Sweet Things Remembered

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Classic cheesecake with an Oreo® crust, topped with chocolate ganache, caramel sauce, and chopped pecans.

When we were kids, my parents would try to get my siblings and I to eat new foods, especially ones they thought we would like. One of those foods was cheesecake. While my siblings fought it, I was generally good about trying things, and it was probably around 4th grade when the cheesecake opportunity was presented to us at a Fazoli’s restaurant. I don’t actually remember the first time trying the cheesecake, but I do know the turtle flavor was my favorite and I asked if I could get some every time we went there. Now that it’s been about 20 years, we all like cheesecake, including the brother who had not yet been born at the time of my cheesecake discovery, but think of all the times they could have had a delicious piece of turtle cheesecake and missed out.

It’s been years since I’ve had turtle cheesecake from Fazoli’s, so I don’t remember exactly what their combination of chocolate, caramel, and pecan looked like, but I have created my own version of it to enjoy. I used Oreo® cookies for the crust, and then topped the cheesecake with chocolate ganache, a drizzle of caramel sauce, and chopped pecans. And, if my story has made you think you’d like to enjoy a piece of Fazoli’s turtle cheesecake, I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news that they don’t sell it anymore. I guess you’ll just have to make my version, which I promise is just as delicious (if not more so). If you do, I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients

For the Crust:

• Oreo® cookies (or an off-brand)
• Butter, melted

For the Cheesecake Filling:

• Cream Cheese, softened
• Granulated Sugar
• Sour Cream
• Eggs
• Vanilla Extract

For the Toppings:

• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (or dark, if you prefer)
• Heavy Cream
• Caramel Sauce (you can use homemade or store-bought)
• Chopped Pecans

Equipment

• 9 inch Springform Pan
• Electric mixer – If using a stand mixer, make sure you use the paddle attachment.
• Measuring tools
• Spatula
• Food Processor – this will be used to blend up the crust. It you don’t have a food processor, you will just need some way to crush the cookies into crumbs.
• Small saucepan and heat safe bowl for a double boiler

How to Make Turtle Cheesecake

Before making the cheesecake, set out your ingredients so they are room temperature before making the filling.

Make the Crust:

• Preheat the oven to 325° and grease a 9 inch springform pan.
• In a food processor, blend up 24 Oreo® cookies and mix with 5 tbsp of melted butter until crumbs are sticking together.
  • If you do not have a food processor, you can crush your cookies in a plastic baggie with a rolling pin, and then mix the crumbs with the butter.
• Press the crust evenly into the bottom of the pan, and then bake for 10 minutes.
  • When you press your crust into the pan, you can either just press it onto the bottom, or you can press it onto the bottom and about an inch up the sides of the pan. Whichever way you do it, just make sure it’s pressed evenly into the pan.
• Let the crust cool completely before adding the cheesecake filling.

Make the Cheesecake Filling:

• Using an electric mixer, beat three 8oz blocks of softened cream cheese until smooth.
• Continue beating and add in 1 cup of granulated sugar.
• Next, add 1 cup of sour cream and 1-2 tsp of vanilla.
• Then, add in 3 eggs one at a time and mix until just combined.
• Pour the filling mixture over the cooled crust and bake in a water bath for 60-65 minutes.
  • To do a water bath, set the cheesecake pan in a large roasting pan (or other pan that is larger than the cheesecake pan) and fill with about an inch of hot water. Before putting your cheesecake in the water bath, wrap the pan tightly in foil to prevent water from seeping into the bottom.
  • If you do not want to put the cheesecake into the water bath, you can fill the pan with water and place it on the oven rack underneath the cheesecake. Just know it’s more likely for your cheesecake to crack on the top when using this method.
• After the time, check to make sure the cheesecake is set on the edges. It should still be jiggly in the center, like jello. If it is set, turn off the oven and crack the door, leaving the cheesecake inside. Let it cool inside the oven for one hour.
• Once the cheesecake has cooled in the oven, take it out, cover it, and place it in the fridge for at least 6 hours. It is better for it to chill overnight.

Make the Topping:

• Using a double boiler, melt together, 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1/3 cup of heavy cream to make a chocolate ganache. You will need to stir this consistently so that it doesn’t burn. Spread the ganache over the top of the cheesecake.
  • If you are not able to do a double boiler, you can do this in the microwave. Just put your chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl, and heat in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until everything is melted and combined.
• Then, heat up (if needed) and drizzle the caramel sauce over the cheesecake.
• Sprinkle chopped pecans over the top. The amount is up to you. I didn’t measure, but used 1/2 to 1 cup of pecans.
• If you are not serving immediately, place the cheesecake back in the refrigerator to chill before serving. Enjoy!

Questions You May Have

Do I have to do a water bath when baking the cheesecake?

It is not required for baking a cheesecake; however, it is recommended to prevent the cheesecake from cracking and helps keep the cheesecake creamy. If you do not want to do the water bath, you should at least put water in a pan on the oven rack underneath the cheesecake to add some humidity while it bakes.

Are there any other toppings I could add instead of chocolate, caramel, and pecans?

Before adding the toppings, this is just a classic cheesecake with an Oreo® crust. If you wanted to do different toppings, you would just need to make sure they go with the Oreo® flavor. Some ideas could be chocolate and/or peanut butter drizzles or a fruit compote (I vote strawberry or cherry). Or, if you don’t like the combination of toppings for turtle, you can just leave it plain.

Can this be made gluten free?

I believe you would just need to swap out the Oreo® cookies for the gluten free version. All of the other ingredients should be gluten-free, but double check just to be safe.