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    Gastronotherapy » Recipes » Chocolate

    Easy Turtle Pie (no bake)

    Modified: Nov 15, 2024 · Published: Oct 18, 2022 · by MaryAnne · 6 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Easy turtle pie has a creamy caramel filling, crunchy oreo crust, and is topped with buttery pecans, salted caramel sauce, and chocolate chips. It's an indulgent no-bake pie that's also customizable and freezer-friendly, with make-ahead instructions provided.

    Sliced chocolate caramel pie with pie server.

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    This caramel turtle pie recipe is inspired by the store-bought Edwards turtle creme pie, but it's fresher, creamier, and homemade. It's those turtle candies made of caramel, pecans, and chocolate that everyone loves, but in pie form!

    For this rich dessert, we start with a chocolatey oreo crust, then make a creamy cheesecake filling made with a homemade salted caramel sauce (but you can also use store-bought sauce if you prefer). The pie is finished with buttery pecans, chocolate chips, and drizzled with more caramel sauce.

    It might just be one of my favorite desserts I've ever made. It's true.

    For more no bake recipes, try my pumpkin cheesecake bars, no bake chocolate pie and black forest pie.

    Jump to:
    • ⭐️ Why This Pie is the Best
    • 💬 Where Did Turtle Flavors Originate?
    • 🍫 Ingredient Notes
    • 📝 Variations & Substitutions
    • 🔪 How to Make Easy Turtle Pie
    • 👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tips
    • 💬 Frequently Asked Questions
    • 🥧 More Pie Recipes
    • Easy Turtle Pie Recipe

    ⭐️ Why This Pie is the Best

    • Thick & creamy salty-sweet caramel chocolate pie with a crunchy oreo crust and topped with buttery pecans, chocolate chips, and drizzled with caramel sauce
    • No bake turtle cheesecake, so no need to turn on your oven
    • Customizable recipe for turtle pie so you can make a graham cracker crust, use store-bought caramel sauce, or even make mini pies using a muffin tin.
    • Make ahead instructions provided so you can make it at your convenience
    • Freezer-friendly turtle pie
    • Easy enough for a weeknight but special enough for your holiday table

    💬 Where Did Turtle Flavors Originate?

    The flavor of turtles is credited to DeMet's Turtles, which created a candy made of pecans, caramel, and chocolate, and is shaped like a turtle. Turtle pie takes the flavor of that candy and reinvents it in creamy pie form, using a chocolate cookie crust, caramel cheesecake filling, and pecans as the topping.

    🍫 Ingredient Notes

    pie ingredients arranged on a table.
    • Unsalted butter - Using unsalted butter helps us control the amount of salt in our pie.
    • Heavy cream - We use this to make whipped cream, creating a light and airy cream pie filling.
    • Salt - Because we make salted caramel here, there is a generous amount of salt in the caramel recipe. However, you can easily use half the amount if you want more of a traditional caramel flavor.
    • Chocolate wafer cookies - You can use wafer cookies or just scrape the cream filling out of oreos and use the cookies. Don't miss my creamy Oreo dip!
    • Cream cheese - Make sure your cream cheese is softened at room temperature to avoid a lumpy filling.
    • Powdered sugar - Using powdered sugar in our cheesecake filling creates a smooth texture because it contains cornstarch.
    • Pecans - Adds a buttery & crunchy topping to our turtle dessert. If you love pecans, try my butterscotch pecan pie!
    • Chocolate chips - Adds additional crunch and more chocolate flavor.

    📝 Variations & Substitutions

    • Graham cracker crust. Swap the oreo crust for a graham cracker crust for a more molasses-forward pie that's less chocolatey.
    • Use store-bought salted caramel sauce if you want to skip the homemade version.
    • Gluten-free version: Substitute gluten-free oreo cookies for similar results.
    • Vegan/dairy-free: Substitute with non-dairy butter, cream cheese, and chocolate chips, and use chilled coconut cream in place of heavy whipping cream for a dairy free version.
    • Mini-pies. Use a muffin tin to make mini caramel turtle pies.
    slice of pecan turtle pie on a white plate with chopped pecans.

    🔪 How to Make Easy Turtle Pie

    Make the Salted Caramel Sauce

    In a medium saucepan, melt the sugar over medium heat, using a metal whisk to the stir the sugar. It will turn into clumps of sugar at first, but keep stirring until sugar is completely melted, about 5 minutes. After sugar is melted, let it sit for about 1 minute, until it turns an amber color. Remove from heat.

    melted sugar in a saucepan.

    Add in half of the butter and stir until it's completely melted (it will bubble up quite a bit). Add in remaining butter and stir until thoroughly combined. Pour in half of the heavy cream and stir (this will also bubble up). Add in remaining heavy cream and stir until completely combined.

    melted sugar mixed with butter and heavy cream in a saucepan.

    Add in salt and vanilla extract and combine well. *If your caramel hardens up, gently re-heat over low heat until it's soft enough to incorporate vanilla. Pour sauce into a glass container and allow it to cool completely before using.

    salt and vanilla added to caramel sauce in a sauce pan.

