This Turtle Cheesecake is made with a delicious Oreo cookie crust, with a caramel cheesecake filling, and is finished with crunchy pecans, salted caramel sauce, a chocolate drizzle, and flakey sea salt. It's luxurious and perfect for any special occasion!
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If you're looking for a showstopping, decadent dessert - this recipe fits the bill. It's truly the perfect cheesecake for holidays or any special occasion. The combination of chocolate, salted caramel, and pecans makes for an incredible bite, sure to satisfy the biggest sweet tooth!
If you're looking for a new dessert to try, make sure to try our apple crisp cheesecake, or this Biscoff cheesecake!
Love pecans? Try chocolate chip pecan cookies or these chocolate pecan pie bars!
You may also enjoy our cookies and cream cookies!
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❤️Why We Love This Recipe
- Showstopper. This decadent cheesecake will be the star of the show! It's just as delicious as it is gorgeous to look at. Prepare it for holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even birthdays, to impress friends and family members. It's a crowd-pleaser!
- A delightful combination of flavors. This cheesecake is modeled after the classic turtle candies - a flavor combination that most can't resist. If you have a sweet tooth, and you love salted caramel, chocolate, and pecans, this dessert is for you!
- Made with simple ingredients. Everything you need to make this recipe can be found at all grocery stores if you don't already have most of what you need on hand in your fridge and pantry!
🍫Ingredients
Here are the ingredients we used for this recipe. You can find more information for substitutions below.
- Cream cheese. Use full fat cream cheese that is not whipped! This is very important. Don't use a reduced-fat version. Make sure to leave the cream cheese out at room temperature for at least 2-3 hours to help it get nice and soft. We like to leave ours out (inside of the wrapping) on the counter for 6-8 hours.
- Sour cream, eggs & an egg yolk. Take these out of the fridge at let them sit at room temperature for about 2 hours.
- Oreo cookies. We use the whole cookie and a food processor to get a nice fine crumb for the Oreo crust. The filling inside of the cookie acts as a natural binder to help hold the crust together.
- Salted caramel sauce. You can also use regular caramel sauce, homemade or storebought. We highly recommend making our salted caramel sauce if possible because the flavor is really unmatched and it just brings this cheesecake to the next level! If you're using regular caramel sauce instead of salted, be sure to add some extra salt to the cheesecake batter to offset some of that sweetness.
- Chocolate bar. We make a quick melted chocolate drizzle to go over the top of the cheesecake when it's time to serve. We recommend using a semi-sweet or dark chocolate baking bar and cutting it into small pieces to melt it gently using your preferred method. We don't recommend melting chocolate chips as they have stabilizers that help them hold their shape, which doesn't make them great for melting. You can use storebought chocolate sauce if you prefer.
- Chocolate chips. We add mini semi-sweet chocolate chips to the bottom of the cheesecake crust before adding the filling for an added layer of flavor! Dark chocolate chips also work.
- Pecans. We recommend using pecan pieces so that you don't have too big of bites. You can use pecan halves if you prefer. If you have a moment to toast the nuts, this really enhances the flavor a lot!
Visit the recipe card for the full quantities and nutritional information.
✨Substitutions & variations
Here are a few suggestions on additional flavors to try, or simple variations to this recipe.
- Swap the brown sugar. You can swap brown sugar for regular white sugar.
- Use different crackers or cookies. You can use crushed digestive cookies or really any base you like for the crust. A graham cracker crust would also taste delicious in this recipe. This recipe makes a lot of crust that goes up the sides of the cheesecake, so if you prefer just a bottom crust, feel free to cut the crust recipe in half.
- No sour cream. You can also use plain or even Vanilla Greek yogurt. The cheesecake may might be slightly more tangy.
- Dairy free. Use a dairy-free cream cheese, dairy free sour cream, and vegan butter.
- Keto friendly. We recommend following the recipe for this keto cheesecake and mixing in some of our keto salted caramel sauce. You can also send us a quick email and we'd be happy to send you a PDF of a keto version of this recipe that we have developed previously.
- Gluten free. Use gluten-free Oreos, and swap the all purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten free flour.
*This recipe hasn't been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you change or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below.
