If you’re the type of person to stock up on turtle chocolates when the holidays come around, then this is the perfect cheesecake for you. You get all the flavors of the classic treat in the form of a cheesecake. Who wouldn’t love this? All you need are a few simple ingredients, a mixer, and you’ll have this turtle cheesecake ready in no time.
As this cheesecake cheesecake recipe requires time to set in the fridge overnight, it’s perfect for holiday dinners like Thanksgiving or Christmas, as you can prepare the dessert one to two days beforehand. If you’re interested in trying my other cheesecake recipes, try making my pecan pie cheesecake, classic cheesecake recipe, or homemade chocolate cheesecake.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Chocolate sandwich cookies — I use Oreo cookies for the turtle cheesecake crust, but you can use any chocolate sandwich cookies you have on hand. Just make sure you’re not buying double-stuffed cookies.
Pecans — I recommend buying whole or halved pecans so you can grind some for the filling and roughly chop some for the topping. You can even leave some whole if you prefer the look of it on top of the cheesecake.
Cream cheese — be sure to use full-fat cream cheese and not the spreadable type from a tub. Cream cheese that is straight out of the fridge won’t mix well, so make sure it’s brought to room temperature, or you’ll end up with a lumpy batter.
Flour — the flour helps keep the protein from the egg thickening too much, leading to the turtle cheesecake’s filling being creamier in texture and lowering the chances of cracks forming on top.
Caramel — you can use store-bought caramel, but try making my homemade caramel sauce if you have the time.
How to Make Turtle Cheesecake
1. Make the crust by combining finely crushed sandwich cookies and pecans with melted butter. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Refrigerate while preparing the filling, for at least 30 minutes.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Add ¼ cup flour, cream, and vanilla and beat on medium until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and stopping to scrape down the bowl frequently.
3. Remove 1 cup of batter and place in a small bowl. Stir melted chocolate into the batter.
4. In another small bowl, whisk together the caramel and the remaining 2 teaspoons of flour. Stir in the chopped pecans.
5. Spread the caramel mixture in an even layer over the cooled crust.
6. Spread the chocolate batter into an even layer over the caramel mixture.
7. Carefully spoon the plain batter over the chocolate filling and smooth the top. Place on a baking sheet. In an oven with a pan of boiling water, bake the cheesecake for 75 to 90 minutes or until the edges are pulling away slightly from the sides of the pan and the center wobbles when gently shaken. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack, for 1 hour. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.
8. Before serving, heat the cream for 15 to 30 seconds, or until steaming and then add the chocolate chips and let stand for a few minutes. Stir until smooth. Drizzle the turtle cheesecake with melted chocolate and caramel. Sprinkle with pecans.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Do not be tempted to open the oven to peek at your turtle cheesecake. The hot air will escape, and the cold air from the kitchen can go into the oven, causing the cheesecake to deflate or crack.
- Accidentally caused a crack on the top of your turtle cheesecake? Simply cover it with more chopped pecans and caramel.
- To bring your cream cheese to room temperature, leave it out the night before or heat it in the microwave for 20 seconds at 50% power.
- Just like the cream cheese, eggs mix better into the batter when they’re at room temperature as well. Place your egg into a bowl of warm water for a couple of minutes. Doing so will quickly bring it to room temperature if you have forgotten to take it out of your fridge beforehand.
- If you do not have chocolate sandwiches for the crust, you can use graham crackers, Biscoff, digestives cookies, Nilla wafers, or shortbread cookies instead.
- You do not want to bake until the center is firm as it continues to set as it cools. To tell if your turtle cheesecake has finished baking, gently shake the pan. If the cheesecake’s center is a bit jiggly, it’s done.
- If you do not have chocolate chips, you can roughly chop chocolate bars to melt instead.
- Let the cheesecake cool gradually. Don’t place it directly into the fridge to speed up the process, or it will develop condensation when covered or absorb scents in the fridge if uncovered.
- For beautiful, clean slices, run your knife under hot water between cuts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need a water bath?
A water bath, or bain-marie, helps create a humid environment while your turtle cheesecake is cooking, adding extra insurance against cracking or a curdled filling. Since cheesecake has a crust and isn’t as delicate as custard, like a creme brulee or flan, I prefer not to bake the cheesecake directly in the water as it can potentially leak into the seams of the pan. By placing the water bath on the oven rack below, you get the benefits of the moisture while cooking without the risk of a soggy bottom.
How do I prevent cracks from forming on my cheesecake?
