ve never had in any of the many cheesecakes I’ve made. The taste was good.
The pecan caramel mixture right about the crust makes it very difficult to cut. Cake fell apart when cutting and wasn’t pretty. Taste was mediocre. It was the only cake at thanksgiving that didn’t get demolished by large family. I don’t recommend this recipe.
Awesome recipe family and I love it! Thank you so much for sharing this! Made the impossible seem doable. Ive made this three times now. I use 4.5 tbsp of butter for crust n wrap aluminum foil around the base n sides of the pan while it bakes. Also freezing the crust And carmel layer may help so it doesnt become so runny n leak. Love the results from this! Thanks brown eyed Baker!
Best cheesecake we have ever had !! A lot of steps but well worth the effort. I rarely follow a recipe exactly but I did for this recipe and it was FANTASTIC – Wouldn’t change a thing !
Would not recommend this recipe to anyone. . I made this without the Carmel nut layer. (so that is not what leaked on other bakers)
While baking the cream cheese layer, the butter from the crust was leaking all over my oven. Causing severe smoke.
I have made many cheesecakes over the years and never had this problem. 1st time using this Oreo crust recipe.
I have made this cheesecake twice now and received rave reviews each time!
I feel stupid for asking but when you say Oreo cookies are you meaning the entire cookie including the frosting in between the cookie ? Or separate the cookies from the frosting and use 24 cookies without the frosting?
I’m in the process of making this cheesecake right now :) I am in love with it!!!! Such a fun way to spend my day!!! I really hope I can frost it later with the chocolate 😌
It doesn’t say what temperature to cook the cheesecake at. . . .
Hi Helen, It’s in step #1 – 350 degrees F.
I made this for my son’s birthday. Was very disappointed in the Oreo crust. It was like a gooey gel, I’m assuming owing to the caramel on top of it. If I make it again will eliminate that caramel layer. It was quite rich enuf without it!
Do I take the filling out of Oreos?
Hi Becky, No, you should use the whole cookie.
I don’t see the temperature to cook cheesecake anywhere??????
I have done 350f for 65 minutes and still really jiggly. Oyyy what to do now.
Hi Trina, Step #1 – 350 degrees. You want it to be set around the outside but still jiggly in the middle. If it needs more time, continue checking every few minutes.
This recipe is fantastic. I found it a few years ago, and keep coming back. This is my go to cheesecake. And that crust is to die for.
When making the crust do you scrape filling out of Oreos?
Hi Jan, No you should use the whole cookie, filling included.
i made this cheesecake, as i have only made New York cheesecakes before for decades, and i wanted to try something new. it turned out wonderful, and very delicious. the only issue i had was when the caramel did melt, it saturated the crust and made it very hard and difficult to cut. (like it candied the crust.) next time i make this, i will incorporate the caramel and pecans into the filling like a swirl.
First time I have ever made caramel and it is addicting!
OMG YUM!!!
I just threw out 2 cups of sugar and 12 oz of butter because it was a total disaster! It never came to a sauce consistency and now at 10pm I have to run out to get a store made carmel sauce…very disappointed
My 16 year old son and I decided to try this as the 2nd cheesecake for his birthday party. Having never made a baked cheesecake before I was a little nervous about the complexity of it. With the caramel cheesecake in the oven we began the Turtle cheesecake. Long story short it was beautiful and delicious! The only issue we had was the ganache separated, it took some work to fix it but mission accomplished! Everyone at the party raved about the The Turtle Cheesecake. I have to say even ours was beautiful! This recipe had easy to follow step by step instructions. Thank you browneyedbaker, you hit this one out of the park!
Michelle M.
Wow this cheesecake looks awesome! I’m making it now except I’m doing a brownie crust. I’ll come back and post a review and let you know how it turns out.