🔪Prep Work
- Allow the cream cheese to sit out for at least 2-3 hours so that it can get nice and soft. We like for ours to sit out for 6-8 hours.
- Let the sour cream, eggs, and egg yolk sit out for about 2 hours at room temperature.
- Prepare the salted caramel sauce up to 7 days in advance. If making the day of, be sure it has time to cool down so that it's not too hot when adding it to the cheesecake batter.
- Grease a 9-inch springform pan very well with baking spray. Add a parchment paper round liner to the bottom of the pan, and grease the sides of the springform pan very well to prevent sticking.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Measure out all remaining ingredients.
📋Instructions
In a food processor or blender, pulse the whole Oreos into a fine crumb, then add in the melted butter until a sand-like texture is achieved. (Image 1)
Pour the crust into the greased and lined pan and spread into a loose even layer with your fingers. Then use the bottom of a flat measuring cup to press it into the bottom and up the sides. (Image 2)
Place in oven to bake for 8-10 minutes. When it comes out of the oven, sprinkle in some of the pecans and all of the mini chocolate chips on the bottom. The chocolate chips will begin to melt in the warm crust. (Image 3) Set aside to cool on the wire rack while you work on the filling.
✨Pro Tip: This makes a taller crust that reaches up the sides of the cheesecake. For a bottom crust only, cut the recipe in half.
Now, it's time to prepare for making the cheesecake batter and baking.
- Drop the oven temperature to 325°F.
- Place a large roasting pan on the bottom rack of the oven, and make sure the second rack is positioned in the middle above it.
- Start a pot of boiling water (about 6 cups) on the stove. This will be for the water bath that goes into the roasting pan underneath the cheesecake.
Add the softened room-temperature cream cheese, brown sugar, and the all-purpose flour to a large mixing bowl. (Image 4)
Cream together with an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on LOW speed until it comes together and forms a smooth texture. Scrape down the bowl and mix on low for another 20 seconds. (Image 5)
✨Pro Tip: Make sure your cream cheese is nice and soft, or you will end up with lumps of creamy cheese in the batter!
Next, mix in the eggs one at a time on LOW speed. (Image 6)
Only add the next when the one prior is just incorporated. After the 2nd egg is mixed in, stop and scrape down the bowl. Mix for 20 seconds then continue with the last egg until smooth and creamy. (Image 7)
Add in the vanilla extract, salt, and lemon juice with the final egg yolk. (Image 8)
Mix until the mix is velvety smooth, then stop mixing! Mixing too much can incorporate too much air into the batter, which can cause it to crack later on.
Add in the sour cream, and salted caramel sauce. (Image 9)
Fold them into the batter using a rubber spatula until it's completely incorporated. (Image 10)
✨Pro Tip: Mix until completely incorporated, but not more than that, or you can whip too much air into the batter, which may cause the cheesecake to crack later on. You also want to keep your electric mixer or stand mixer on LOW speed for the same reason.
Pour the batter into the cooled Oreo crust over the top of the chocolate chips and pecans, and spread it into an even layer using an offset spatula. (Image 11) Give the pan a couple of gentle taps against your counter to release any air bubbles.
✨Pro Tip: We recommend using a baking sheet to get the springform pan in and out of the oven easily.
- To Bake. Open the oven door and slide out the bottom rack with the roast pan on it. Carefully pour the boiling water into the pan in the preheated oven and push the rack back in.
- Place the cheesecake just above the roast pan on the middle rack. Quickly close the door (to stop the steam from escaping).
- Alternative method. You can also place the springform pan directly into the water bath, but we don't like this method as much because water often leaks into the cheesecake. If you use this method, wrap the base of the springform pan tightly with aluminum foil to prevent water from getting in.
- Add the cheesecake on a baking sheet on the middle rack over top of the water bath and bake. When the cheesecake is done, the edges should be puffed up slightly and completely set. The center will be slightly sunken down. Give the springform pan a gentle nudge.
- It should jiggle just slightly in the center, sort of like jello. It's almost like a "vibration" type of movement. If it wiggles any more than that, it should continue baking for another 5-10 minutes or so.
- Cooling. After baking, turn the oven off, and crack the oven door, leaving the cheesecake inside. We like to place a wooden spoon in the door to help prop it open. Leave it there for 1 hour.
