Turtle Cheesecake
This turtle cheesecake is the kind of dessert that will keep you coming back for more. It’s rich, velvety smooth, and layered with everything you love about classic turtle candy flavors, without being overly complicated to make. It features a chocolate cookie crust, creamy cheesecake, salted caramel, pecans, and a chocolate drizzle.
Why you’ll love this Turtle Cheesecake
- The Best Of Both Worlds: This recipe combines rich, creamy cheesecake with classic turtle-inspired flavors for an indulgent dessert.
- Chocolate Crust: The crust comes together with crushed chocolate sandwich cookies and butter, baking up into a flavorful base that holds everything together.
- Salted Caramel: It’s homemade with that little hint of salt to keep you coming back for “just one more bite.”
- Pecans: Chopped up for crunch in every bite, because it’s not a turtle dessert without pecans!
- Melted Chocolate: A drizzle of melted chocolate on top ties everything together and makes it extra decadent.
- A Showstopping Dessert: It’s one of those desserts that looks impressive but tastes even better! Perfect for holidays, gatherings, or whenever the craving hits.
Tips for the Best Cheesecake
Take your ingredients out of the fridge before baking: Make sure your cream cheese, eggs, and heavy cream are at room temperature before starting. This helps everything blend easily, giving you a smooth batter with no lumps.
Don’t overmix after adding the eggs: Overmixing incorporates air into the batter so it’s important to stop mixing once you can’t see anymore egg streaks.
Wrap the pan in foil: Tightly wrap the outside of your springform pan with foil to keep water from seeping in while baking.
Tap it on the counter: Once your cheesecake batter is in the pan, give it a few taps on the counter to get rid of any air bubbles.
Don’t overbake: Bake at 325°F for 55-60 minutes, until the edges are set and the center jiggles slightly.
Cool it in the oven: When the cheesecake is done baking, turn off the oven and leave the door slightly cracked open for 1 hour. This allows the cheesecake to slowly cool down to room temperature and helps prevent cracks.
Chill overnight: Refrigerate your cheesecake overnight to let it fully set. It’s worth the wait!
Ingredients you’ll need
For the Chocolate Cookie Crust:
- Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
- Unsalted Butter
For the Cheesecake:
- Cream cheese
- Granulated sugar
- Heavy cream
- Fresh lemon juice
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs
For the Topping:
- Salted Caramel
- Pecans
- Chocolate
Baking cheesecake in a Water Bath
When you bake a cheesecake in a water bath, the steam from the hot water surrounds the pan and keeps the oven environment extra humid. This keeps the edges from drying out, prevents cracks, and allows the cheesecake to set slowly, giving it that creamy texture throughout. Here’s how to do it:
- Wrap the outside of your springform pan in 3-4 layers of aluminum foil, making sure it goes all the way up the sides. This is a super important step to make sure the water doesn’t leak into the crust.
- Place the springform pan in a large baking dish. Carefully pour hot water into the baking dish filling it halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
- The steam from the water helps the cheesecake bake slowly and evenly!
Recipe Q&A
Q: How do I prevent cracks in my cheesecake?
A: A few things help here. Make sure your cream cheese, eggs, and other ingredients are at room temperature before mixing, and avoid overmixing once the eggs go in, since extra air in the batter can cause cracks as it bakes. Baking at a lower temperature and using a water bath also helps the cheesecake cook evenly. Once it’s done, let it cool gradually in the oven with the door cracked open before moving it to the fridge, since sudden temperature changes can cause cracking too.
Q: Does the type of cream cheese matter?
A: It does. We always go with Philadelphia full fat cream cheese, it just gives the best flavor and texture out of anything we’ve tried.
Q: Can I make this cheesecake ahead of time?
A: Yes! The cheesecake layer can be made a day or two in advance and stored in the fridge. Just wait to add the banana slices, pudding, and whipped cream until you’re ready to serve so everything stays fresh.
Q: How do I store leftovers?
A: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Watch how we made it:
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Turtle Cheesecake
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 cups chocolate sandwich cookies about 25 cookies, finely crushed
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
Cheesecake
- 32 oz softened cream cheese (4, 8 oz blocks)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream room temperature*
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 4 eggs room temperature
Salted Caramel
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter softened & cubed
- 1/2 cup heavy cream room temperature*
- 3/4 tsp salt
Toppings
- 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate melted
- 1-1 1/2 cups pecans roughly chopped
Instructions
For the Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan in 3-4 layers of aluminum foil, making sure it goes all the way up the sides.
- Make the crust by combining the crushed chocolate sandwich cookies and melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325℉.
For the Cheesecake
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a handheld electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and sugar. Whisk until smooth and no lumps remain. Add the heavy cream, lemon juice, and vanilla. Mix until combined.
- Add the eggs one at a time, whisking between each addition. Mix just until no egg streaks remain.
- Pour the batter into the pan. Bake the cheesecake in a water bath by placing the pan in a large baking dish. Carefully pour hot water into the baking dish filling it halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
- Bake at 325℉ for 55-60 minutes until the edges are set and the center is slightly jiggly.
- Once the cheesecake is done baking, don't take it out of the oven! Turn off the oven and crack the door open slightly (you can use a wooden spoon to prop it). Let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 1 hour.
- After that, take it out and let it sit at room temperature for another hour. Then refrigerate it for at least 6 hours, but overnight is best for a fully set texture. Make sure the cheesecake has fully cooled to room temperature before placing it in the fridge.
For the Salted Caramel
- In a medium saucepan, combine the water and sugar. Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Avoid stirring at this stage, as this will cause the sugar to crystallize. Instead, gently swirl the pan if needed. Continue to boil until the mixture turns a deep golden brown color.
- Carefully stir in the cubed butter. The mixture will bubble up vigorously, but keep stirring until the butter is completely melted.
- Pour in the heavy cream, continuing to stir as the mixture bubbles up again. Stir until the cream is fully incorporated.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the caramel to completely cool before using. It will thicken as it cools.
Assemble
- When ready to serve, spread an even layer of salted caramel over the cheesecake, sprinkle with crushed pecans, then drizzle the melted chocolate on top.
