Turtle Cheesecake Bars are the perfect way to end any meal or treat your family to an after-school/work snack. They are much easier to make than traditional cheesecake with all the creaminess and satisfaction you crave in every bite. Cheesecake with chocolate and caramel sauces plus chopped pecans gives you all the flavors of traditional turtle candies in a new bite.
I chose to use a gluten-free chocolate Oreo crust for mine but you can also use a classic graham cracker crust if you prefer. Even a gingersnap crust would be fun!
If you want even more Oreo flavor, you can break up additional cookies (either by hand or using a rolling pin) and fold them into the filling before baking. You will get oodles of Oreo flavor in every bite!
Turtle cheesecake bars are easier to make than regular cheesecake and absolutely delicious! They are more casual and approachable, less scary, and a real crowd pleaser.
These bars are terrific for your kids to enjoy, to serve at luncheons, dinner parties, showers, holiday parties, and more. Wonderful for any occasion!
I love this dessert – who doesn’t love caramel and chocolate especially with cheesecake thrown in too! Luscious and so indulgent with the chocolate and caramel sauces, I couldn’t stop eating this cheesecake!
My favorite store-bought ice cream sauces are from Fran’s. There are a number of them but I am a sucker for their chocolate, caramel, and raspberry sauces. They are great drizzled over the top like this dessert has but I also like to use them beneath a slice of cake. The raspberry sauce is incredible with chocolate cake!
When you are making the crust, don’t compact it too hard or it will be difficult to cut when chilled. Leave it a little looser than normal but be sure it is sticking together so you get a good crust that holds together.
You make these Turtle Cheesecake Bars in a 9×13-inch (23x33cm) baking dish so it serves a lot of people. Because it is so rich, you can cut your bars a little smaller and let people come back for seconds if you want. This is a great option if you’ve got a dessert bar for your dinner.
You are going to love these Turtle Cheesecake Bars – they have everything you dream of … creamy cheesecake, chocolate cookie crust, and decadent caramel and chocolate sauces, this is a real winner!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Please leave a star rating in the recipe card, comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it @theheritagecook on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day and I love hearing from you!
Ingredients needed for Turtle Cheesecake Bars:
- Crust: Oreos or gluten-free “Oreo” cookies, unsalted butter
- Filling: cream cheese, superfine sugar, sour cream, vanilla, eggs
- Toppings: caramel sauce, pecans, hot fudge sauce
PRO Tip:
If you need to bring eggs to room temperature, place them in a bowl and cover with very hot tap water. Leave on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes to warm the eggs, then you can use them in the recipe.
PRO Tip:
When adding a lot of eggs like required in this recipe, break them all into a measuring cup with a spout. Then you can easily add them one yolk at a time with accompanying whites. Don’t worry if two wind up in the bowl at the same time, just mix thoroughly before adding the next one.
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Kitchen scale
- 9×13-inch (23x33cm) baking dish with a lid
- Food processor or blender
- Mixing bowls
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Wire cooling rack
PRO Tip:
Be certain that your cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs are at room temperature. To soften cream cheese, completely unwrap the blocks and place them in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 10 seconds or just until softened.
PRO Tip:
Be sure, when you are scraping the bowl, to do the sides and bottom of the bowl to get all unmixed ingredients. I there are any pockets of solids in the batter, leave them in the bowl when you pour it into the crust-filled baking pan.
Gluten-Free Tips:
* You can adjust any baking recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of flour or regular flour, whisk it, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial gluten-free blends such as Pamela’s All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
You will get the best and most consistent results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking. And use grams, they are much more accurate than oz and oz.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Turtle Cheesecake Bars (GF)
Turtle Cheesecake Bars are the perfect way to end any meal or treat your family to an after-school snack. They are much easier to make than traditional cheesecake with all the creaminess and satisfaction you crave in every bite. Cheesecake with chocolate and caramel sauces plus chopped pecans gives you all the flavors of traditional turtle candies in a new bite.
Ingredients
Crust
- 30 (about 3 cups; 255g) regular Oreo cookies or gluten-free chocolate sandwich ("Oreo") cookies … one regular size package of cookies
- 6 tbsp (85g) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 4 packages (8 oz; 908g each) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1-1/4 cups (250g) superfine* granulated sugar *
- 1/2 cup (113g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
Toppings
- 1/2 cup (118ml) caramel sauce
- 1/2 cup (118ml) chocolate sauce or hot fudge
- 1/2 cup (57g) chopped pecans, candied or plain, optional
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a 9x13-inch (23x33cm) baking dish with parchment paper leaving two ends extended beyond the edges to create a sling. You will use it to lift the bars out of the pan. Or you can leave the pan unlined and ungreased.
2. Prepare the Crust: In a food processor or blender, pulse the cookies (including the cream filling) into fine crumbs. You can also place them in a zip-top bag and crush them into fine crumbs with a rolling pin. You should have about 3 cups (710 ml) crumbs.
3. Pour the crumbs into a large bowl. Add the melted butter and stir to combine. The mixture will be thick and quite damp. Be sure there aren’t any large chunks.
4. Pour the mixture into the parchment-lined or ungreased 9x13-inch (23x33cm) baking dish. Using your hand, pat the crumbs down into the bottom to make a compact, thick crust. You can use a small flat-bottomed measuring cup to help press down the bottom crust and smooth out the surface, but do not pack down too hard.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Bake this crust for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool the crust completely on a wire rack before adding the filling.
6. Make the Filling: Re-heat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
7. Using a stand mixer or a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese until creamy and smooth.
8. Beat in the superfine sugar * and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the sour cream and vanilla. Blend until smooth and creamy. Again, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
9. With the mixer on low, add in eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated before adding the next. Pour the cheesecake filling on top of the cooled crust. Tap the pan a couple of times on the counter and pop any bubbles that rise to the top. Slide carefully into the hot oven.
10. Bake the Bars: Bake until the top of the cheesecake becomes golden, about 50 to 65 minutes. Or until the edges of the cheesecake are pulling away from the sides a bit, but the center is still a bit jiggly when gently shaken. Transfer the pan to a wire rack. Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature (at least a couple of hours) before chilling it, covered, in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours or overnight. The center will sink as it cools.
11. Remove from the refrigerator and use the parchment to lift the cheesecake out of the pan (if you used it), drizzle the top with the caramel and chocolate sauces or spoon them on the plate. Sprinkle the nuts over the top (if using). Cut into 16 bars and serve.
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
* If you can’t find superfine sugar in your grocery store, you can make it with your food processor or blender and regular granulated sugar. Just run it for about 30 seconds, pulsing a few times, and it will be done. If you don’t have a food processor, you can use regular sugar, just mix it a little longer (before you add any of the other ingredients) to be sure it is dissolved.
If the crushed cookie crust mixture seems really wet and is not forming a nice crust, grind up a couple more cookies and mix those crumbs in.
You will get the best results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking. And use grams/kg, they are much more accurate than oz and lb.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Adapted from I Am Baker
Crust adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 124Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 156mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 4g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.
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