- Then, take the cheesecake out of the oven and let it sit at room temperature on a cooling rack. At this point, we like to run an offset spatula or butter knife along the edge of the cheesecake carefully to help release any stuck bits from the edge of the pan. Let the cheesecake cool for at least another 30 minutes, preferably another hour. (Image 12)
- After an hour of cooling at room temperature, transfer the cheesecake to the fridge, uncovered, and let it chill for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
Remove the cheesecake from the fridge when it's time to serve. Gently remove it from the springform pan and transfer it to a serving plate. It should be completely set up now. (Image 13)
In a small bowl, add the chopped chocolate, (Image 14) and melt very gently using your preferred method. You can use a double boiler method, or melt it in the microwave at 50% power in 30-second increments, stirring in between until the chocolate is melted. (Image 15)
Drizzle chocolate on top of the chilled cheesecake. (Image 16)
Working quickly, top with pecans right on top of the chocolate drizzle. (Image 17)
If you're using homemade caramel or any caramel sauce that’s been refrigerated, make sure it’s pourable consistency by warming it very gently in the microwave. Drizzle the caramel on top. The caramel helps keep the pecans in place. Finally, lightly sprinkle flaky sea salt on top if you'd like. (Image 18)
Serve, and enjoy!
✨Tips & tricks
- Use room temperature ingredients. This is absolutely crucial! Ensure the cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs are at room temperature before mixing. This helps in achieving a smoother batter without lumps. The cream cheese especially needs to be incredibly soft. If you use too cold of ingredients, you will end up with clumps of cream cheese in the batter and they will never fully incorporate.
- Don't skip the parchment paper and grease the pan. This really helps prevent anything from sticking, which can cause a cheesecake to crack as it cools.
- To ensure a creamy cheesecake - don't skip the water bath! This helps the cheesecake stay nice and creamy and helps prevent cracking. We use a simple water bath method, where the cheesecake pan doesn't actually have to sit in the water or be wrapped in aluminum foil. Instead, we add a large roasting pan to the oven rack below with a little bit of boiling hot water. This creates steam in the oven while the cheesecake bakes without having to worry if the cheesecake will end up with water in it. We find baking it above works really well, but you can also wrap the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil and place it inside the roasting pan if you prefer. We just find this method gets water in our cheesecake sometimes.
- Mix gently! Overmixing the batter can incorporate too much air, which can cause cracks during baking. Mix until just combined and smooth, then stop. Keep the speed of the mixer on LOW.
- Cool gradually. Once baked, turn off the oven and slightly open the oven door. Let the cheesecake cool inside for an hour, then transfer it to the counter to cool for another hour before refrigerating. This helps prevent sudden temperature changes that can cause cracking.
- Chill overnight. The cheesecake needs a lot of time to set, so we recommend 4 hours in the fridge at minimum. If possible, you should let the cheesecake chill overnight.
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🥂More Romantic Desserts
We think this turtle cheesecake feels pretty romantic, but if you're looking for more tasty treats for date night or Valentine's Day, here are a few of our favorites!
💭Frequently Asked Questions
Cheesecakes should be refrigerated and can be kept for up to 5 days in an airtight container. To freeze, make sure it's properly wrapped in plastic wrap or foil and placed in a freezer-safe bag or container. It can last up to 3 months frozen.
Yes, prepare the cheesecake through all of the steps just before baking, then wrap it with plastic wrap in the fridge. You can store it in the fridge for up to 2-3 days before baking.
Not technically, but we do recommend it. Cheesecakes can dry out easily so the water bath helps it retain moisture that prevents it from cracking. It also makes sure your cheesecake stays nice and creamy and cooks evenly.
The edges should be set, but the center should still have a slight jiggle. It will firm up as it cools.
Cracking can happen due to overmixing, baking at too high a temperature, or rapid cooling. A water bath during baking can help prevent this, as well as gentle mixing, and cooling gradually.
Yes. Cheesecakes need time to set up, and unfortunately, you can't fast track the process, or you will end up with a runny, unset cheesecake, or a cheesecake with a large crack!
More Recipes To Consider
Disclosure: This post was originally published on February 5, 2020, and has been re-developed and photographed as of November 19, 2023. We hope you enjoy the new look!
