Turtle Cheesecake
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!
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.
Notes
*You'll need one (13.4 oz) can of dulce de leche for the entire recipe. 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.