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This Turtle Cheesecake Recipe is made with a graham cracker crust and plenty of caramel, chocolate and pecans! It’s rich, creamy and sure to be a hit!
This post is sponsored by Challenge Dairy, but all opinions are my own.
I am a big fan of turtle candies. The combination of chocolate and caramel is my jam. Not to mention the cute shape of them when you actually get them in their true shape. If you aren’t familiar, turtle candies are called “turtles” because the pecans are placed in a way that looks like turtle legs and the caramel and chocolate are placed so that they look like turtle shells. They are delicious and cute little candies that is great for the holidays.
But perhaps even though you love the turtle flavors, but really want a cheesecake. Well then, this cheesecake is for you!
What’s in a Turtle Cheesecake?
This Turtle Cheesecake is made with several layers of turtle flavors throughout. To start, there’s the crust. In addition to graham cracker crumbs, the crust has pecans right it in for extra flavor and crunch. The cheesecake filling has a layer of caramel with more pecan chips mixed in, a layer of chocolate and then a creamy brown sugar cheesecake. The whole cheesecake is topped with even more buttery caramel, smooth chocolate and crunchy pecan chips. Delicious!
How to Make a Turtle Cheesecake
First, you’ll make the caramel sauce – arguably the best part of this Turtle Cheesecake. It’s basically the same as my Homemade Caramel Sauce, with a few tweaks to make it a little thicker.
The first ingredient for the caramel is the sugar, which gets melted down. Once melted, butter is added, then heavy whipping cream. It makes the most amazing caramel sauce with such a smooth, buttery flavor. Seriously, that buttery flavor is to die for, which is why I used my favorite Challenge Butter.
You’ve heard me say it before and I’ll say it again – Challenge Butter is a wonderful, high quality butter that is perfect for baked goods. Their butter is made from fresh milk at family-owned dairies and goes from farm to fridge in just two days. It has no added hormones, artificial flavors or fillers, which I’m a big fan of. I usually find it at Walmart, but it’s now also available in Kroger. And if you’re near a Harris Teeter, you can also usually find it there. If you aren’t sure, find a location near you where they carry it. It’s good stuff!
When your caramel sauce is made, it’s time for the crust. Combine all the ingredients and bake for 10 minutes.
Next up is the filling. You’ll start by adding some of the caramel sauce to the crust, then making the chocolate ganache. Add the chocolate ganache in an even layer on top of the caramel.
The next part of the cheesecake filling is the cream cheese mixture. Again, I rely on my trusty Challenge Cream Cheese, which is as close to homemade as it gets with nothing artificial and no added hormones. It’s super creamy and perfect as the base of the cheesecake filling. It’s combined with brown sugar, vanilla and your usual ingredients for a silky-smooth filling.
Bake the cheesecake in a water bath, then refrigerate until firm.
How do you bake a cheesecake in a water bath?
While water baths can seem intimidating, they really aren’t hard and they are totally worth it. I have a tutorial on how I set up my water baths that is quite helpful. I not only use aluminum foil, but also a crock pot liner bag to ensure that water doesn’t get into the cheesecake. Works like a charm!
As for benefits of a water bath, it’ll keep your cheesecake from browning too much, sinking and will help prevent cracks. Definitely the way to go!
Once the cheesecake has cooled, it’s topped with some of the remaining caramel sauce, more chocolate ganache and pecan chips. There’s nothing quite a beautiful as a dessert covered in caramel and chocolate! Nothing quite as tasty either!
The final cheesecake is smooth, creamy and the perfect combination of turtle candy flavors and cheesecake. Such a fun holiday dessert that makes a great alternative to pumpkin! Bring it on!
Watch How To Make It
You might also like Turtle candy desserts:
Turtle Brownie Cheesecake
Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake
Chocolate Turtle Cupcakes
Chocolate Turtle Poke Cake
Turtle Chocolate Cookie Cups
Chocolate Caramel Turtle Cake Roll
Turtle Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 55 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Turtle Cheesecake Recipe is made with a graham cracker crust and plenty of caramel, chocolate and pecans! It’s rich, creamy and sure to be a hit!
