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Oreo crust Peppermint Bark Cheesecake is packed with both white and milk chocolate and loaded with peppermint flavor!!

Candy cane peppermint bark cheesecake is perfect for the holidays. Try White Chocolate Raspberry CheesecakeDouble Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake, and Pecan Pie Cheesecake for more show-stopping cheesecakes.

Peppermint Bark Cheesecake - It has three delicious layer-Oreo crust, creamy cheesecake filling loaded with peppermint bark pieces and white chocolate ganache on top garnished with crushed candy canes, whipped cream and chocolate.


Peppermint cheesecake heaven

If you love chocolate, peppermint and Oreo, you’ll love this cheesecake!

It has three delicious layers: Oreo crust, creamy cheesecake filling loaded with peppermint bark pieces, and white chocolate ganache on top garnished with crushed candy canes, whipped cream, and dark chocolate.

Don’t let the recipe instructions discourage you. It’s like two recipes in one because you make homemade peppermint bark first and then use it to make the cake, but it’s really simple, I promise!

You could also take a shortcut by using store-bought peppermint bark. 😉

Peppermint Bark Cheesecake - It has three delicious layer-Oreo crust, creamy cheesecake filling loaded with peppermint bark pieces and white chocolate ganache on top garnished with crushed candy canes, whipped cream and chocolate.

How to make peppermint bark cheesecake

Peppermint Bark

WHITE CHOCOLATE. Melt 4 oz. high quality white chocolate broken into pieces with ½ vegetable oil, stir in ⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract and spread onto parchment paper lined tray or baking sheet. Place in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.

SEMI SWEET CHOCOLATE. Melt 4 oz. high quality semi-sweet chocolate broken into pieces with ½ vegetable oil, stir in ⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract and spread onto white chocolate layer, sprinkle with crushed candy cane and place in the freezer .

CUT + FREEZE. It’s better do this step a day or at least a few hours ahead!!! When the bark is chilled completely, cut it into small pieces and save it in the freezer until ready to make the cake.

Crust

PREP. Line the bottom of 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper and grease the sides of the pan, then place springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil and securely wrap foil around pan to make sure no water gets in during the baking.

COMBINE + PRESS. Combine finely crushed Oreo crumbs and melted butter, then press the mixture evenly into bottom of 9 inch springform pan.

REFRIGERATE. Set in the fridge to firm the crust while making the filling.

Filling

PREP. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

BATTER. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the sour cream, flour, salt and extracts. Add eggs one at a time and beat on low speed just until combined.

PEPPERMINT BARK. Toss chopped frozen peppermint bark with 1 tablespoon flour, then gently stir the pieces into the cheesecake filling and pour over the Oreo crust, smooth the top and place springform pan in a large roasting pan and add 1 inch of hot water to larger pan.

BAKE. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees and bake the cake for 70-90 minutes (until center is just set and top appears dull).Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for additional 30 minutes.

CHILL. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

White Chocolate Ganache

HEAT. Bring heavy cream just to a boil, and pour over chopped chocolate. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Cool and pour over the cheesecake. When the ganache is set run a thin knife around the edge of the cake and remove sides of pan.

GARNISH. Top with whipped cream, crushed candy cane and chopped chocolate. Store in the fridge.

Peppermint Bark Cheesecake - It has three delicious layer-Oreo crust, creamy cheesecake filling loaded with peppermint bark pieces and white chocolate ganache on top garnished with crushed candy canes, whipped cream and chocolate.

Shortcuts, tips + Storing info

Buy pre-made crust: You can easily buy a store-bought Oreo crust, but keep in mind that they are typically pie crusts, which may not fit in a springform pan. We recommend just taking the steps to make your own crust so that you don’t have to go through the hassle of it not fitting in your springform pan!

Premade Bark: If you want to skip making homemade bark, you certainly can. Simply buy 8-10 oz of peppermint bark and chop it up. Use in the recipe as directed.

Cheesecake is one of those dishes that take a fair amount of effort and you really hope that it turns out perfectly. To help make sure it does, keep the following tips in mind:

  • Use room temperature ingredients (they mix up more evenly).
  • Don’t overbeat your eggs.
  • Never open the oven while your cheesecake is baking because you could cause your cheesecake to sink or crack!
  • Don’t be tempted to put the cheesecake directly in the fridge after baking. You want your cheesecake to cool gradually or else you risk it cracking on the top, which is not pretty!

STORE cheesecake in the fridge and cover it in foil. It should last 3-5 days.

Because cheesecake requires a good amount of chill time you have to make sure you make this well ahead of when you plan to serve it. You can make it the day before and it will still taste fresh and delicious. 

Whether you want to make this in advance or store leftovers you can easily freeze cheesecake.

To FREEZE, let it chill for the normal amount of time and then wrap it in a few layers of plastic wrap and then foil. It should last for 1-2 months if it is properly wrapped. Let it thaw for 24 hours in the fridge before cutting and serving.

Peppermint Bark Cheesecake - It has three delicious layer-Oreo crust, creamy cheesecake filling loaded with peppermint bark pieces and white chocolate ganache on top garnished with crushed candy canes, whipped cream and chocolate.

