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 Cheesecake, Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake, and Pecan Pie Cheesecake for more show-stopping cheesecakes.
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. 😉
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.
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.
For more treats, check out:
- Peppermint Oreo Fudge
- No-Bake Snickers Cheesecake
- Peppermint Melt Aways
- Lemon cheesecake with raspberry sauce
- No bake chocolate cheesecake
- Peppermint Chocolate Delight
- Peppermint Cheesecake Bars
- Yule Log Cake
Peppermint Bark Cheesecake
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.
For more great recipes from Vera, go to OMG Chocolate Desserts.
I made this peppermint bark cheesecake for my family Christmas dinner. It was amazing. Life changing, really. It may have even brought my mother-in-law and I closer. Which is saying a lot.
I just tried made this to test out before Christmas and it is INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!! I absolutely hate cheesecake, but my family loves it I tried a bit and wow was it good. This will definitely be a go-to Christmas recipe for many years to come. Thank you!
I love hearing that!! Thank you so much for giving it a try & for letting me know!
For the white chocolate ganache do you apply it after it’s been cooled from the oven or after it’s been chilled in the fridge? TIA!
After it’s been cooled from the stove 🙂 Hope you like it!
Is it four 8oz bricks of cream cheese or 4 to 8oz of cream cheese?
It is 4, 8ounces of cream cheese. So, really 32 ounces 🙂 Hope that helps! ENJOY!
Thank you, I felt so naive asking that question- But someone else posted a review via pinterest about how they only used 6oz of cream cheese… and it confused me. Haha. Can’t wait to make this next week!!!
SO excited to make this for Christmas. Is there a way to use store bought peppermint bark?! If so, how much?
I have not, but yes, you can. I would think anywhere from 8-12 ounces. You can’t go wrong with the amount 🙂
Would it be acceptable to use chop some store bought peppermint bark squares instead of making it to save a little time?
Of course 🙂 Hope you like it!!
Recipe calls for 3 TBS. flour. Do you divide this and put 2 TBS. in the cheesecake and 1 TBS. in the bark ? It looks delicious!!!!
This recipe is from Vera at http://omgchocolatedesserts.com/. I don’t want to tell you the wrong thing, so you may want to head to her site & ask her.
How much flour do you put in the cheesecake when you make it? 2 or 3 Tbsp?
3 🙂
I only have a 10 inch springform pan – would you adjust thre baking time?
It shouldn’t make too much of a difference. This is from a contributor, so I haven’t tried. Maybe check it a few minutes earlier 🙂
great recipe even after Christmas, thank you for this recipe and for these other links too
You are welcome 🙂 Yes, who needs Christmas to eat these? Not me! Thank you!
EVERYONE lOved this cheesecAke
My daughter-in-law doesn’t like mint yet really enjoyed this cheesecake!
It took me 2 days to make it ‼️
So worth every second to see my family’s expressions when they took their first bite?
Awe, I am so glad everyone loved it! Thank you for making it & letting me know!
Can you make this recipe in smaller pans for gift giving? I’m thinking about mini bundt pans. Doyou think that will work?
It should, though I have not tried. Good luck!
I want to make for my granddaughters birthday but she Has a gluten allergy, can you use all purpose gluten free flour with same resuLts.
I haven’t tried, so I am not sure of the results, but you definitely could.
I LOVED MAKING IT, (HAVEN’T TRIED IT YET!) BUT ISN’T THIS POSSIBLY MEANT FOR AN 8″ TIN? iT IS A LITTLE SHORT!
Glad you did & I hope you like it! You could use an 8 inch, we have only used the 9in.
Can you so dO the ganache after coOling cheesecake over night? Or should it be done after its cooled from the oven?
Yes, you can wait until the next day 🙂
Great delicious recipe. Worth every minute making it!
Yay!! Happy to hear that!! Thank you for letting me know!
This looks amazing! Can this be made a couple of days in advance?
Yes, though I would try to cover & add the dollops of cool whip before serving.