Did you try this recipe? Make sure to leave a 5-star review below! 🌟 This helps other readers find our recipes and encourages them to try them. Also, be sure to leave a comment with your experience. Follow along, and tag @AFullLiving on Instagram with your photos!
📖 Recipe
Turtle Cheesecake
Equipment
- food processor
- mixing bowls
- Rubber Spatula
- hand mixer (or stand mixer with the paddle attachment)
Ingredients
Crust (makes a large crust, for a bottom only crust, cut the recipe in half)
- 22 Oreo cookies (250 grams)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Cheesecake batter
- 32 ounces full fat cream cheese, very soft and room temperature (4 blocks)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1.5 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½-1 teaspoon kosher salt (use more salt if using regular caramel instead of salted caramel)
- ½ cup salted caramel sauce (store-bought or homemade, about 150 grams, can sub 1:1 for regular caramel sauce)
- ½ cup full fat sour cream, room temperature
Toppings
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate bar, chopped
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup salted caramel sauce (store-bought or homemade, about 75 grams, can sub 1:1 for regular caramel sauce)
Instructions
- Grease a 9-inch springform pan very well with baking spray. Add a parchment paper round liner to the bottom of the pan, and grease the sides of the springform pan very well to prevent sticking. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Crust
- In a food processor or blender, pulse the whole Oreos into a fine crumb, then add in 4 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter until a sand-like texture is achieved. Pour the crust into the greased and lined pan and spread into a loose even layer with your fingers. Then use the bottom of a flat measuring cup to press it into the bottom and up the sides.
- Place in oven to bake for 8-10 minutes. When it comes out of the oven, sprinkle in ½ cup of pecans and ½ cup of mini chocolate chips on the bottom. The chocolate chips will begin to melt in the warm crust. Set aside to cool on the wire rack while you work on the filling.
Cheesecake batter
- Drop the oven temperature to 325°F. Place a large roasting pan on the bottom rack of the oven, and make sure the second rack is positioned in the middle above it. Start a pot of boiling water (about 6 cups) on the stove. This will be for the water bath that goes into the roasting pan underneath the cheesecake.
- Add 4 blocks of softened room-temperature cream cheese, ¾ cup of brown sugar, and 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour to a large mixing bowl. Cream together with an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on LOW speed until it comes together and forms a smooth texture. Scrape down the bowl and mix on low for another 20 seconds.
- Next, mix in the eggs one at a time on LOW speed. Only add the next when the one prior is just incorporated. After the 2nd egg is mixed in, stop and scrape down the bowl. Mix for 20 seconds then continue with the last egg until smooth and creamy.
- Add in 1.5 tablespoons of vanilla extract, ½ - 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice with the final egg yolk. Mix until the mix is velvety smooth, then stop mixing! Mixing too much can incorporate too much air into the batter, which can cause it to crack later on.
- Add in ½ cup of sour cream, and ½ cup of salted caramel sauce. Fold them into the batter using a rubber spatula until it's completely incorporated. Pour the batter into the cooled Oreo crust over the top of the chocolate chips and pecans, and spread it into an even layer using an offset spatula. Give the pan a couple of gentle taps against your counter to release any air bubbles.
Bake
- Open the oven door and slide out the bottom rack with the roast pan on it. Carefully pour the boiling water into the pan in the preheated oven and push the rack back in. Place the cheesecake just above the roast pan on the middle rack. Quickly close the door (to stop the steam from escaping). We recommend using a baking sheet to get the springform pan in and out of the oven easily.
- Bake for 60 - 80 minutes. When the cheesecake is done, the edges should be puffed up slightly and completely set. The center will be slightly sunken down. Give the springform pan a gentle nudge. It should jiggle just slightly in the center, sort of like jello. It's almost like a "vibration" type of movement. If it wiggles any more than that, it should continue baking for another 10 minutes or so.
Cool
- Turn the oven off and prop open the oven door with a wooden spoon, and with the cheesecake still inside. Leave it there for 1 hour.
- Then, take the cheesecake out of the oven and let it sit at room temperature on a cooling rack. At this point we like to run an offset spatula along the edge of the cheesecake carefully to help release any stuck bits from the edge of the pan. Let the cheesecake cool for at least another 30 minutes, preferably another hour.
