This Turtle Pie is a quick, easy and creamy no bake caramel cheesecake inside a rich chocolate cookie crust. It’s topped with melted chocolate, salted caramel, pecans and whipped cream. Enjoy this Edwards inspired turtle pie the next time you need a deliciously decadent dessert everyone will love.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
I have a few no bake cheesecake recipes on the blog that I absolutely adore. My Strawberry Pretzel Cheesecake, No Bake Citrus Cheesecake and Cookie Dough Cheesecake, Philadelphia No Bake Cheesecake and Biscoff Cheesecake are all incredibly delicious no-bake cheesecake recipes. I know you’ll love this no bake Turtle Pie recipe because:
- Super simple to make. From start to finish, you can make this wonderfully easy creme pie in about 10 minutes (minus the chill time). Then, just let the cheesecake chill for at least 6 hours and enjoy!
- A creamy and decadent no bake caramel cheesecake made with simple ingredients. This no bake turtle cheesecake is made with simple ingredients like cream cheese, heavy cream, powdered sugar, salted caramel and vanilla extract.
Ingredients
This turtle pie requires only a handful of ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge!
Gather cream cheese, heavy whipping cream,powdered sugar, salted caramel, vanilla extract salt, chocolate sandwich cookies and melted butter.
Substitutions
This turtle cream pie recipe is meant to be so easy, you can make it as a casual dessert to enjoy anytime. Here are my recommended substitutions if you need them.
- Cream Cheese: This no bake turtle pie is made with full fat Philadelphia cream cheese. It is important to use full fat versus reduced fat for this cheesecake. I personally love using Philadelphia for all my cheesecake based recipes, but feel free to use any brand you like. Mascarpone cheese would be the easiest substitute for cream cheese.
- Heavy Cream: I love making freshly whipped cream by whipping heavy cream. Heavy cream usually whips to amount twice the amount. If needed, use 1 cup (72 g) cool whip as a substitute for the heavy cream.
- Salted Caramel: I love a quick and easy recipe, so for this turtle pie, I used a store bought salted caramel. Feel free to use any brand you like or even make your own! This recipe uses about ¾ cup (177 ml).
- Powdered Sugar: Substitute the same amount of granulated sugar.
- Vanilla Extract: This provides a lovely background flavor for the no bake cheesecake filling.
- Oreo Cookies: Feel free to use any chocolate sandwich cookie to make this recipe. This turtle pie recipe calls for about 25 cookies to make the crust.
Variations
- Graham Cracker Pecan Crust: Combine 1 cup (125g) graham cracker crumbs with ¾ cup ground pecans, 3 tbsp (35g) light brown sugar and 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter. Mix until the the mixture easily sticks together. Press into a 9” pie plate. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before filling with the no bake ujn filling.
- Classic Graham Cracker Crust: Combine 2 cups crushed graham crackers with 6 tablespoons (85 g) melted butter until the mixture sticks together. Press into a 9” pie plate. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before filling with the no bake caramel cheesecake filling.
How To Make
This Turtle Pie recipe is super easy to make. So grab your ingredients and let’s go!
- Make the rich chocolate cookie crust by mixing finely crushed oreo cookies with melted butter. Press the cookies up the sides and along the bottom of a 9” pie plate. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before filling with the caramel cheesecake filling.
- Pour the heavy cream into a mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed to stiff peaks with a whisk attachment (or beaters). The heavy cream should double in size to about 1 cup of whipped cream. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl beat the cream cheese on low until smooth. Beat in the salted caramel, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt until smooth and well combined. Fold in the whipped cream until smooth and well combined. This is best done by hand with a spatula.
- Evenly spoon the creamy cheesecake filling into the prepared pie crust. Cover the turtle pie with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight.
- When it’s time to serve, remove the no bake cheesecake from the fridge and top with your desired toppings. I top mine with melted chocolate, more salted caramel, whipped cream and pecans. Another fun topping would be pieces of turtle candies.
How To Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Store in the fridge: Keep this no bake pie in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Return it to the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freeze no bake turtle cream pie: Wrap the entire no bake turtle pecan pie in plastic wrap and foil. Store the caramel pie in the freezer for up to 2 months. It’s best to leave all toppings off if you plan on freezing the turtle pie.
- Thaw the no bake cheesecake: Transfer the pie to the fridge to thaw overnight. Top with your desired toppings and serve.
M’s Expert Tips
- Make sure the heavy cream is whipped to stiff peaks. This is essential setting the caramel pie filling.
- Bring all other cold ingredients to room temperature: This allows the ingredients to mix together more evenly.
- Make sure to chill the turtle cheesecake for at least 6 hours: Chilling this creamy and decadent cheesecake for less time could result in filling that is runny.
FAQ's
Turtle pie gets its name from the combination of caramel, chocolate and pecans found in DeMet’s Turtles. This no bake turtle pie takes all the main ingredients found in the classic turtle candies and makes it into a delicious no bake cheesecake similar to Edwards frozen turtle pie.
It is essential to chill the no bake cheesecake for at least 6-8 hours. Chilling the pie for less time means the cheesecake filling will be more like mousse.
Other Pie and Tart Recipes to Try
If you try this Turtle Pie Recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking!
Happy Baking! - M
Turtle Pie Recipe
Equipment
- 1 9" pie plate
- 1 stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters
Ingredients
Chocolate Crust
- 2 cups crushed Oreos about 25 cookies
- 6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, melted
Turtle Pie
- 1 cup (237 ml) heavy cream
- 16 oz. (452 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup (118 ml) salted caramel
- ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
Optional Toppings
- 2-3 tbsp (30-45 ml) salted caramel
- 2-3 tbsp (30-45 ml) melted chocolate
- whipped cream
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Make the rich chocolate cookie crust by mixing finely crushed oreo cookies with melted butter. Press the cookies up the sides and along the bottom of a 9” pie plate. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before filling with the caramel turtle cheesecake filling.
- Pour the heavy cream into a mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed to stiff peaks with a whisk attachment (or beaters). The heavy cream should double in size to about 1 cup of whipped cream. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl beat the cream cheese on low until smooth. Beat in the salted caramel, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt until smooth and well combined. Fold in the whipped cream until smooth and well combined. This is best done by hand with a spatula or spoon.
- Evenly spoon the creamy turtle cheesecake filling into the prepared pie crust. Cover the turtle pie with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight.
- When it’s time to serve, remove the no bake cheesecake from the fridge and top with your desired toppings. I top mine with melted chocolate, more salted caramel, whipped cream and pecans.
Sounds delish and quick. Can I use any other cookies. We’re not Oreo fans. Thank you
Hi Sharon, you absolutely can! I listed some variations for the crust in the blog post. If you need other suggestions, please feel free to ask!