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Turtle Pie

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A little salty and a lot sweet, this Turtle Pie features a creamy caramel cheesecake filling topped with a crunchy layer of chocolate and pecans in a delightful Oreo crust. Top it off with some extra caramel and whipped cream for a decadent (but easy!) dessert.

The Best Homemade Turtle Pie

Turtle candies, with a pecan and caramel dipped in chocolate, are one of my favorite candies. This (almost) no-bake pie is heavily inspired by those candies with caramel, dark chocolates, and pecans throughout.

The recipe begins with my Oreo crust and is essentially a caramel cheesecake topped with a rich chocolate pecan ganache and whipped cream. It is surprisingly simple to make but the final product looks so decadent!

I love how the salted caramel and pecans add some saltiness to the recipe, which really complements the sweetness and prevents it from being TOO sweet.

And while I love traditional pecan turtles and made this pie with pecans, I love it even more when it’s made with cashews. So keep that in mind if you’re a cashew-lover too.

What Does Turtle Pie Taste Like?

Turtle pie tastes like creamy cheesecake with a crisp Oreo crust, crunchy pecans and caramel. The whipped cream adds another layer of decadence!

Why Is It Called “Turtle” Pie?

The name “turtle” comes from the candies this recipe was inspired by. Turtle candies are made of pecan halves, caramel, and chocolate that are piled together and resemble the shape of a turtle.

Overhead view of a slice of turtle pie

Key Ingredients

Here are the most important ingredients in making this turtle cream pie. Scroll down to the recipe box for the full list and measurements.

  • Oreos – Crushed and combined with melted butter to form the crust.
  • White chocolate and Dark Chocolate – Use a quality brand, in bar form for the best flavor and melting.
  • Heavy whipping cream
  • Sugar – Both powdered sugar and granulated sugar are added to sweeten the filling.
  • Cream cheese -Be sure to use full-fat, block cream cheese
  • Salted caramel
  • Chopped pecans – You can also use other nuts like cashews.
  • Garnishes – I like to add pecans, salted caramel, and chocolate bar shavings for decoration.

Choosing The Right Caramel

The thicker the caramel you can use for this pie, the better. I like Smucker’s Salted Caramel and I find it’s the thickest one available at the grocery store. You want to avoid using the caramel syrups, as they are pretty thin. If you can find caramel dip (like you’d use for dipping apples), that works great too.

A slice of turtle pie on a plate

What Pie Pan Should I Use?

This is a deep-dish pie plate, and the filling comes up to the top, a standard pie plate would seem a little small for this dessert. You can also use an 8 or 9-inch springform pan for this, and in that case, I’d go ahead and adjust the crust to use the full package mixed with 8 tablespoons of butter.

How to Make Turtle Pie

Making this turtle pie is much the same process as making any no bake cheesecake, though we do bake the crust for just a few minutes.

Step 1: Make the Crust

Grind the cookies into a fine crumb. Stir in the melted butter, until the crumbs are well coated. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pie plate and up the sides. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes then allow to cool completely.

Oreo crust in a white pie plate

Step 2: Prepare the Chocolate

Combine the chocolate and heavy whipping cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring each time until smooth and melted.

Melted white chocolate in a blue bowl

Step 3: Prepare the Filling

Make the whipped cream. Chill the mixing bowl and beaters. Beat the heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form, then add the powdered sugar. Beat on high until stiff peaks form.

Prepare the cream cheese. Beat the cream cheese until smooth then add in the granulated sugar and vanilla.

Combine ingredients. Beat the melted chocolate and salted caramel into the cream cheese. Fold in the whipped cream until smooth.

Step 4: Chill

Spread the filling evenly in the cool crust. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 to 4 hours.

Step 5: Add the Toppings

Add the ganache. Melt the chocolate with the heavy cream in 30 second increments, until melted and smooth. Stir in the chopped pecans. Allow it to cool enough to touch then pour gently over the pie. Refrigerate.

Add the whipped cream. Make additional whipped cream and transfer to a piping bag. Pipe rosettes over the top of the pie.

Garnish. Top with additional pecans, caramel, and chocolate shavings.