This was posted three years ago and I am only seeing now?!? OMG! I am not much into desserts, until you say cheesecake! I will most definitely be trying this! It looks and sounds fantastic! And, my kids are all moved out now and in college so I get the whole thing to myself! LOL
Be sure and remove sides from springform pan after the cheesecake has cooled for 10 mins, just use the chocolate part of the Oreo. Wrap foil on the bottom of your springform pan and still use another pan to cathch drips. I put mine in the frige overnight and had a hrad time getting the sides of my pan to release, after it sat out for 20 mins it came away but was still stuck in some areas.
If I make this again i will use only the cookie part of the oreo, and I will put half of the cheesecake in the pan add the caremel and nuts and top with the rest of the cheesecake before baking. Topping with gnache and nuts.
I have had mixed results so far. Really hoping this turns out. My caramel sauce burned, even though I did not get to 350, so I had to start over and eye ball it. The second batch was perfect. I also should have read reviews. A lot of us have had issues with leaking. It doesn’t make this recipe bad by any means, just means maybe an addendum in the recipe to put a pan underneath JUST IN CASE could be a good suggestion. And my cheese cake also rose WAY above my large spring form pan. So I am hoping to cover the grand canyon of a crack it created when it started to sink with ganache. After I clear the smoke out of my house from the leakage on the bottom of the oven, I’m really really really hoping this is still a thumbs up in my book. Thank you for always giving yummy recipes!
The layer of carmel is dripping in my stove. Thank god theres a baking sheet under the rack below! And my springform pan is sealed. This worries me
I should have read the reviews from people who actually made the cheesecake! The crust leaked significantly, some of the liquid burnt to the side of the pan giving the crust a burnt taste in certain areas. I would use a different crust recipe. Ganache was very easy and turned out well.
This recipe looks so yummy. I’m making several cheesecakes for a friend’s wedding and plan on freezing them. How would the gnache freeze, or would I add it after the cheesecake thaws?
I think the ganache would freeze just fine!
What if our springform pan is 10in instead of 9? What should i do?
Hi Brittany, You’ll just need to decrease the baking time a bit.
I have made cheesecakes for years and was surprised when this one bombed totally. There was liquid drizzling out and the caramel rose to the top. I’m thinking the butter was running out or the frosting in the cookies. Anyway, it was a disaster and I wanted you to know. BTW, I have been cooking cheesecakes for 30 years.
HELLO, WONDERING IF THE CARAMEL SAUCE THICKENS WHEN IT COOLS, MINE SEEMS TO BE RUNNY
Hi Dawn, Yes, it will definitely thicken!
Best cheesecake I’ve ever made. Thank you so much for this recipe. I’ve made 2 and they were fantastic!!!!!!!!
This was a huge hit at a party last week! I didn’t allow enough time for the ganache to cool so I just drizzled it on top. Yum! Thanks :)
so, I made it tonight to serve tomorrow night. After about 45 minutes in the oven, caramel either started leaking out of the bottom or spilling over from the top or both. Either way, I’m not so sure the cake is done, and the bottom of my oven is coated in caramel. What did I do wrong? I’m so sad.
Hi Renee, Oh no! That makes me sad! In the future, I would wrap your pan in aluminum foil to keep any potential leaks at bay.
For the oreo base, am I supposed to take the filling from the oreo away and make the crust, or do I leave the whole cookie?
Hi Liza, Leave the cookie whole.
Have you ever tried putting a thin layer of ganache under the cheesecake portion? Either directly on top of the crust or the caramel/nut mixture? I’d rather do just a drizzle of chocolate/caramel on top but not lose out on the amount of ganache. Do you think it would work or would the heat of baking mess it up?
Hi Christy, I haven’t tried it with this particular cheesecake, but I’ve done it with others, I think it would be fine!
do you remove the filling from the cookies before you crush them, or are you using the whole cookie?
nevermind…just saw the answer in the comments…
I made this cheesecake about a month ago and got very good reviews. Some saying it was the best they had ever tried. It was such a hit I just finished making another one for thanksgiving. I had never baked anything before this cheesecake but had no trouble with the very easy to follow recipe you provided. Thank you very much and I will try more of your recipes.
I enjoyed making this Turtle Cheesecake. The pictures and instructions were excellent and all the reviews…helped me avoid a few mishaps. Greatly appreciate your site and enjoyed making a more challenging receipe.
