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Turtle Cheesecake.
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5 from 3 votes

Turtle Cheesecake

Indulge in this decadent Turtle Cheesecake recipe, featuring a crunchy Oreo crust, a rich salted caramel cheesecake, with layers of homemade salted caramel, chocolate, pecans, and flaky salt! It's a luxurious dessert, perfect for any special occasion.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
Cooling time10 hours
Total Time11 hours 45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 16 people
Calories: 394kcal
Author: Briana

Equipment

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.

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 394kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 592mg | Potassium: 355mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 249IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 245mg | Iron: 4mg