Ingredients
Caramel Sauce
- 2 cups (414g) sugar
- 1/2 cup (112g) salted Challenge butter, room temperature*
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream, room temperature*
- 5 tbsp (41g) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1/4 cup (28g) pecan chips
Crust
- 2 cups (268g) graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup (112g) salted Challenge butter, melted
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (28g) pecan chips
Filling
- 4 oz (2/3 cup | 116g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 6 tbsp (90ml) heavy whipping cream
- 24 oz (678g) Challenge cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup (144g) light brown sugar
- 3 tbsp (24g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (230g) sour cream
- 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
Chocolate Drizzle
- 2 oz (1/3 cup | 58g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3 tbsp (45ml) heavy whipping cream
Instructions
1. To make the caramel sauce, pour the sugar into an even layer in a large saucepan.
2. Heat on medium-high heat, whisking the sugar until melted. The sugar will clump up first, but will eventually completely melt. This should take about 10 minutes.
3. Once the sugar has melted, stop whisking and allow to cook until the sugar has turned to a little darker amber color. You may notice a nutty aroma. The change in color will happen quickly, so don’t let it go too long or get too dark or it’ll burn. Remove the caramel from the heat.
4. Add the butter and whisk until combined. The mixture will bubble up quite a bit, but keep whisking until all the butter has melted and combined.
5. Slowly pour the heavy cream into the caramel and whisk until incorporated. I find it can help to add just a bit at a time until the caramel starts to thin out, then you can add the rest. Whisk until well incorporated and smooth.
6. Set about 1 cup of caramel sauce aside for topping. Add the flour and pecan chips to the remaining caramel and set that aside.
7. To make the cheesecake crust, preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan with parchment paper in the bottom and grease the sides.
8. Combine the crust ingredients in a small bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan.
9. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
10. Cover the outsides of the pan with aluminum foil so that water from the water bath cannot get in (see how I prepare my pan for a water bath). Set prepared pan aside.
11. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F (148°C).
12. Pour the caramel sauce with the pecans and flour into the bottom of the crust and spread into an even layer.
13. To make the cheesecake filling, put the chocolate chips in a small bowl.
14. Heat the heavy whipping cream just until it begins to boil, then pour over the chocolate chips. Allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
15. Pour the chocolate into an even layer over the caramel sauce in the crust.
16. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, brown sugar and flour on low speed until well combined and smooth. Be sure to use low speed to reduce the amount of air added to the batter, which can cause cracks. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
17. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until well combined.
18. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly to combine after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well combined.
19. Pour the cheesecake batter into the crust, over the chocolate.
20. Place the springform pan inside another larger pan. Fill the outside pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. The water should not go above the top edge of the aluminum foil on the springform pan.
21. Bake for 1 hour 35 minutes. The center should be set, but still jiggly.
22. Turn off the oven and leave the door closed for 30 minutes. The cheesecake will continue to cook, but slowly begin to cool as well.
23. Crack the door of the oven for 30 minutes to allow the cheesecake to continue to cool slowly. This process helps prevent cracking.
24. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and remove the water bath and wrapping.
25. Pour about 1/2 cup of the remaining caramel sauce over the top of the cheesecake and spread into an even layer. If the caramel sauce has firmed up too much to pour, heat it up for about 10 seconds.
26. Refrigerate cheesecake until completely cool and firm, 5-6 hours. When the cheesecake is cool and firm, remove it from the springform pan and place on a serving dish.
27. Place the chocolate chips for the drizzle in a small bowl. Heat the heavy whipping cream just until it begins to boil, then pour over the chocolate chips. Allow it to sit for 3-4 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
28. Drizzle the remaining caramel sauce and chocolate sauce over the cheesecake and sprinkle with a few more pecan chips. Refrigerate cheesecake until ready to serve.
Notes
Caramel sauce: The butter and heavy cream need need to be at least room temperature, or warmer. Since every home is a little different in temperature, you may want to melt your butter and gently warm your cream, to ensure that they aren’t too cool. If they are, the caramel with seize.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 659
- Sugar: 55.8 g
- Sodium: 396.5 mg
- Fat: 37.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 73.5 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 119.4 mg
Enjoy!
I have made this cheesecake several times and it comes out wonderful. I have one in the oven for my bestie’s birthday on Thursday. It is his favorite!! Thank you!!
Awesome! So glad it’s a hit!
Can I make this cheesecake ahead and freeze it? Will it turn out well this way?
That should be fine. Cheesecakes usually freeze very well. Just flash freeze it for about an hour or so, then wrap it well. Thaw it in the fridge before using.