I really appreciate your creativity! I just found your blogs a couple weeks ago and have made your regular New York style cheesecake, which got tremendous reviews at work. I am cheating with the Turtle cheesecake and using bottled caramel sauce and gluten free cookies to make this a gluten free cheesecake. I can’t wait to see how it turns out!
I made this 2 days ago for my husband’s birthday (his favorite dessert is cheesecake and his favorite candy is turtles). It is delicious! I wish I could post a pic for y’all to see! I couldn’t find my springform pans and was not going back to the store. So I used 2 round cake pans. I made the crust and put some of the cheesecake batter in one pan and made a crustless cheesecake in the other pan. Once cooled as directed in the recipe, I turned the crustless cake on top of the other and followed the rest of the directions. It worked out well! When I make this again I will leave out the caramel pecan layer. It turned to brittle and made it extremely hard- nearly impossible to cut a slice all the way to the crust. It’s still delicious! Thanks for this wonderful recipe!
oh and a side note the cheesecake tasted………………….AMAZING!!! And trust me i know cheesecake it is my all time fave any style and any flav!!!!
Ok i had to make this but i ended up with a problem and not sure what i did to cause it. my carmel pecan on the bottom floated through out the cheesecake what do you suggest that i could have done to cause this?
Thanks
Gina Marie
Hi Gina, That’s so strange! I’m not sure how that would have happened, unless your caramel sauce was super, super thin. Even then, I don’t see how everything would float up.
so I always love the recipes here. But this one needs a warning. Not even 8 minutes in the oven and the caramel sauce started leaking from the spring form pan. I ow have caramel crust on the bottom of the oven. which is going to be a pain to clean off and there was smoke because of it. I would steer clear of the caramel sauce on the cookie layer and just leave it on the top coating layer. This was supposed to be for a friends birthday but now its a wash! Definitely not a very good recipe!
so I just finished it after all the problems I was having. The middle after leaving it the oven for an hour and a half is still jiggly so Im not even sure if that is how it should be. I bake at least twice a week and never have a problem. This is the first time I have ever had a cheesecake problem. Im not sure if I should leave it in the oven a little longer or if I should leave it be and call it quits. I think this recipe has just frustrated me so much. From leaking caramel burnt on my oven to the jiggly middle that makes the cheesecake look undone. I am not sure if this recipe should be used. I am rating it a 4 out of 10 :( I really wanted it to be good and $46 later it didn’t turn out like I hoped it would. Im very disappointed.
Hi Kristy, I’m sorry that this recipe did not turn out for you. I had no caramel leaking into my oven; it sounds like you may have had some holes or bare spots in your crust. Otherwise, there’s no way the caramel should have seeped through the crust. The cheesecake should still be a bit jiggly when it comes out of the oven to ensure that it hasn’t been over baked. It will set and firm up as it chills in the refrigerator.
Hi Michelle,
I told my mom about this recipe & she made it for us for xmas. It was fabulous! We had a few questions. She wasn’t sure about leaving the cream in the cookies, which I told her was the right thing to do. I see you have answered others with that question. Also, her butter leaked from the bottom of the pan when she baked the crust. Did you have that trouble also? If not, what did she do wrong?
Hi Marcie, I’m so glad you liked it! Yes, definitely use the whole Oreo cookie. As for the butter leaking, that has happened to me a few times with different crusts (although not this one). You could use less butter if you prefer, or wrap the bottom of the pan in aluminum foil.
Do we keep the cream in the Oreo cookies for the crust?
Yes, use the whole cookie.
I made your cheesecake (I had to after my boyfriend saw this) and it was a huge hit! It’s a gorgeous dessert, and all my pics came out great. The ganache covered all the cracks nicely. Thanks for the great recipe!
featured here: http://chefuy.blogspot.com/2013/12/turtle-cheesecake.html
Hi! I really want to make this cheesecake but in cupcake tins for Christmas so guests can easily handle them. I’m guessing the ingredients would stay the same but the baking time would be quite a bit less. Do you have a good estimate as to how long I should bake them for?
