This Turtle Cheesecake is rich, decadent, and supremely creamy! It’s baked in an Oreo cookie crust, topped with caramel, drizzled with chocolate ganache, and covered in toasted chopped pecans!
Turtles have been a favorite of mine ever since I can remember. They have the perfect balance of smooth caramel, rich chocolate, and crunchy pecans. Every time I’m given a box of chocolates, turtles are always the first to be eaten.
Over the years, I’ve made Turtle Ice Cream, Turtle Pie, Turtle Trifle, and even Turtle Drumsticks. HOWEVER, I still had yet to make a decadent Turtle Cheesecake.
Until now…
This cheesecake contains every single delicious element that makes the chocolate turtle so irresistible. The crust is made with crushed Oreo cookies, and the creamy cheesecake filling is infused with the richness of smooth caramel. The whole thing is covered with a layer of caramel, toasted pecans, and a generous drizzle of chocolate ganache. How’s that for a show-stopping dessert??
As with most cheesecakes, you’ll start by making up the crust. This is pretty much your standard Oreo cookie crust. Just take some Oreos, crush them up finely (either in a food processor or in a plastic bag with a rolling pin), and combine them with some butter. If you want to make this cheesecake gluten-free, all you have to do is replace the regular Oreos with gluten-free Oreos.
Next up is the caramel cheesecake filling. To make the batter, you’ll beat some cream cheese, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until smooth and creamy. Then you’ll add a half cup of dulce de leche. You can usually find this ingredient in the baking section next to the sweetened condensed milk, or in the international foods aisle at your grocery store. It comes in a can, and it’s thicker than traditional caramel.
Instead of adding flour to the batter, I prefer to add cornstarch since it doesn’t alter the flavor like flour does. It also helps to stabilize the batter by absorbing liquid and coagulating as it’s cooking, and it gives a little extra body to the cheesecake.
Once the vanilla and salt are incorporated into the batter, the eggs are added. I like to do two at a time since this reduces the amount of mixing. Once the eggs are added, try your best not to over-mix the batter. Over-mixing produces more air in your cheesecake, causing it to rise too much, thus forming cracks. That being said, if you do end up with a crack or two in your cheesecake, don’t sweat it. It’s going to be covered in caramel, pecans, and chocolate anyway 😉
Now that you’ve got your batter made up, pour it into the crust, and smooth out the top. Bake it in the oven for about 65-75 minutes at 325ºF. For this cheesecake, I kept things simple–no water baths, no temperature adjustments, etc. Although I’ve tried countless techniques when it comes to achieving the sought-after crackless cheesecake, I have yet to find one that actually works. And like I mentioned earlier, the whole thing is going to be covered anyway, so why bother?? #JustBeingHonest
Once it’s fully chilled (usually overnight), it’s time to spruce up this cheesecake with some extra sugar! Start with a layer of dulce de leche, followed by a layer of toasted pecans, and finally a luxurious drizzle of rich chocolate ganache. If you’re feeling EXTRA fancy, pipe a few rosettes of whipped cream along the border and top with some of those iconic chocolate Turtles!
Turtle Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust:
- 20 Oreos
- ¼ cup butter, melted
Batter:
- 32 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dulce de leche*
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs
Chocolate Ganache:
- ⅓ cup Heavy cream
- ½ cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
To Assemble:
- ¾ cup dulce de leche
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ cup chopped toasted pecans
- Freshly-whipped cream
- Chocolate Turtles
Instructions
Make the Crust:
- Crush the Oreos in a food processor until finely ground. Add the melted butter and mix until all the crumbs are moistened. Press firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Refrigerate while you make the batter.
Make the Batter:
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on high until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add both sugars and continue beating for another 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the dulce de leche and continue beating until smooth. Add the cornstarch, vanilla, and salt, and beat until incorporated. Beat in the eggs, two at a time, until combined--try not to overmix.
- Pour batter into the crust, smoothing out the top. Bake cheesecake for 65-75 minutes, or until center appears nearly set when shaken.
- Transfer the cheesecake to a wire rack and allow to cool for at least 2 hours before covering cheesecake and chilling in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
Make the Ganache:
- Place chocolate chips into a medium bowl. Pour heavy cream into a small saucepan on the stove and heat over medium-high heat until it begins to boil. Immediately pour hot cream over the chocolate, cover bowl in plastic wrap, then allow to sit for 4-5 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool and thicken slightly.
To Assemble:
- Run a knife around the edges of the pan, then remove sides of the springform pan. Place the dulce de leche and heavy cream into a microwave-safe bowl, and heat in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. Stir until smooth. Pour dulce de leche over the cheesecake, spreading it out to the edges. Sprinkle chopped pecans evenly on top. Drizzle ganache over the whole cheesecake.
- If desired, pipe whipped cream along the border of the cheesecake. Decorate with chocolate Turtles. Refrigerate until ready to serve.