Caramel, pecans and chocolate combine in this delicious turtle pie. This no-bake version features a crunchy Oreo cookie crust and a silky caramel cheesecake filling.
This easy no-bake turtle pie captures everything you love about the candy: chocolate, caramel and pecans in a cool, creamy dessert. A sturdy Oreo crust holds a light, velvety caramel cheesecake filling—almost mousse-like. The pie is finished with extra caramel and chocolate sauce, whipped cream and toasted pecans.
It’s inspired by the popular store-bought turtles but is creamier and smoother in texture. You can freeze the pie for a firmer, ice-cream-like treat, but chilling in the refrigerator for a cold, creamy slice gives the best texture in my opinion.
To make the crust, pulse Oreo cookies (wafers and filling) in a food processor or blender until fine, then mix with melted butter and press into a 9-inch pie plate, up the sides and across the bottom. An Oreo crust works especially well for no-bake pies because it holds together and adds a chocolate cookie contrast to the caramel filling.
The filling is a no-bake caramel cheesecake that’s not overly tangy or too sweet. It’s made from cream cheese, whipped cream, salted caramel and powdered sugar. You can use store-bought caramel or dulce de leche, but a very thick caramel is essential—thicker sauce helps the pie set and keeps the texture stable.
After assembling, refrigerate the pie at least 6 hours to firm up. Before serving, drizzle extra caramel and chocolate sauce, dollop whipped cream, and scatter chopped pecans around the edges or across the top. You can use chocolate sauce or simply melt chocolate and drizzle it over the pie.
Creamy caramel filling, a chocolate cookie base, and more caramel, chocolate and pecans on top—this no-bake pie is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
No-Bake Turtle Pie
Equipment
- 9-inch pie plate
Ingredients
Caramel Sauce (or store-bought)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (33–35% MF)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Oreo Crust
- 25 Oreo cookies (wafers and filling)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Caramel Filling
- 3/4 cup heavy cream (or whipping cream)
- 10 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup salted caramel, fully cooled
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
To Serve
- Caramel sauce
- Chocolate sauce or melted chocolate
- Whipped cream
- Pecans, chopped or halved
Instructions
Caramel Sauce (or use store-bought)
- Place the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly. The sugar will clump, then melt into a smooth amber liquid.
- When the sugar is fully melted and smooth, carefully add the chopped butter all at once and whisk until melted—the mixture will bubble.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the cream until smooth. Stir in the salt.
- Cool the caramel completely before using in the pie.
Oreo Crust
- Pulse Oreos (wafers and filling) in a food processor or blender until fine crumbs, or place them in a zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin.
- Mix the crumbs with melted butter until evenly combined.
- Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Chill while preparing the filling.
Caramel Filling
- Whip the heavy cream in a large bowl until stiff peaks form.
- In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
- Add 1/2 cup fully cooled caramel and the powdered sugar to the cream cheese and mix until smooth.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture with a rubber spatula until uniform and light.
- Spoon the filling into the chilled crust and smooth the top.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours to set. Optionally freeze for a firmer dessert; chilling yields a creamier texture and cleaner slices.
Serving
- If frozen, remove the pie from the freezer about 1 hour before serving.
- Drizzle additional caramel and chocolate sauce (or melted chocolate) over the pie.
- Decorate with whipped cream and chopped or halved pecans around the edges or on top.
- Use a sharp knife to slice all the way through the cookie crust for clean slices.
Notes
- Using store-bought salted caramel is fine—choose a thick, high-quality caramel or dulce de leche. Very thick caramel helps the pie set.
- The caramel sauce recipe yields about 1 cup total. Use only 1/2 cup in the filling and reserve the rest for drizzling. Adding all of it to the filling will make the pie too sweet and may prevent proper setting.
- Use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese for best texture.
- The pie can be made a day ahead. Add whipped cream and sauces just before serving. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
- Nutrition is estimated per slice when the pie is cut into 8 equal pieces and excludes the extra sauces and whipped cream on top.
Nutrition
Per slice (estimate): Calories: 489 kcal, Carbohydrates: 45 g, Protein: 5 g, Fat: 33 g, Saturated Fat: 18 g, Cholesterol: 85 mg, Sodium: 345 mg, Potassium: 158 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 24 g, Vitamin A: 992 IU, Vitamin C: 1 mg, Calcium: 67 mg, Iron: 3 mg.