Easy No Bake Turtle Dream Bars

These No Bake Turtle Dream Bars will excite your taste buds with an Oreo cookie crust, cheesecake layer, chocolate pudding, caramel, pecans and Cool Whip! It’s one of the easiest and most delicious no bake desserts much like my original Chocolate Peanut Butter Dream Bars.

Today is a special day.

We are celebrating the upcoming birth of a baby boy!!
Julianne, creator of the blog Beyond Frosting and her husband, Kevin are expecting their first baby in just a few weeks and a whole bunch of her blogger friends are surprising her today with a virtual baby shower.

Julianne makes THE best and most beautiful desserts on her blog and if you haven’t visited yet, you absolutely MUST! 
I know you’ll be drooling when you look at her pictures.
She’s a very talented recipe creator, and photographer, and is often inspired when she is high up in the mountains shredding powder since she ad Kevin are avid snowboarders. 

I am beyond excited for them both because over the years, Julianne has become a really good friend. We’ve been on a couple of retreats together, and have always been in touch online, but our deep connection lies in our mutual love of New England. She spent many years growing up in Vermont and I in Rhode Island. 

Julianne and Kevin, congratulations on the upcoming addition of your bouncing baby snowboarder!
I couldn’t be happier for both of you!!
Here’s to a safe, healthy, uneventful delivery and healthy, beautiful baby boy!
I cant wait to follow his snowboarding adventures.

SAVE THIS TURTLE DREAM BAR RECIPE TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!

My contribution to Julianne’s baby shower are these Turtle Dream Bars. 
If you like chocolate, caramel and pecans, you’re going to fall in love with this super easy dessert. 

It’s based on the other Dream Bar recipes I have here on the site.
This type of dessert is also known as a lush dessert or as a dessert lasagna because of the layers.

These dream bar desserts have seriously become a personal favorite. 
They are so easy to make, have lots of flavor in each bite, are a favorite dessert among many and I absolutely LOVE coming up with new ideas for them! 

The Original Chocolate Peanut Butter Dream Bar

The Chocolate Peanut Butter Dream Bars way back in 2014 was the one that started it all. The original recipe had a cookie crust that was baked, but I’ve adapted it and have since transformed them into a no bake dessert as well and people love it.
They have been so popular throughout the years that I knew I just had to create more versions. 

Dream Bar Recipes

If you like bananas, you’ll love the Banana Pudding Dream Bars. Want to feel like a kid again? Make these Circus Animal Cookie Dream Bars. They’re so colorful and fun that you might just want to stare at them instead of eat them!
Remember buying the Creamsicles off the ice cream truck as a kid? I made these Orange Creamsicle Dream Bars and they transported me to my childhood with every bite! I loved them.

Mint lovers go nuts for my Chocolate Mint Dream Bars. You’ll taste just the right amount of chocolate and mint in every fork or spoonful. You might just end up licking your plate, too! 
Got a thing for Speculoos cookies or cookie butter? Well, I’ve got you covered there, too with these Biscoff White Chocolate Dream Bars. I’m surprised I even had enough cookie butter for that recipe since I eat it right out of the jar so often. 

I’m a big strawberry fan, so I couldn’t resist making these Strawberry Cheesecake Dream Bars. They’re perfect for a bridal or baby shower or even for mom on Mother’s Day!
And of course, I’ve got you Oreo lovers covered as well with my Oreo Pudding Dream Bars. These bars are seriously stuff that dreams are made of and will surely put a smile on your face. 

Dream Bars | Lush Dessert | Dessert Lasagna for the Holidays

Last Thanksgiving, the No Bake Pumpkin Dream Bars were a huge hit. They are like a pumpkin pie, but better! Kurt and I are not on the pumpkin pie team and always opt for a slice of apple pie at Thanksgiving, but from now on, these will be my go to Thanksgiving dessert for sure!

Speaking of holidays, these Cranberry Orange Dream Bars are made with less sugar, so you can enjoy dessert when you’re trying to cut back on your sweets. 
Or if you want to really splurge, then these Red Velvet Cherry Dream Bars have your name all over them. With a red velvet cookie crust and cherry pie filling, you’ll be oohing and ahhing with each bite.

Be sure to look for more Dream Bar recipes in the future! I’ve got plenty more in the works.

Even those this dessert looks nothing like the “Turtle” candy it’s supposed to resemble, it is just as delicious. 
Believe me.

Why is Turtle candy called Turtle?

Originally created in 1918 by the DeMets Candy Company, pecan pieces were covered in caramel and then encased in chocolate.
The pecans resembled the head and feet of a turtle while the chocolate covering looked like the shell.

Hence the name for this dream bar dessert.
Every bite, you’ll enjoy a taste of chocolate, some sweet caramel and some tasty pecans. 
The whole family has fallen in love with this dessert and I think you will, too!

What Ingredients do I need to make this no bake dessert recipe?

• Oreo Cookies – with the filling inside. No need to separate the cookies!
  Oreos are one of my favorite cookies to use in desserts. I’ve used them in this Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe , this Oreo Cake, Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Bars, and even in these Chocolate Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes!
• butter
• cream cheese at room temperature
• confectioners’ sugar
• pure vanilla extract
• instant chocolate pudding
• milk
• caramel sauce
• chocolate sauce
• pecan pieces
• Cool Whip or my Stabilized Whipped Cream

How do I make these Turtle Dream Bars?

• If you chose, line an 8 X 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper. This will make it easier to cut into even squares, but uneven squares are fine, too! haha 😉
• Place the Oreo cookies into a blender or food processor to break down into fine crumbs.
• Mix the cookie crumbs with melted butter and pat down into the prepared baking dish.
• Place into the freezer to set for a minimum of 30 minutes.
• In the meantime, mix the chocolate pudding mix with just 1 ½  cups of milk, not the 2 cups of milk as is called for on the package. We want the pudding to be a bit thicker, so you can slice through it. Place into the fridge to set.
• In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the pure vanilla extract, and confectioners’ sugar.
• With a rubber spatula, mix in one cup of the Cool Whip.

Assembly

• Remove the crust from the freezer and place dollops of the cream cheese mixture on top of the crust and spread to all the sides.
• Spread the pudding on top of the cream cheese.
• Drizzle the caramel sauce over the pudding, trying to completely cover because it will be difficult to spread.
• Sprinkle the pecan pieces over the caramel.
• Cover with the remaining Cool Whip.
• Place into the the freezer to chill for a minimum of two hours before serving. The caramel sauce may be runny, but that’s ok.
• Remove the bars from the pan by lifting up the sides of the parchment and drizzle with additional caramel and chocolate sauces, and sprinkle with remaining pecan pieces either before or after slicing into individual servings.

Take a look at the delicious recipes my blogger friends have made to celebrate the birth of Julianne and Kevin’s baby boy!

Banana Fritters from Grandbaby Cakes
Mama’s Best Banana Pudding from The Novice Chef
Snowy Mountain Baby Shower Cake from Life, Love and Sugar
Fruity Pebbles Muffins from Crazy for Crust
Mountain Baby Shower Cookies from Glorious Treats
Instant Pot Cheesecake from Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
No Bake Turtle Dream Bars from 365 Days of Baking and More
Churro Cupcakes from Spoonful of Flavor
Classic Lemon Bars with Shortbread Crust from A Classic Twist
Peanut Butter Chocolate Poke Cake from The First Year Blog
Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake from A Dash of Sanity
Potato Chip and Pecan Sandies from Simple Joy