Turtle Cheesecake Recipe

I was in the mood for a cheesecake. I have a really good, basic cheesecake recipe but I wanted to play a little – cheesecake is good but why not give it some attitude, right? I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go at first. I’m still trying to make my S’mores Cheesecake work but I just didn’t feel like making marshmallows today. Then I thought about turtles – not the animal but the candy. Those chocolate/caramel/nut confections are one of my favorites and so that is where I went and so I give you my version of a turtle cheesecake recipe.

Turtle Cheesecake

Serves 8 – 10

For the Cheesecake:
10 graham crackers
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
3 8 oz packages cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp cream of tartar

For the Caramel
1 cup granulated sugar
6 TBS cold unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt

For the Topping
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350°
Crush the graham crackers to a fine crumb. I put them in a zip bag and whack them with a rolling pin.
Add the 1/2 cup granulated sugar and melted butter. Mix well and pat into the bottom and up the sides of a 10″ springform pan.
Add the cream cheese and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attached.
Beat until smooth.
Add the eggs, vanilla and cream of tartar and mix well.
Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 50 – 55 minutes until the cheesecake is just set. It should still be a little jiggly in the center.
While the cheesecake is baking make the Caramel sauce.
Melt the sugar and salt in a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium high heat.
As the sugar melts it will ball up and look like little rocks. Don’t worry.
As it starts to melt watch it. You don’t want it to get too dark in color or the taste will be bitter. If it is turning color too quickly yet not melting lower the heat a bit.
When all of the sugar is melted add the cold butter to the pot.
IT WILL BOIL UP AND HISS AND SPIT.
Stir, stir, stir until the butter is melted.
Add the heavy cream.
IT WILL BOIL UP AND HISS AND SPIT.
Stir until the cream is well mixed. Carefully add the vanilla.
Let cook for about a minute and removed from the heat.

Carefully pour into a mason jar or other glass container to cool.
After the cheesecake comes out of the oven let it cool. I let mine cool overnight before I added the caramel and other toppings.
Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan.
Pour the caramel sauce in the center of the cheesecake. Put it in the refrigerator to set the caramel – about half an hour.
While the caramel is setting heat the heavy cream until just it is just about to boil.
Pour it over the chocolate chips. Let it sit for a minute and then stir until smooth.
Sprinkle the walnuts on top of the caramel.
Drizzle the chocolate sauce over top of the cheesecake

How Was the Turtle Cheesecake Recipe?

Do I really have to tell you how good this is?

The creamy cheesecake, the rich caramel, the crunchy walnuts and the chocolate ganache. It all comes together in an amazing bite of deliciousness. I’m sure I’ll be making it again. It’s pretty easy to make and it doesn’t take any complicated ingredients.

Want another cheesecake recipe? Check these out:

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Bourboned Pears

Cherry Cheesecake

Apple Caramel Cheesecake

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Turtle Cheesecake Recipe

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★★★★★

5 from 4 reviews

• Author: Patty @brokenteepee.com
• Cook Time: 55 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Yield: 8-10 1x
• Category: Dessert

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• For the Cheesecake:
• 10 graham crackers
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3 8 oz packages cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 eggs at room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• For the Caramel
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 6 TBS cold unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• For the Topping
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Crush the graham crackers to a fine crumb. I put them in a zip bag and whack them with a rolling pin.
3. Add the 1/2 cup granulated sugar and melted butter. Mix well and pat into the bottom and up the sides of a 10″ springform pan.
4. Add the cream cheese and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attached.
5. Beat until smooth.
6. Add the eggs, vanilla and cream of tartar and mix well.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 – 55 minutes until the cheesecake is just set. It should still be a little jiggly in the center.
9. While the cheesecake is baking make the Caramel sauce:
10. Melt the sugar and salt in a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium high heat.
11. As the sugar melts it will ball up and look like little rocks. Don’t worry.
12. As it starts to melt watch it. You don’t want it to get too dark in color or the taste will be bitter. If it is turning color too quickly yet not melting lower the heat a bit.
13. When all of the sugar is melted add the cold butter to the pot.
14. IT WILL BOIL UP AND HISS AND SPIT.
15. Stir, stir, stir until the butter is melted.
16. Add the heavy cream.
17. IT WILL BOIL UP AND HISS AND SPIT.
18. Stir until the cream is well mixed. Carefully add the vanilla.
19. Let cook for about a minute and removed from the heat.
20. Carefully pour into a mason jar or other glass container to cool.
21. After the cheesecake comes out of the oven let it cool. I let mine cool overnight before I added the caramel and other toppings.
22. Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan.
23. Pour the caramel sauce in the center of the cheesecake. Put it in the refrigerator to set the caramel – about half an hour.
24. While the caramel is setting heat the heavy cream until just it is just about to boil.
25. Pour it over the chocolate chips. Let it sit for a minute and then stir until smooth.
26. Sprinkle the walnuts on top of the caramel.
27. Drizzle the chocolate sauce over top of the cheesecake