Gluten-Free Turtle Cheesecake
The best gluten-free turtle cheesecake topped with gooey caramel, rich fudge, and toasted pecans. Smooth, creamy, and worth every step! A family favorite for years!
Servings: 16 servings
Equipment
- 9-inch springform pan
- extra wide heavy duty foil
Ingredients
Crust Ingredients
- 8 ounces gluten-free graham crackers 1 ¾ cup gluten-free graham cracker or cookie crumbs
- ¼ cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons melted butter melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 20 ounces cream cheese (2½ - 8 oz packages), softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ¼ cups sour cream
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 2 large eggs
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Turtle Topping
- ¼ cup caramel sundae sauce always check labels, some brands are not gluten-free
- ¼ cup hot fudge sauce
- ¾ cup toasted pecan pieces
Instructions
Make the Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper.
- Crush 8 ounces gluten-free graham crackers into crumbs. Put the crumbs in a small bowl with the ¼ cup sugar and 4 tablespoons melted butter. Stir to combine.
- Pour the crust mixture into the prepared pan and press them down firmly, into an even layer.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown, and then set it aside to cool.
Make the Cheesecake Filling
- With an electric mixer, cream the softened 20 ounces cream cheese and 1 cup sugar together in a large bowl until well combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together 1 ¼ cups sour cream, ⅓ cup heavy cream, 2 large eggs, 3 large egg yolks, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract.
- Pour half of the sour cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture and mix until well combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Then mix in the remaining sour cream mixture, scraping the bowl again. Set this mixture aside while you prepare the water bath.
Bake the Cheesecake
- Wrap the springform pan with a double layer of extra-wide heavy duty foil, ensuring the bottom and sides are covered and there are no holes. Place the foil wrapped pan inside a large roasting pan.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture over the crust.
- Boil water and fill the roasting pan about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan.
- Carefully transfer the roasting pan with the cheesecake into the oven. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 250°F.
- Bake at 250°F for 1-½ hrs. Don't open the oven door while it is baking.
- When the time is up, the cake will still look jiggly in the center and will look underdone. Turn the oven off and let the cake cool in the oven for 1 hour to finish cooking. It still may seem a slightly jiggly in the center after this, but the edges should look set.
- Remove the cake from the oven. Refrigerate the cake for at least 6 hours or overnight. The cake should be firm at this point.
Remove the Cake from the Pan
- Gather two plates: any flat plate and a serving plate large enough to hold the cheesecake.
- Release the sides of the springform pan. If it looks like it might stick, run a thin knife along the edge.
- Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the cheesecake to cover it. Then, take the flat plate and lay it on top of the cheesecake. Invert the cheesecake and set it down.
- Remove the bottom of the springform pan and then parchment paper from the crust. Place your serving plate on top of the crust and flip the cake back over. Remove the parchment from the top of the cake.
Top the cheesecake
- Drizzle the top of the cheesecake with caramel sauce and fudge sauce. Then, sprinkle the top of the cake with toasted pecan pieces.
- Keep refrigerated until serving.
Notes
- To toast pecans, bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes.
- If you only have an 8-inch springform pan, extend the baking time by 10-15 minutes.
- Follow the instructions closely, the cooling is part of the baking process.
- Skipping the water bath could result in uneven baking and cracks.
- For pretty drizzles, put the caramel and fudge sauce in zip top bags and snip the corner, then drizzle lines across the cake. Drizzling with a spoon works too, but this is usually more controlled.
