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.
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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!
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