Overhead view of a turtle pie

Can I Make This a No Bake Pie?

Truly the only thing that prevents this turtle pie from being 100% no-bake is the crust. And the reason for baking the crust is simply so it doesn’t shatter when you slice it.

The good news? If you use a springform pan, you don’t have to bake the crust! Just add the full package of Oreos and 8 tablespoons of butter, as I mentioned above.

Overhead view of turtle pie with one slice missing

How to Store

Store your caramel cheesecake in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep it covered tightly with plastic.

If you want to freeze it, I recommend doing so before adding the whipped cream topping. Wrap each slice (or the whole pie) tightly in plastic wrap then again in foil to prevent freezer burn. Thaw in the fridge.

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A slice of turtle pie on a pie server

Turtle Pie

  • Author: Julianne Dell
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Chill Time: 4 hours
  • Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: 10 slices

Description

A little salty and a lot sweet, this Turtle Pie features a creamy caramel cheesecake filling topped with a crunchy layer of chocolate and pecans in a delightful Oreo crust. Top it off with some extra caramel and whipped cream for a decadent (but easy!) dessert.

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 30 Oreos
  • 56 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling

  • 4 ounces white chocolate
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, divided
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 16 ounces full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup salted caramel 
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Topping

  • ½ cup chopped pecans
  • 2 ounces (75g) dark chocolate
  • 1 cup plus 6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, divided
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • Additional pecans for garnish
  • Additional salted caramel for garnish
  • Chocolate bar for shavings

Instructions

For the Crust

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grind the cookies into a fine crumb using a food processor or blender.
  2. In a small bowl, melt 5 tablespoons of butter in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds. Pour the melted butter over the cookie crumbs and stir until the crumbs are well coated. If the cookie crumbs still seem dry and hard to pack together, add an additional tablespoon of melted butter.
  3. Tightly press the crumbs into a pie plate into the bottom and up on the sides. Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. Cool on the counter until it’s completely cooled, refrigerating if necessary.

For the Filling

  1. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate and 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring each time until the chocolate is melted.
  2. Prepare the whipping cream. Chill the mixing bowl and beater blade for 5-10 minutes in the freezer or refrigerator. Beat 1 cup heavy whipping cream in the chilled bowl and use an electric mixer to beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed until the cream starts to thicken to soft peaks. Add the powdered sugar and continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks form. Set the whipped cream aside.
  3. Beat the softened cream cheese until it’s completely smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Next add the granulated sugar, and vanilla extract and continue beating until smooth. Next, add the melted chocolate and salted caramel, beating until it’s completely mixed into the cream cheese.
  4. Finally, slowly fold in the whipped cream until it’s completely smooth. Pour the filling into the prepared cooled crust, spreading evenly. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours until it’s firm.

For the Topping

  1. Chop the pecans into small pieces. Set aside.
  2. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate and 6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream. Melt the chocolate in the microwave at 50% power in 30-second increments and stir until completely combined and smooth. Mix the pecans into the melted chocolate and let the chocolate cool down until it’s no longer hot to the touch.
  3. Pour the ganache over top of the pie, gently spreading to the edges. Refrigerate to allow the ganache to set a little bit before adding the whipped topping.
  4. Once the ganache is set, make the whipped cream. Follow the instruction above using 1 cup heavy whipping cream and ½ cup powdered sugar. Use a large piping bag fitting with a 1M piping tip to pipe rosettes over top of the pie.
  5. To garnish, chop up additional pecans, drizzle with caramel and add chocolate shavings. To make the chocolate shavings, take a chocolate bar and vegetable peeler and run it along the edges of the chocolate bar.

Equipment

Notes

  • What type of chocolate is best? I recommend using chocolate bars such as Ghirardelli or Lindt
  • Salted caramel you can sue something like Smuckers or caramel dip that is used for apples. Avoided uses “sauces” that some in a squeeze bottle.
  • Storing: Store your caramel cheesecake in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep it covered tightly with plastic. 
Nutrition Information:
637
37.2 g
224.3 mg
51.4 g
41.1 g
1 g
6.2 g
124.4 mg
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: No Bake
  • Cuisine: American

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