Hi Lindsay,
I must have made your cheesecakes 50 times and THEY ALL have turned out perfectly!!!
On this one however the 2 bottom layers, the caramel and chocolate, rose up onto the sides of the crust as I put the cheesecake filling in and thus it baked into the sides of the cheesecake…yikes!! Also, I noticed that my batter was quite thicker than your other cheesecakes. Would that be because of the brown sugar and 3 eggs, as opposed to the 4 eggs that you usually require?
What did I do wrong? Please help🙏🏻.
Thank you and God bless,
Brenda
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed them!
It sounds like you may have poured most of the cheesecake filling into like the middle of the cheesecake and therefore it pushed the chocolate and caramel outwards. Try drizzling the filling evenly all over so that it doesn’t displace the chocolate and caramel. You can also let the caramel and chocolate cool and thicken a bit before adding them to the crust, so that they don’t move around so easily. I hope that helps!
I’m making this for my husband’s BD and was wondering if I could make the caramel sauce in advance and just keep it in the fridge?
Definitely! It’ll keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
What size springform pan do you recommend?
A 9-inch springform pan.
You need to put the size of the springform pan at the beginning of the recipe.
Was good, however, crust came out dry and crumbly. Followed directions for crust on this recipe
I’m sorry you had trouble with the crust. It sounds like you may have used a few too many graham cracker crumbs and didn’t end up with the right ratio of crumbs to butter to hold it all together as well. I always recommend a food scale to measure things like that to know do you have the correct amount. If you notice the crust ingredients looking a little dry before you them to your pan next time, just try adding a touch more melted butter.
Can I do your brownie bottom with this recipe, or would the caramel and ganache block the moisture it gets from the actual cheesecake?
I would think that would be fine. Just reduce the eggs in the cheesecake filling to three.
Great recipe! This is my third time and if you follow he directions you will be a very popular host or hostess! The only suggestion I have is that the refrigeration time should be included and added to the total time to make this. I always start the day before. Nobody has complained that it doesn’t taste fresh!
Thank you for the feedback! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed it!
I started at 5:30 AM CT to make this cake. I already Knew for myself I would be adding a few more nut types into this than just pecans.
So I went through the steps.
I even made my own Truffle Thick Chocolate Ganache to utilize in this format of cake.
The ONLY thing is,
Placing the caramel and the chocolate on top of the baked graham crust……….
Than the cheesecake batter on top of that;
Made my Beautiful Crust Soggy
At the End of the whole Process.
Yes it’s true You can freeze the cake but it won’t alter the Finalized Baked Crust Results.
Next Time; I will Not put the caramel and chocolate ganache layers on the crust.
(Calling those two items “Filling” kept tripping me Up as I read the blog, the recipe, and then put it together in my kitchen. They are Layers not Fillings.)
I also added a Cinnamon Sugar Triple Toasted Nut topping on mine for crunchy on top.
So bummed about the wet baked graham crust.
Fantastic recipe! I found the water bath video very helpful. The only thing I would change is putting the refrigeration time in the heading with the other times. The first time I made it I didn’t account for this but fortunately I started the day before. Can’t really be finished in 4 hours.
Thank you for the feedback! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I felt like a master baker after making this! Absolutely delicious and came out great even though I was quite intimidated and worried about cracking! This was my first attempt at cheesecake and can’t wait to try more of your cheesecake recipes! Chef’s kiss!!
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This recipe was amazing! I made it exactly as you said and it was perfect!! The caramel was a new method to me but I stuck with your directions and it came out perfect!!!
Awesome! So glad it was a hit!
Am going to make. Question, the filling layer is white in the picture but it has chocolate chips in it. I don’t understand how it will come out white and not brown. Could you use white chocolate chips
The chocolate chips are used to make chocolate ganache, which is in the crust of the cheesecake, not mixed it. I hope that helps.
Hi! Is it really 1.5 tablespoons of vanilla extract or should it be 1.5 teaspoons? Thanks!
Tablespoons is correct. I find I need a little more flavoring in cheesecakes for the flavor to come through.
Can the cheesecake be made ahead and frozen at any point?
Yes, it should be fine to freeze it before you add the toppings. Just wrap it well and thaw it in the fridge before adding the toppings and serving.
can you use dark chocolate instead of semi-sweet/milk? thx!
It may be a little thicker with dark chocolate. You could add a touch more cream, if needed.