For more treats, check out:

Peppermint Bark Cheesecake
5 from 134 votes

Peppermint Bark Cheesecake

By: Lil’ Luna
Oreo crust Peppermint Bark Cheesecake is packed with both white and milk chocolate and loaded with peppermint flavor!!
Servings: 8 Slices
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 40 minutes
Referigerate: 4 hours
Total: 6 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients 

Peppermint Bark

  • 4 oz white chocolate high quality, broken into pieces
  • 4 oz semisweet chocolate high quality, broken into pieces
  • 1 tsp vegetable oil or coconut or canola oil, divided
  • 1/4 tsp peppermint extract divided
  • 1/3 cup candy cane crushed

Oreo crust

  • 24 Oreos with the filling, finely crushed
  • 5 tbsp unsalted butter melted

Cheesecake Filling

  • 32 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp peppermint extract
  • 3 eggs
  • peppermint bark chopped into small pieces

White Chocolate Ganache

  • 5 1/2 oz white chocolate high quality, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Garnish

  • 3/4 cup whipped cream
  • crushed candy cane or hard peppermint candies crushed
  • dark chocolate pieces

Instructions 

Peppermint Bark

  • Melt 4 oz. high quality white chocolate broken into pieces with ½ vegetable oil, stir in ⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract and spread onto parchment paper lined tray or baking sheet. Place in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
  • Melt 4 oz. high quality semi-sweet chocolate broken into pieces with ½ vegetable oil, stir in ⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract and spread onto white chocolate layer, sprinkle with crushed candy cane and place in the freezer .
  • It’s better do this step a day or at least a few hours ahead!!!
  • When the bark is chilled completely, cut it into small pieces and save it in the freezer until ready to make the cake.

Crust

  • Line the bottom of 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper and grease the sides of the pan, then place springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil and securely wrap foil around pan to make sure no water gets in during the baking.
  • Combine finely crushed Oreo crumbs and melted butter, then press the mixture evenly into bottom of 9 inch springform pan. Set in the fridge to firm the crust while making the filling.

Filling

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the sour cream, flour, salt and extracts. Add eggs one at a time and beat on low speed just until combined.
  • Toss chopped frozen peppermint bark with 1 tablespoon flour, then gently stir the pieces into the cheesecake filling and pour over the Oreo crust, smooth the top and place springform pan in a large roasting pan and add 1 inch of hot water to larger pan.
  • Reduce temperature to 325 degrees and bake the cake for 70-90 minutes (until center is just set and top appears dull).Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for additional 30 minutes.
  • Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

White Chocolate Ganache

  • Bring heavy cream just to a boil, and pour over chopped chocolate. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Cool and pour over the cheesecake. When the ganache is set run a thin knife around the edge of the cake and remove sides of pan.
  • Garnish with whipped cream, crushed candy cane and chopped chocolate.
  • Store in the fridge.

Nutrition

Serving: 8g, Calories: 1192kcal, Carbohydrates: 102g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 82g, Saturated Fat: 46g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 23g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 249mg, Sodium: 682mg, Potassium: 492mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 83g, Vitamin A: 2240IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 246mg, Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
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Recipe Rating




83 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I did a grocery pickup and instead of getting peppermint extract, I received almond haha. So my actual cheesecake was only flavored with vanilla. I put a lot of bark in it to help give it a more minty flavor and it was still really good. Maybe that would be a good alternative for those who may be worried that the peppermint extract might make it too overwhelming for them.
    This cheesecake had a great texture! I cooked mine for 80 minutes.

  2. Hi! Is there any reason you couldn’t use Ghirardelli peppermint bark instead and chop that up? Also, can I make these mini in a muffin cup size? Would a water bath still be necessary for that?

  3. 5 stars
    JUST. MAKE. IT
    I omitted the toppings and made just the cheesecake but it tasted so good! It’s very rich and decadent and the peppermint bark in the middle is to die for.

    Make sure the bark is thin enough though that it lets you cut through the cheesecake properly. Mine was a bit too thick and make it a little difficult to get “pretty” slices.

  4. Would this be ok to make a bit in advance and transport? Looking to make this cheesecake then drive with it for about an hour and a half. I could make it in its entirety, have it chilling before, then transport it in a cooler. I think it should be ok that way but I wanted to make sure

  5. What is the purpose of hearing the oven to 350 degrees then lowering it to 325? You don’t actually bake anything at 350, right?

  6. 5 stars
    Did a trial run of this for Christmas Day and it’s absolutely delicious. Cooked the cheesecake for 70 minutes and it is perfect. My one issue is the ganache topping. It was very runny and ran down the sides of the cake when I poured it on so it didn’t look as pretty as the picture. I put the cake in the fridge after applying the ganache to see if it would set and it never did so the top is runny white chocolate. Still delicious but doesn’t look as nice. Other than using less cream than the recipe calls for, what could I do next time to ensure the nice top that stays on top and does not run?

    1. The ganache needs more white chocolate than written. I added a large handful of (high quality) white chocolate chips & it became a nice thickness, like in the pictures.

    2. Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cheesecake! You could try adding a bit more chocolate to the ganache and see if that helps it not be so runny.