Can you make copycat recipes from Sweet Delight Cheesecakes and Nothing Bundt Cakes please? Also can you make Cheesecake Factory’s: Factory nachos, Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich, and Oreo Dream Extreme Cheesecake please?
Thanks for all of the suggestions. We’ll definitely keep these in consideration as we create new recipes!
Cheesecake galore and oh so pretty and festive for the holidays!
Incredibly delicious cheesecake! Not too difficult to make which made life easier.
I get so excited for December, so I can have & eat all things peppermint! This cheesecake is so good!! The chunks throughout & crunch makes it delicious!
wow this is amazing
A friend brought this to a party and it was sooooo good! I was so excited when she sent me the recipe!
Perfect for the holidays!
This cheesecake is the perfect holiday dessert! Every bite is so creamy with just the right amount of festive peppermint!
I have never made a cheesecake before and was so proud of myself. Great instructions! Thanks for the recipe.
Way to go!! So glad you enjoyed the recipe and gave it a try!
This cheesecake is a holiday tradition around our house. The flavors go perfectly together! I just can’t get enough!
This is amazing and fun for the kids to help with
If you are using store bought bark, do you have to toss the pieces in flour before adding to batter?
The flour is to help the pieces from sinking right to the bottom, so I’d still recommend using it with store bought bark.
The flavor combination in this cheesecake is amazing! Perfect for the holidays! Will be serving it with my Christmas dinner this year!
Oh do we love cheesecake. And peppermint!
One of our family favorites!!
This looks fabulous! But I’m going to skip the homemade peppermint bark. How much store-bought peppermint bark should go into the filling? The instructions don’t specify. Thanks! My husband is sure to love this!
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. Hope your husband enjoys the cheesecake!
This takes cheesecake to a new level! Amazing!!
There’s a few components to this dish, but it’s worth the effort. Next time I’ll make the bark a day or so ahead of time just so there’s not quite as much to do all at once.
Love the peppermint
I am testing out chessecakes for my holiday party…. How would you make this in minis? Would the time be different?? Or maybe two small ones and I can freeze one if it’s a hit?
You could certainly try making these in minis. I haven’t personally, but you’d definitely need to adjust the baking time if not doing in the full 9 inch spring form pan. I imagine you’d use a muffin tin with liners or small ramekins of some sort. You’ll have to let us know how the minis turn out! Definitely would be fun for a holiday party. 🙂
This recipe is worth the effort! I can’t wait to make it again this Christmas!
When do you add the ganache? After it’s been cooled on the rack or after it’s been chilled in the fridge for 4 hours?
You will add it after the cake has been chilled.
It is absolutely beautiful! I haven’t had any yet but my ganache didn’t Harden. Was it supposed to harden like white chocolate? Mine ran down the side of cake. I can’t wait to taste it!
I hope you loved the cheesecake!! The ganache isn’t meant to set hard like a chocolate. It will remain soft but it should have gotten a little thicker as it cooled.
The cheesecake was a real hit with my family. I did have a problem with the chocolate layers in the peppermint bark separating when I cut it into pieces. I made another batch but put spoonfuls of each type bark on the parchment paper and then swirled that some and added the peppermint pieces. That worked without any problems.
Made this at Christmas….everyone raved about it….easy recipe to follow…used a water bath…all ingredients at room temperature….making a second one …..
Yay! I’m so glad the cheesecake was a hit! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you SOOO much for this recipe!!! I made it for my birthday since it seems Cheesecake Factory has discontinued this flavor during the holidays. It definitely takes 2-3 days to make if you have other commitments & don’t want to stress. Completely worth it in the end. Hands down the BEST dessert I’ve ever made!
Notes: I added a large handful of melted white chocolate chips to thicken the (somewhat runny) ganache. The thicker ganache helped fill a deep crack that formed during the cooling process. Next time, I may try wedging the oven door open while it is off & leaving the cake there to cool for a full hour before it goes on the rack. I used an instant read thermometer to check when the cake hit 150. My cake needed about 25 more minutes of active cooking time to get to that temp & past its super goopy stage. The whole cake was a little jiggly even when it was done, but the chilled consistency was perfect!
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.
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?
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!
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!