This extra creamy no bake turtle cheesecake is made with homemade caramel, chocolate ganache, chopped pecans and a chocolate cookie crust. You don't need a water bath for this cheesecake or eggs and it can be prepped ahead of time!
While I love a baked cheesecake, I find it so much easier to make no bake cheesecakes! They're so much simpler to prepare and I love that you can make them ahead of time. I think this cheesecake and my Biscoff cheesecake are my two favorites! Plus, this recipe doesn't use gelatin.
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Tell me about this recipe!
- This cheesecake has a chocolate cookie crust made from crushed Oreos. The crust is briefly frozen before being filled with the no bake cheesecake filling.
- The cheesecake filling is really similar to my strawberry crunch cheesecake. Heavy cream is whipped before being folded with cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and vanilla.
- Homemade salted caramel is definitely what makes this the ultimate cheesecake! I'll teach you how to make it, though you could use ready made caramel if you prefer.
- Finally, the cheesecake is drizzled with chocolate ganache and chopped pecans.
Ingredients Needed
The printable recipe card with the full list of ingredients and instructions can be found at the bottom of this post.
- Cream Cheese: your cream cheese will need to be at room temperature before using. If you're based in Europe and your cream cheese comes in tubs, you'll have to pat it dry with a paper towel. Cream cheese in tubs has more moisture in it.
- Oreos: I used chocolate Oreo cookies for my cookie crust, but you could substitute it with wafer cookies, graham crackers, etc.
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Crush your Oreo cookies in a food processor until you have small crumbs. Pour in your melted butter and briefly pulse.
Step 2: Line a 9 inch springform pan and pour in your crust. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the cookie crumbs down and make an even bottom. Freeze for 20 minutes while you prepare the filling.
Step 3: In a mixing bowl with a hand held mixer, or in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat your heavy cream until you have stiff peaks. This might take 4-5 minutes so be patient! Keep to the side once it's ready.
Step 4: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
Step 5: Add your vanilla and confectioners' sugar. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Once it is completely smooth you can stop the mixer. Fold in your whipped cream carefully, you don't want to deflate it! Fold until it is completely incorporated.
Step 6: Take the crust out of the freezer and pour in the filling. Use a small offset spatula to smooth it out, then place plastic wrap on top of the cheesecake (making sure the plastic wrap is touching the cheesecake). Place in the fridge for at least 12 hours.
Step 7: Time to make your caramel! In a small saucepan over medium heat add your sugar a quarter of a cup at a time. Allow the sugar to dissolve completely before you pour the next quarter cup. Continue doing this until it turns a dark amber.
Step 8: Turn the heat off, then add your butter a piece at a time. Be careful as it will sputter! Stir with a heatproof spatula.
Step 9: Pour the heavy cream, vanilla and salt. Pour the caramel into a heatproof container and allow it to cool. You can make the caramel ahead of time, you'll just need to microwave it to let it become pourable again.
Step 10: Make your chocolate ganache by heating up your cream in a microwave for 15-20 seconds or on the stove. Pour over your chopped chocolate and leave for 4 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Take the cheesecake out of the fridge and remove it from the pan. Pour your caramel over and use an offset spatula to cover the cheesecake. Drizzle over your chocolate ganache and chopped pecans. Slice up your turtle cheesecake!
Recipe Tips:
- I highly recommend using a weighing scale and measuring out your ingredients the metric way. It makes a huge difference to your baking and is the most accurate way to bake!
- I make sure that all of my ingredients are at room temperature before I start the recipe, so pull out all of the ingredients before you start baking.
- If you’re based in Europe or your cream cheese comes in tubs, pat down your cream cheese with a paper towel. The cream cheese in Europe has a lot more moisture than in North America, and your filling won't be as firm if you don't pat down the cream cheese.
- For best results, chill your turtle cheesecake for 12 hours. I tried slicing it at 6 hours and while it was fine, it was definitely much cleaner after 12.
Frequently Asked Questions
Just like the candy, turtle cheesecake is a combination of chocolate, caramel and pecans!
You'll need to make sure you chill your cheesecake for at least 12 hours. If you don't let it chill long enough then your cheesecake won't firm up and you won't get clean slices. If you're based in Europe and your cream cheese comes in tubs you'll need to make sure you pat down the extra moisture.
I don't recommend freezing this cheesecake as it will change the texture too much.
You can make the caramel ahead of time, just keep in the fridge a few days and warm up in the microwave to make it pourable. You can make the base and filling two days in advance.
Try these cheesecakes next!
Have you made this recipe? Make sure to tag me on Instagram @alpineella and leave a review below if you have! If you want more baking ideas, you can follow me on Pinterest.
Recipe
No Bake Turtle Cheesecake
Equipment
- 9" springform pan
Ingredients
Cheesecake crust
- 266 grams oreos
- 115 grams unsalted butter melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 240 ml heavy cream
- 455 grams cream cheese room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 113 grams confectioners' sugar sifted
Salted Caramel
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- 42 grams unsalted butter cubed, room temperature
- 38 ml heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Drizzle
- 58 grams semi-sweet chocolate chopped
- 45 ml heavy cream
- 57 grams pecans chopped
Instructions
Crust
- Using a food processor or blender, pulse the cookies until you have a fine crumb. Pour in the melted butter and mix again.
- Press into the bottom of a 9" springform pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to make the bottom even and packed. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes while you make the filling.
Filling
- Using a handheld mixer or in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream until you have stiff peaks. This may take 4-5 minutes. Set aside
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until it is completely smooth. It needs to be at room temperature or it will be too lumpy.
- Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla to the cream cheese. Beat on medium speed until well combined. You may need to stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Once completely smooth and creamy, stop the mixer.
- Fold in the whipped cream, do it gently as you don't want to deflate the whipped cream. Continue folding until it is completely incorporated.
- Take the crust out of the freezer. Pour the filling into the crust and use a small offset spatula to smooth the top. Place plastic wrap on top of the springform pan and chill for 12 hours
Salted Caramel
- Take a small saucepan and place it on your stove over medium heat. Add the sugar ¼ cup at a time, letting the sugar dissolve completely until you add the next ¼ cup.
- Stir occasionally until the sugar has completely dissolved and turns a dark amber colour. Turn the heat off.
- Add the butter in a piece at a time, be careful as it may sputter! Stir with a heatproof spatula as you add the butter. Stir in the cream, salt, and vanilla. Let cool until it is very thick. If you're not using it straight away, pour into a container and let cool completely before placing in the fridge. When you're ready to use, heat up for 15-20 seconds in the microwave until it is pourable.
Chocolate Ganache Drizzle
- Place your heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 20-30 seconds. If you don't have a microwave, heat over medium-low heat on the stove until it starts to simmer.
- Pour over your chopped chocolate and let it sit for 3-4 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to mix the two together until it is completely smooth.
Assembly
- Take the cheesecake out of the fridge after at least 12 hours. Remove it from the springform pan. Pour over your salted caramel and use an offset spatula to smooth it over the cheesecake. Place your chocolate ganache into a piping bag and drizzle over the caramel. Finally, scatter over your chopped pecans.
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