    Make the Oreo Crust

    Place cookies, butter, sugar and salt into the bowl of a food processor and blend for several minutes, until you've achieved a mixture of fine crumbs. Pour into a 9" pie pan and press mixture on bottom and up the sides of pan. Chill until ready to fill (at least 30 minutes).

    hand pressing oreo crust mixture into a pie pan.

    Make the Pie

    In a medium-sized bowl, use an electric hand-mixer to beat the cream cheese for roughly 2 minutes. Next, add the powdered sugar and ½ cup of the salted caramel sauce. Mix on low just until combined, then increase the speed to high and mix until smooth.

    hand mixer mixing cream cheese in a bowl.
    caramel sauce and powdered sugar added to cream cheese in bowl.

    Into the bowl of a stand mixer, pour heavy cream and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high until medium peaks form. Add the whipped cream to your caramel cream cheese mixture and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the whipped cream until it's fully combined and there are no streaks left (this will take a few minutes).

    whipped cream being mixed in a stand mixer.
    whipped cream being folded into caramel cheesecake mixture.

    Spread turtle pie filling over oreo crust and cover the pie with tented foil. Chill for at least 6 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, drizzle remaining caramel sauce over pie and sprinkle with chopped pecans and chocolate chips.

    caramel chocolate pie that has been cut into with cookie crumbs in pie pan.

    👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tips

    • Storage: Store (covered) pie in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
    • How to freeze: Wrap individual slices in foil and place in a freezer storage bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in refrigerator overnight.
    • Make ahead: This pecan turtle pie can be assembled and stored in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Right before serving, drizzle with remaining caramel sauce, and top with pecans and chocolate chips.
    • Use softened cream cheese. This will prevent a lumpy cheesecake filling.
    • Chill pie. Make sure that you chill your assembled pie for at least 6 hours to help it set up.
    • Serve your pie topped with chocolate covered pecans for a playful twist.
    • Refrigerate oreo crust for at least 30 minutes before adding filling.
    • Thick sauce. If you use store-bought caramel sauce, make sure that it's thick caramel sauce and not thin caramel syrup.
    • Cool sauce completely. If you do make homemade caramel sauce, be sure to cool it completely before using. To cool it faster, place it in the freezer for 20 minutes, giving it a good stir every 5 minutes.
    • Fold gently. When incorporating whipped cream into turtle pie filling, make sure that you gently fold it in using a rubber spatula. This will prevent the whipped cream from deflating, keeping it light and airy.

    💬 Frequently Asked Questions

    What is the turtle pie called?

    This dessert pie is a play on the candies made with caramel, pecans, and chocolate that resemble turtles. It's also known as turtle cream pie, turtle cheesecake, and frozen turtle pie. Pre-made frozen pies are sold by brands like Edwards and Marie Calendar's.

    Who invented turtle cheesecake?

    Credit is often given to The Velvet Turtle for creating this cheesecake made of caramel, pecans, and chocolate.

    Why do they call it turtle pie?

    It's named after the turtle candies made of pecans, caramel, and chocolate, which look like turtles.

    🥧 More Pie Recipes

    • Sliced apple pie with melting ice cream on top.
      Easy Apple Pie with Puff Pastry
    • Mixed nut tart on a white platter with gingham napkin and rolling pin.
      Caramel Nut Tart
    • chocolate cream pie placed on a table with a pie server and napkin.
      No Bake Chocolate Pie
    • pie server resting in a pan of pecan pie.
      Gooey Butterscotch Pecan Pie

    Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook.

    Subscribe to my email newsletter to get a FREE e-book of 15 Healthy Weeknight Recipes, and get new recipes delivered to your inbox every week!

    Sliced chocolate caramel pie with pie server.

    Easy Turtle Pie Recipe

    Author: MaryAnne
    Easy turtle pie has a creamy caramel filling, crunchy oreo crust, and is topped with buttery pecans, salted caramel sauce, and chocolate chips. It's a no bake pie that's also customizable and freezer-friendly, with make-ahead instructions provided.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 7 minutes mins
    Chilling Time 6 hours hrs
    Total Time 6 hours hrs 22 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 693 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 stand mixer

    Ingredients
      

    For the Salted Caramel Sauce

    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (cubed)
    • ½ cup heavy cream
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

    For the Oreo Crust

    • 2 ½ cups chocolate wafer cookies, crushed (or oreos with the filling scraped out)
    • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
    • ¼ cup granulated sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    For the Pie

    • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
    • ½ cup powdered sugar
    • ½ cup salted caramel sauce
    • 1 ½ cups heavy cream
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 cup chopped pecans (topping)
    • ¼ cup chocolate chips (topping)

    Instructions
     

    Make the Salted Caramel Sauce

    • In a medium saucepan, melt the sugar over medium heat, using a metal whisk to the stir the sugar. It will turn into clumps of sugar at first, but keep stirring until sugar is completely melted, about 5 minutes. After sugar is melted, let it sit for about 1 minute, until it turns an amber color. Remove from heat.
    • Add in half of the butter and stir until it's completely melted (it will bubble up quite a bit). Add in remaining butter and stir until thoroughly combined. Pour in half of the heavy cream and stir (this will also bubble up). Add in remaining heavy cream and stir until completely combined.
    • Add in salt and vanilla extract and combine well. *If your caramel hardens up, gently re-heat over low heat until it's soft enough to incorporate vanilla. Pour caramel sauce into a glass container and allow it to cool completely before using. Once cooled, it can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.