Hi Maya, I haven’t tried it, so I couldn’t say for sure, but I would probably start checking around 20 minutes to be sure you don’t overcook them. Enjoy!
I made this today for my dad’s graduation this coming weekend and had a few issues. First I ground up the oreos really fine, mixed it with the butter, froze it, then baked it, but the crust slumped. The I added the caramel and pecans after the crust cooled and put it in the fridge while I made the cheesecake filling. When I added the filling, a lot of the caramel was pushed up the sides instead of staying on the bottom. Finally when I started baking it, the fat from the butter and oreo filling started oozing out and burning, so I had to add a pan on the second rack. When it was done baking, some of the caramel oozed to the top and looked burnt, but it tastes fine. So I guess next time, use a second pan and freeze, don’t refrigerate the caramel on the crust? Do you have any other suggestions? Thanks!
Hi Tessa, If the caramel was chilled, it should not have moved up the sides when you poured the cheesecake in. The caramel sauce thickens considerably when it cools, so it should have been far beyond a liquid state.
can i use unsweetened chocolate in the ganache?
Hi Mary, I would not recommend it. Since there is no sugar in the ganache, I think it would be way, WAY too bitter.
is there something else I can use instead of heavy cream as it is not available where i live?
Hi Mary, You could try whole milk, but if you have anything available to you that’s thicker, use that.
I made this for a Christmas Party this weekend and it was a real hit.
Some people said it was the best cheesecake they ever tasted. I have to say It was so light and delious with deep flavors of the chocolate and carmel with the oreo crust. I loved it and so did my husband. I did not have time to make the carmel so I bought the carmel in the yard. It was a little to soft maybe next time I will dare myself to make your carmel. I am going to try the Apple CheeseCake recipe next. You are amazing!
I am so excited to try this receipe. I am going to make it for Thanksgiving! The receipe looks great. My normal cheesecake is a White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake but I think something new is in order this year. Thanks for your post. Have a great holiday.
I made this last night, but the cheesecake popped out of the pan and a few pieces around the outside fell off while it was in the oven. While it was cooling it did settle back down. I plan on covering the imperfections with the chocolate ganache that I will add today, I was just wondering if this is a normal action for a cheesecake. I followed your directions exactly.
Hi Erika, The cheesecake should fill up the pan but not pop out of it. I’m wondering if you used a smaller pan by any chance?
Hi Michelle :)
I made this and it was amazingly yummy…the cheesecake part was AMAZING…! I had my friends over, and everyone simply LOVED it, except that my homemade caramel sauce was very hard that people had to leave it, along with the oreo crust that was under it…:S I followed your caramel recipe exactly…so could you please tell me what possibly have I done wrong that the caramel layer was hard? It was yummy though; had a toffee-like taste ;)
THANKS A MILLION for such an amazing recipe…Your cheesecake recipes are unbelievable! <3
I’m so sorry your sauce was hard! I can’t think of why that would have been – when you made it, was it nice and sauce-like? Did you freeze it or do anything else to it?
Thank you Michelle :) When I made it, it was sauce-like, and I didn’t freeze it. Nevermind, I’ll try it next time and I hope it’ll work :) Thanks a lot <3
Michelle, I promised myself that I would make this cheesecake for my (and my work buddy’s) birthday, and I did. There are almost not enough adjectives in the dictionary to describe how utterly, decadently good this cheesecake is. There were several “this is the best cheesecake I have ever eaten” comments, and I was asked if I would take orders for the holidays! Thanks as always for the fabulous recipe. I, of course, posted it:
http://www.fransfavs.com/2013/11/turtle-cheesecake/#more-7035
Hi! First of all I love your recipes! I’ve tried some of them and they have been delicious, so Thank you for sharing!
I have a question, how do you move de cheesecake from the springform pan? Does it come off without cracking? Or do you put some kind of wax paper or something in between? I always have trouble taking it off the springform “plate” since it has that little edge.
