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Oreo crust peppermint cheesecake is packed with both white and milk chocolate and loaded with peppermint flavor!!
Peppermint cheesecake heaven
When it comes to the holidays, we LOVE all things chocolate and peppermint!
We took those favorite flavors and made them even more decadent by adding cheesecake to the mix. Did I mention the Peppermint Bark?! Now that is one next-level dessert!!
Our peppermint bark cheesecake has three delicious layers, Oreo crust, peppermint bark loaded cheesecake, and a white chocolate ganache all topped with crushed candy cane and Whipped Cream! This is a WOW dessert that we whip out for special Christmas occasions. It’s heaven!!
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- Signature holiday flavor. Peppermint is the star and pairs perfectly with chocolate and cheesecake!
- Make ahead. Make and chill, then whip it out for that special occasion.
- Those layers! It’s as beautiful as it is delicious – a perfect Christmas dessert.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 30 minutes
COOK TIME: 1 hour 40 minutes
COOL TIME: 1 hour 10 minutes
CHILL TIME: 4 hours
Peppermint Bark
*Save time and use 8-10 ounces of store-bought peppermint bark.
- 4 ounces white chocolate, broken into pieces – For the best results use high-quality chocolate such as Ghiridelli.
- 4 ounces of semisweet chocolate, high quality, broken into pieces
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided – or coconut or canola oil
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract, divided
- ⅓ cup candy cane, crushed
Oreo Crust
- 24 Oreos, with the filling, finely crushed – regular not double stuf
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1¼ cups sugar
- ¾ cup sour cream – or plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour – divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
- 3 large eggs – Room temperature eggs will incorporated better than cold eggs.
- peppermint bark, chopped into small pieces
White Chocolate Ganache
- 8 ounces white chocolate, high quality, finely chopped – or more for a thicker ganache
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
Garnish
- ¾ cup whipped cream – store-bought or Homemade Whipped Cream
- crushed candy canes – or crushed hard peppermint candies
- dark chocolate pieces
How to make peppermint cheesecake
Peppermint Bark
*It’s best to make this a day or at least a few hours ahead!
- CHOCOLATE. Melt 4 ounces of white chocolate pieces with ½ teaspoon 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 ounces semi-sweet chocolate pieces with ½ teaspoon vegetable oil, stir in ⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract spread onto the white chocolate layer, sprinkle with ⅓ cup crushed candy cane, and place in the freezer.
- CHILL. 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 the 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and grease the sides of the pan.
- Place the springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil and securely wrap the foil around the pan to ensure no water gets in during the baking.
- COMBINE. Mix 24 finely crushed Oreo cookie crumbs and 5 tablespoons melted butter, then press the mixture evenly into the bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
- CHILL. Set in the fridge to firm the crust while making the filling.
Filling
- PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- BATTER. In a large bowl, beat 32 ounces cream cheese and 1¼ cups sugar until smooth.
- Beat in the ¾ cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 2 teaspoons peppermint extract. Add 3 eggs one at a time and beat on low speed just until combined.
- Toss chopped frozen peppermint bark with 1 tablespoon flour, then gently fold the pieces into the cheesecake filling.
- Pour over the Oreo crust, and smooth the top. Place the springform pan in a large roasting pan, and add 1-inch of hot water to the larger pan.
- BAKE. Reduce temperature to 325°F and bake the cake for 70-90 minutes (until the center is just set and the top appears dull). Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for an additional 30 minutes.
- Keeping a consistent temperature is key. Do not open the oven door while baking and allow it to cool gradually before refrigerating.
- CHILL. Remove the springform pan from the water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
White Chocolate Ganache
- HEAT. Bring ½ cup heavy cream just to a boil, and pour over 8 ounces of chopped white chocolate. Stir until the 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 the sides of the pan.
- GARNISH. Top with ¾ cup whipped cream, crushed candy cane, and chopped dark chocolate. Store in the fridge.