- After 1 hour, place the cheesecake uncovered in the fridge for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.
Garnish and serve
- Remove the cheesecake from the fridge when it's time to serve. Gently remove it from the springform pan and transfer it to a serving plate. It should be completely set up now.
- In a small bowl, add the chopped chocolate, and melt very gently using your preferred method. You can use a double boiler method, or melt it in the microwave at 50% power in 30-second increments, stirring in between until the chocolate is melted.
- Drizzle chocolate on top of the chilled cheesecake. Working quickly, top with pecans right on top of the chocolate drizzle.
- If you're using homemade caramel or any caramel sauce that’s been refrigerated, make sure it’s pourable consistency by warming it very gently in the microwave. Drizzle the caramel on top. The caramel helps keep the pecans in place. Finally, lightly sprinkle flaky sea salt on top if you'd like. Serve, and enjoy!
- Cheesecakes should be refrigerated and can be kept for up to 5 days in an airtight container. To freeze, make sure it's properly wrapped in plastic wrap or foil and placed in a freezer-safe bag or container. It can last up to 3 months frozen.
Save This Recipe! 💌
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients. This is absolutely crucial! Ensure the cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs are at room temperature before mixing. This helps in achieving a smoother batter without lumps. The cream cheese especially needs to be incredibly soft. If you use too cold of ingredients, you will end up with clumps of cream cheese in the batter and they will never fully incorporate.
- Don't skip the parchment paper and grease the pan. This really helps prevent anything from sticking, which can cause a cheesecake to crack as it cools.
- To ensure a creamy cheesecake - don't skip the water bath! This helps the cheesecake stay nice and creamy and helps prevent cracking. We use a simple water bath method, where the cheesecake pan doesn't actually have to sit in the water or be wrapped in aluminum foil. Instead, we add a large roasting pan to the oven rack below with a little bit of boiling hot water. This creates steam in the oven while the cheesecake bakes without having to worry if the cheesecake will end up with water in it. We find baking it above works really well, but you can also wrap the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil and place it inside the roasting pan if you prefer. We just find this method gets water in our cheesecake sometimes.
- Mix gently! Overmixing the batter can incorporate too much air, which can cause cracks during baking. Mix until just combined and smooth, then stop. Keep the speed of the mixer on LOW.
- Cool gradually. Once baked, turn off the oven and slightly open the oven door. Let the cheesecake cool inside for an hour, then transfer it to the counter to cool for another hour before refrigerating. This helps prevent sudden temperature changes that can cause cracking.
- Chill overnight. The cheesecake needs a lot of time to set, so we recommend 4 hours in the fridge at minimum. If possible, you should let the cheesecake chill overnight.
Nancy Watilp says
I'm so confused! The measurements you give for the candied Pecans & Caramel sauce had both weight measurements & cup measurements, but they weren't even close to being the same according to my scale and cups. Which were correct or most accurate? Also you mention letting the cheesecake set on the oven. Did you mean turn off the oven and leave it in the oven for an hour? With the door open or closed? This is my second time making it and I used the measuring cups as it seemed more reasonable. It was delicious but I'm just wondering. Especially about the hour in the oven after baking? Thanks for any clarification.
Briana says
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for your comment! I went back and noticed a bit of a typo in my candied pecans recipe, so I updated that. It would explain (at least part of the reason) why the measurements were off.
Gram measurements are always going to be the most accurate, as cups can vary. Some brands may list certain amounts as a cup, so we like to standardize it a bit more with grams so it doesn't matter which brand you're using. With that said, thanks for bringing the typo to our attention! If it turned out well I'd say you did just fine!
RE leaving the cheesecake in the oven - YES. Turn off the oven, crack the oven door, and let the cake cool down. Cheesecakes crack when they change in temperature too quickly, so this helps prevent that from happening.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment and happy baking!
Nancy says
Thank you so much. My 3rd one is in the oven now! I just read the part about leaving in the oven so I thank you for clarifying it. I'm a big fan and I'm taking it to our Easter gathering tomorrow! Blessings!
Briana says
Oh we are so honored, Nancy! 🙂 Thank you so much for including this recipe in your celebration. We're so honored! Have a wonderful Easter!