Hi Ale, I usually do not remove the cheesecake from the bottom plate unless I’m doing some type of layering, like the red velvet cheesecake. I just place the plate on a serving platter. My springform pan does not have a lip or edge to it, though.
OMG this is to die for,made it to bring to work and it was gone by noon.My coworkers said it was the best cheesecake ever and they would pay me to make it for them.The ganache covers any cracks on the cheesecake and the presentation was fabulous,love your salted Carmel sauce too.I am a new fan of your site and have spread the word! Also have made the snickers cake and again it was to die for my friends said it was the best cake ever!
Chocolate ganache is just chocolate and heavy cream. Why you Americans put this corn-syrup-thing everywhere???
The ganache, why do you combine everything together? Traditionally a ganache is made by pouring the boiling cream over the chocolate and letting it melt it that way…it tends to be much smoother. Any particular reason you make it the way you do? I’m making this today, also for a birthday, but was going to make the ganache and top it tomorrow afternoon. Thanks!
Hi Corey, I used that technique from a piece of another recipe and it turned out great, so I did it again.
What if you don’t have a springform pan? Is there something to use as a substitute?
Hi Stacey, Unfortunately, there really is no substitute for a springform pan when you’re making cheesecake. I would definitely recommend investing in one!
I went to make this and realized my spring form pan was broken! So, I used a glass baking dish and they were bars rather than slices and turned out great. Maybe a possible solution? The only thing I missed was the extra crust that was missing from the middle bars, but they were still amazing. I also had to adjust the timing a bit to account for it being more shallow than it would have been in the spring form.
I’m wanting to make this for a birthday on Friday could i make it today and freeze it? Is it okay to travel, the birthday celebration is 6 hours away.
Yes, you could freeze it easily. If you need to travel 6 hours, I would recommend transporting the cake in some sort of cooler or thermal bag. You don’t want a cheesecake sitting at room temperature for that long.
I haven’t made cheesecake in a long time…. but I HAVE to try this recipe! Looks incredible!
Hope your mom had a wonderful birthday! This cake looks like an incredible way to celebrate!
Hello. I just wanted to say thank you for your recipes. Ive been snooping through your site for a while now mimicking your recipes and they always turn out great. I made this turtle cheesecake off a whim today (CRAZY CHEESECAKE FAN) and wanted to say thanks. The only problemo I had was with the carmel sauce (made it for the first time). I think I over mixed because the sugar turned brown clumps before melting. Any suggestions? And by the way, why the hell did I learn how to make caramel sauce now? Holy hell its delicious! Thanks milady! :)
Jeff
That’s hilarious. My mom’s favourite candy is Turtles as well and I just made her a Turtles cheesecake! I’m a little of a snob, though, so I opted for a pecan-graham crust instead. Oreos don’t scream Turtles to me.
This cheesecake looks and sounds so amazingly good!
Wow this looks superb. My Mom makes her cheesecake with an oreo or chocolate cookie crust and it tastes so much better than a graham cracker one. Can’t wait to try this!
sooooooo sweet!!!!!!!
I like it sooo much !
Gorgeous cheesecake, I love those layers!
So far I’ve just made the carmel (sooo good!). Tomorrow I’ll make the cheesecake. Do you think it will keep well if I make it a day ahead of when I’m serving it, or will the carmel make the crust soggy?
I could eat homemade caramel sauce with a spoon. And have been known to do so…
Hi Linda, Making this a day ahead will be perfectly fine. Enjoy!
This may seem like a dumb question, but do you use the whole Oreo or just the wafer part? I used the whole thing, but now I think I wasn’t supposed to because the crust leaked when it was baking (before I put the filling in). Other than that problem, it was so good!!! It got rave reviews at my book club. Two people took pictures of it! I’ve never had anyone do that, and another lady said it was the best dessert she’d ever had! Thanks for another great recipe!
Hi Linda, I’m glad it was a hit! You should use the entire cookie, but be sure you crush them to fine crumbs and there aren’t any large chunks of cookies left. That should eliminate any holes in the crust.