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Peppermint Cheesecake
Oreo crust peppermint cheesecake is packed with both white and milk chocolate and loaded with peppermint flavor!!
Ingredients
Peppermint Bark
- 4 ounces white chocolate, high quality, broken into pieces
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, high quality, broken into pieces
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, or coconut or canola oil, divided
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract, divided
- ⅓ cup candy cane, crushed
Oreo Crust
- 24 Oreos, with the filling, finely crushed
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1¼ cups sugar
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
- 3 eggs
- peppermint bark, chopped into small pieces
White Chocolate Ganache
- 8 ounces white chocolate, high quality, finely chopped
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
Garnish
- ¾ cup whipped cream
- crushed candy canes, or crushed hard peppermint candies
- dark chocolate pieces
Instructions
Peppermint Bark
- Melt 4 ounces of high-quality white chocolate broken into pieces with ½ teaspoon vegetable oil, stir in ⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract. Spread onto parchment paper lined tray or baking sheet. Place in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
- Melt 4 ounces of high-quality semi-sweet chocolate broken into pieces with ½ teaspoon vegetable oil, stir in ⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract. Spread onto the white chocolate layer. Sprinkle with crushed candy cane and place in the freezer.
- *It’s best to 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 a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and grease the sides of the pan. Place the springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil and securely wrap foil around the 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 the bottom of the 9-inch springform pan. Set in the fridge to firm the crust while making the filling.
Filling
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the sour cream, 2 tablespoons flour, salt, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract. 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 the springform pan in a large roasting pan and add 1-inch of hot water to a larger pan.
- Reduce temperature to 325°F and bake the cake for 70-90 minutes (until the center is just set and the top appears dull). Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for an additional 30 minutes.
- Remove the springform pan from the water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the 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 the 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 the sides of the pan.
- Garnish with whipped cream, crushed candy cane, and chopped chocolate.
- Store peppermint cheesecake in the fridge.
Notes
Why did my cheesecake sink? Keeping a consistent temperature is key. Do not open the oven door while baking and allow it to cool gradually before refrigerating.
Store the cheesecake covered in foil and refrigerate for 3-5 days.
Freeze. After the cheesecake has been cooled and chilled, wrap it with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and freeze for 1-2 months. We recommend freezing without the ganache and garnishes. Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before topping and serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 8g, Calories: 811kcal, Carbohydrates: 94g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 46g, Saturated Fat: 25g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 124mg, Sodium: 290mg, Potassium: 368mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 78g, Vitamin A: 727IU, Vitamin C: 0.5mg, Calcium: 151mg, Iron: 6mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Why do I preheat the oven to 350°F?
Placing the cheesecake in the oven at 350°F will help the cheesecake rise and set quickly while the oven gradually lowers to 325°F for the rest of the baking time.
How to store peppermint bark cheesecake?
Cover the cheesecake in foil and refrigerate for 3-5 days.
How to freeze?
After the cheesecake has been cooled and chilled, wrap it with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and freeze for 1-2 months. We recommend freezing without the ganache and garnishes. Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before topping and serving.
For more great recipes from Vera, go to OMG Chocolate Desserts.
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.
I followed the recipe and my top turned golden brown and it puffed up higher than the pan edges. Any thoughts?
Can I use a 9×13 inch pan instead of the round pan? Doing a potluck so I want it to be disposable.
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?
What’s the purpose of tossing the bark in flour?
To keep the chocolate piece suspended in the liquid mixture, otherwise they will sink.
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.
Oh I’m so happy you enjoyed the cheesecake. Thanks for sharing!
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
Yes, I think you’d be just fine!
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?
Placing the cheesecake in the oven at 350°F will help the cheesecake rise and set quickly while the oven gradually lowers to 325°F for the rest of the baking time.
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?
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.
Thanks for sharing what you did! Hope you enjoyed the cheesecake!
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.