To prevent cracks on your turtle cheesecake, avoid over mixing the batter or mixing it at too high a speed. Doing so will add more air to the filling, leading to air bubbles cracking on the surface or the cheesecake rising too much and cracking as it deflates. Again, this can be prevented by bringing your ingredients to room temperature to mix smoothly without over-mixing.
How do I store it?
I recommend keeping this chocolate caramel pecan cheesecake refrigerated. You can bring the cheesecake out to room temperature before serving if you prefer the cheesecake to be less firm and cold. If you don’t have a cake container with a lid to cover the cheesecake, you can use toothpicks to help tent the top of the cheesecake, so the plastic wrap doesn’t stick to the toppings.
Can I freeze this?
You can! Once the cheesecake has cooled, you can freeze it whole or in slices. Wrap the cheesecake up in multiple layers of plastic wrap before transferring it to a freezer-safe bag if possible. If you plan on freezing the whole cheesecake, I recommend holding off on the topping and making it fresh instead, as the texture of the pecans will change slightly once frozen and thawed.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Turtle Cheesecake recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Turtle Cheesecake
Video
Equipment
- Food Processor (optional)
- Bowls
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 20 chocolate sandwich cookies such as Oreo’s
- ½ cup pecan halves
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
For the Filling:
- 4 8-ounce blocks cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar (220g)
- ¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour divided (35g)
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips melted and cooled
- ½ cup caramel sauce (120mL)
- ½ cup chopped pecans
For the Topping:
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons caramel sauce
- 2 tablespoons chopped pecans
Instructions
- Position an oven rack to the lowest level and the rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325F. Lightly spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
For the Crust:
- In a food processor, pulse the sandwich cookies and pecans until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Place in a medium bowl, and stir in the melted butter until well combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Refrigerate while preparing the filling, or at least 30 minutes.
For the Filling:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1/4 cup flour, cream, and vanilla. Beat on medium until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and stopping to scrape down the bowl frequently.
- Remove 1 cup of batter, and place in a small bowl. Stir the melted chocolate into the batter.
- In another small bowl, whisk together the caramel and the remaining 2 teaspoons of flour. Stir in the chopped pecans. Spread the caramel mixture in an even layer over the cooled crust. Spread the chocolate batter into an even layer over the caramel mixture. Carefully spoon the plain batter over the chocolate filling, and smooth the top. Place on a baking sheet.
- Bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Place a large roasting pan or casserole dish on the bottom rack of the oven and carefully fill halfway with the boiling water. Place the cheesecake on the middle rack.
- Bake for 75 to 90 minutes or until the edges are pulling away slightly from the sides of the pan and the center wobbles when gently shaken. Cover the cheesecake loosely with foil after 60 minutes if the top appears to be browning too quickly. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack, for 1 hour. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.
For the Topping:
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat the cream for 15 to 30 seconds, or until steaming. Add the chocolate chips and let stand for a few minutes. Stir until smooth.
- Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to release the cheesecake. Remove sides of the pan and transfer the cheesecake to a cake plate. Drizzle the cheesecake with melted chocolate and caramel. Sprinkle with pecans.
Notes
- Do not be tempted to open the oven to peek at your turtle cheesecake. The hot air will escape, and the cold air from the kitchen can go into the oven, causing the cheesecake to deflate or crack.
- Accidentally caused a crack on the top of your cheesecake? Simply cover it with more chopped pecans and caramel.
- To bring your cream cheese to room temperature, leave it out the night before or heat it in the microwave for 20 seconds at 50% power.
- Just like the cream cheese, eggs mix better into the batter when they’re at room temperature as well. Place your egg into a bowl of warm water for a couple of minutes. Doing so will quickly bring it to room temperature if you have forgotten to take it out of your fridge beforehand.
- If you do not have chocolate sandwiches for the crust, you can use graham crackers, Biscoff, digestives cookies, Nilla wafers, or shortbread cookies instead.
- You do not want to bake until the center is firm as it continues to set as it cools. To tell if your turtle cheesecake has finished baking, gently shake the pan. If the cheesecake’s center is a bit jiggly, it’s done.
- If you do not have chocolate chips, you can roughly chop chocolate bars to melt instead.
- Let the cheesecake cool gradually. Don’t place it directly into the fridge to speed up the process, or it will develop condensation when covered or absorb scents in the fridge if uncovered.
- For beautiful, clean slices, run your knife under hot water between cuts.