I have made this cheesecake about 6 times now and it is a RAVING hit! However, I agree with Linda above — the crust leaks into my oven — and I think it is because of the Oreo center. I use a springform pan, but there is just too much “liquid” coming out of it. I crush the cookies in the food processor so they are very fine and that is not the problem. What would happen if you just used the “cookie” part?
My crust was too liquidy. Next time I’ll use less butter.
My favorite flavors all together! Need at least half of this ;)
OMG….Michelle…you are killing me…
My husband’s favorite dessert is cheesecake and favorite chocolate are turtles…I will definately be making this next week for Thanksgiving, we celebrate in October here in Canada. P.S. love your dogs, too cute.
all the best….ciao
OH. MY. GOD. You had me at “turtle cheesecake.” This will be coming out of my oven ASAP!
Lol! My sentiments exactly! :-D
Looks absolutely delicioso! Lucky mom.
I always like cheesecake for my birthday. But now I want to eat this cheesecake for dinner.
This looks fantastic! Love the dribbly caramel! :)
This cheesecake looks amazing! Your mom is lucky to get such a good birthday cake :)
looks amazing .. but no water bath ??
No water bath.
sinful! I love it!
My mom loves turtles, too, especially turtle cheesecake! I definitely want to make this for her!
Happy late birthday to your mom! She’s one lucky mom to get this cheesecake for her birthday. I love turtles also and hope you find other ways to incorporate the turtle fixin’s into the great treats you make. I have to try this cheesecake though, I think it would top everything for me. Thanks!
This looks incredible! We don’t get turtles in the UK so I’m not sure what they are but the oreo base, cheesecake, caramel, pecans and chocolate are winning me over in a big big way!!
My mom loves turtles too. Must be a generational thing – the precursor to a candy bar with caramel and nuts.
How was the party???
Hi Lynne, It was great, thank you for asking! :)
My birthday’s coming up this month. I now know what I want to make for my birthday cake. When you make your own, you always get what you want!
This looks so good! The thick chocolate ganache and the caramel drizzle is making me want a giant slice right now! But i’m at work so my bagel will have to do :( … I make a Turtles Cheesecake too but it’s a little different, i’m definitely going to put this one on my list of cheesecakes to try out. Looks delish! :)
What a gorgeous cheesecake! Perfect for celebrating a birthday!
This looks amazing! I love turtle cake so I totally need to try this turtle cheesecake. Cheesecake is pretty much the best dessert ever. Love your photos!
Happy Birthday to your mom. That is one gorgeous cheesecake! I love how thick it is, and the topping….yum!
My mom’s favorite candy is turtles–and actually so is my grandmother’s. SOOO I may be making this for my mom too! :)
Turtle? I have never heard of this before and I am sad to know that I have not made something like this sooner! I am drooling over this cheesecake and it is midnight here
Happy birthday to your mom! I can’t really imagine a better gift – this looks amazing! Seriously. I can’t get over how perfect and delicious it looks!!
Beautiful cheesecake, has me swooning! :)
This is sex for mouth!!!
OMG!!! the best cheesecake of ever!
Chiara
♡EFFENSHION
Most beautiful cheesecake I’ve ever seen!!
Wow! I am so making this! One question, do you bake the cheesecake in a water bath? Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Hi Alecia, Nope, no water bath.
I ALWAYS use a water bath for cheesecake, just put a baking pan with water on the rack below the cheesecake.
Oh wow, all that caramel dripping down looks so darn good! Love this!
I love how thick that chocolate ganache layer is, so yum!
Mom definitely deserves best, and this cheesecake ROCKS! Yum!
Belated Happy Birthday to your mom. I hope she had a grand time. I know I would if I had a cheesecake this stunning to celebrate with. It’s beautiful.
belated happy birthday to your mon! :)
this looks really yummy! will definitely try this! thanks for sharing! :)
I normally don’t love nuts in my desserts and candy but there is something about Turtles that I cannot say no to – love those things. I would thoroughly enjoy a big slice of this!
Wowww… What a gorgeous cake.. looks absolutely tempting.. awesome clicks too.. thanks for sharing :)