    Make the Oreo Crust

    • Place cookies, butter, sugar and salt into the bowl of a food processor* and blend for several minutes, until you've achieved a mixture of fine crumbs. Pour into a 9" pie pan and press mixture on bottom and up the sides of pan. Chill until ready to fill (at least 30 minutes). *Alternatively, you can crush cookies in a large plastic bag using a rolling pan. Add crumbs to a mixing bowl and combine with butter, sugar, and salt.

    Make the Pie

    • In a medium-sized bowl, use an electric hand-mixer to beat the cream cheese for roughly 2 minutes. Next, add the powdered sugar and ½ cup of the salted caramel sauce. Mix on low just until combined, then increase the speed to high and mix until smooth.
    • Into the bowl of a stand mixer, pour heavy cream and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high until medium peaks form. Add the whipped cream to your caramel cream cheese mixture and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the whipped cream until it's fully combined and there are no streaks left (this will take a few minutes).
    • Spread pie filling over cookie crust and cover the pie with tented foil. Chill for at least 6 hours or overnight.
    • When ready to serve, drizzle remaining caramel sauce over pie and sprinkle with chopped pecans and chocolate chips.

    Notes

    • Storage: Store (covered) pie in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
    • How to freeze: Wrap individual slices of pie in foil and place in a freezer storage bag. Pie can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in refrigerator overnight.
    • Make ahead: This pecan turtle pie can be assembled and stored in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Right before serving, drizzle with remaining caramel sauce, and top with pecans and chocolate chips.
    • Use softened cream cheese. This will prevent a lumpy cheesecake filling.
    • Chill pie. Make sure that you chill your assembled pie for at least 6 hours to help it set up.
    • Refrigerate pie crust for at least 30 minutes before adding filling.
    • Thick caramel sauce. If you use store-bought caramel sauce, make sure that it's thick caramel sauce and not thin caramel syrup.
    • Cool sauce completely. If you do make homemade caramel sauce, be sure to cool it completely before using. To cool it faster, place it in the freezer for 20 minutes, giving it a good stir every 5 minutes.
    • Fold gently. When incorporating whipped cream into pie filling, make sure that you gently fold it in using a rubber spatula. This will prevent the whipped cream from deflating, keeping it light and airy.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 693kcalCarbohydrates: 72gProtein: 7gFat: 48gSaturated Fat: 24gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 633mgPotassium: 236mgFiber: 3gSugar: 53gVitamin A: 1240IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 77mgIron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Beth

      October 18, 2022 at 11:27 am

      5 stars
      This looks (and sounds) so awesome!! Adding this to my pie list for Thanksgiving!

      Reply
      • MaryAnne

        October 19, 2022 at 7:08 am

        Thanks so much, Beth! I hope you love it! 😊

        Reply
    2. Linda Pfeifer

      December 23, 2022 at 4:11 pm

      I had a problem with the measurements of the purchased caramel sauce. If I had made the included homemade caramel sauce recipe, then the amount to top the pie, which would have been whatever was left after adding half a cup to the pie filling. However, the recipe does not say how much to use to top the pie, if purchasing the sauce.
      Another problem I had was with the Oreo cookies. The recipe does not say to measure the cookies before or after crushing them does leaving me to guess. I measured after crushing the cookies and I wondered if I had too much of the crushed cookie mixture to blend with the butter and sugar. I used about 16 ounces of purchased Oreo cookies.

      Reply
      • MaryAnne

        December 23, 2022 at 5:24 pm

        Hi Linda, my apologies for not making the measurements clearer. I will update that momentarily. The Oreo cookies should be measured after they are crushed, and you can drizzle as little or as much store-bought caramel sauce as you like. Thanks for your feedback!

        Reply
    3. Sharon

      January 07, 2023 at 3:03 pm

      5 stars
      This is my new favorite pie recipe!! I prepared the chocolate cookie crust and caramel sauce ahead of time, so all I had to do the day of was make the caramel filling, whipped cream, and then assemble the pie. Everyone raved that it was so delicious and rich, and it tastes just like the Turtles candy. This will be a go-to recipe for holidays going forward!

      Reply
      • MaryAnne

        January 08, 2023 at 6:34 am

        Thanks so much for the great review, Sharon, and I'm so happy that it's now a favorite! 😊

        Reply
    5 from 5 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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    Hi! I’m MaryAnne, the writer, recipe developer, and photographer behind Gastronotherapy, where I bring vibrant, delicious, and thoughtfully crafted mainly vegetarian and vegan (flexitarian) recipes to life. While my focus leans toward wholesome, nourishing dishes, my love for dessert ensures that indulgence always has a place at the table!

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