Pinterest is often my go-to springboard for new recipe ideas. A few weeks ago, while dreaming up a dessert to take to a family potluck, I came across a few recipes on my board for so-called “turtle” cheesecakes. I promise, no turtles were harmed in the making of this dessert! The signature ingredients for turtle cheesecake are actually chocolate, pecans and caramel sauce. But what makes a cheesecake truly great is the filling, of course! So after exploring a few different recipes, I decided to craft my own based on my tried and true cheesecake base. You’ll find this cheesecake very similar to my recipe for Caramel Apple Cheesecakes, but with a few different flavors to make it entirely new!
On Pinterest, I saw several recipes that suggested using a whole Oreo as each cheesecake crust. While this is definitely the easiest route, I chose to crush the Oreos for a more traditional crust. I also thought this would be easier to eat than trying to bite into a whole Oreo at the bottom of the cake! This crust is simple, with just two ingredients.
First, crush 24 Oreos (that’s about 2/3 of a pack) in a Ziploc bag with your trusty hammer or mallet. You can also do this in a food processor (much quicker, but more dishes to wash!) Then, mix the crumbs with 4 tablespoons of melted butter in a medium bowl. Spoon about a tablespoon of the mixture into each cupcake tin.
one heaping tablespoon of crust per muffin liner
Pat down each with your fingers or the underside of a small glass. This crust is sticky because of the Oreo filling, so be patient with this step!
slowly but surely pat down the filling in each liner
Next up is the cheesecake filling. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the cream cheese and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract, then the chocolate chips.
not that i advocate eating raw eggs, but i definitely lick the bowl when I’m done with it…
Use a cookie scoop or large spoon to fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full. I use a one ounce cookie scoop that is perfect for muffin tins. Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool.
ready to bake!
While the cheesecakes are baking, mix together the remaining chocolate chips and pecans in a bowl. After the cheesecakes are cool, sprinkle them with the topping. I usually have extra topping left over, so I keep it stored in a Ziploc bag for next time! Store the cheesecakes in the fridge until you are ready to serve. Just before digging in, drizzle the caramel sauce over each cheesecake, and enjoy!
drizzle caramel right before serving
enjoy!
- 24 oreos
- 4 Tablespoons butter, melted
- 4 bricks cream cheese (32 oz.), softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips, semi-sweet
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips, semi-sweet
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup caramel ice cream topping
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.
- Prepare the crust by crushing the Oreos in a large Ziploc bag. Be sure to crush finely or the crust will fail to stick together. Once crushed, dump the Oreo crumbs into a bowl and mix with the melted butter.
- Scoop about a tablespoon of the crumb mixture into the bottom of each muffin tin, and press down gently with your fingers or the bottom of a small glass.
- In a large bowl beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy and smooth. Then, add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add in the vanilla and mix again just until combined.
- Add the mini chocolate chips and mix well to distribute.
- Using a 1 ounce cookie scoop or a large spoon, fill each muffin tin about ⅔ full. Bake for 15-18 minutes.
- While the cheesecakes are baking, use a Ziploc bag or a small bowl to combine the pecans and chocolate chips for the topping.
- Remove from oven and allow the muffin tins to cool on wire racks. Once cooled, remove from pans and sprinkle topping over each cheesecake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- To serve, drizzle the caramel sauce over top of each cheesecake, and enjoy!
- Crust
- 24 oreos
- 4 Tablespoons butter, melted
- Cheesecake Filling
- 4 bricks cream cheese (32 oz.), softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips, semi-sweet
- Topping
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips, semi-sweet
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup caramel ice cream topping
- Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.
- Prepare the crust by crushing the Oreos in a large Ziploc bag. Be sure to crush finely or the crust will fail to stick together. Once crushed, dump the Oreo crumbs into a bowl and mix with the melted butter.
- Scoop about a tablespoon of the crumb mixture into the bottom of each muffin tin, and press down gently with your fingers or the bottom of a small glass.
- Cheesecake Filling
- In a large bowl beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy and smooth. Then, add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add in the vanilla and mix again just until combined.
- Add the mini chocolate chips and mix well to distribute.
- Using a 1 ounce cookie scoop or a large spoon, fill each muffin tin about ⅔ full. Bake for 15-18 minutes.
- Topping
- While the cheesecakes are baking, use a Ziploc bag or a small bowl to combine the pecans and chocolate chips for the topping.
- Remove from oven and allow the muffin tins to cool on wire racks. Once cooled, remove from pans and sprinkle topping over each cheesecake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- To serve, drizzle the caramel sauce over top of each cheesecake, and enjoy!
