Peppermint Cheesecake is a rich and creamy New York-style cheesecake with an Oreo crust. The cheesecake is studded with peppermint baking chips and is delicious without the ganache topping. Add a rich dark chocolate ganache sprinkled with peppermint dust level up your cheesecake to amazing. Also, check out my Chocolate Peppermint Cookies, or 5 Best Christmas Cookies.
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SIS Tip - Simple is Smart
Use a silicone cheesecake water bath pan. Wrapping the cheesecake pan in aluminum foil never seems to keep the water out. This silicone pan acts like a boat for your cheesecake to keep the crust dry and the cheesecake moist and creamy.
Neuro Nutrition Nugget - Peppermint
Who would have thought that a tiny herb like peppermint could pack such a punch for your brain? Well, it turns out that this little leafy wonder is more than just a breath freshener. Peppermint has been found to have numerous benefits for your cognitive function, making it the perfect mental pick-me-up. Whether you’re studying for a big exam or trying to stay sharp in the workplace, a whiff of peppermint can give your brain the boost it needs to stay focused and alert. Plus, it’s a much tastier alternative to those questionable energy drinks. So, next time you need to give your brain a little TLC, don’t forget to reach for the peppermint leaves. Your mind will thank you!
What ingredients do I need for Peppermint Cheesecake?
Oreo crust:
- Oreo cookies: If you don’t have Oreo cookies, you can use chocolate sandwich cookies. Use the original oreo cookies. If you are gluten-free, use the gluten-free Oreos.
- Butter: Use either unsalted or salted butter.
Chocolate Ganache:
- Dark Chocolate: Purchase premium quality dark chocolate. A semi-sweet baking chocolate or bars of Ghiradelli Chocolate. Your ganache may not be set up if you use chocolate chips or a bar of lower-grade chocolate. Chocolate chips have less cocoa butter and contain stabilizers to help keep their “chip” shape while baking.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream only. Don’t use non-dairy or half-and-half.
Cheesecake:
- Cream Cheese: I use Philadelphia cream cheese most often in my cheesecakes. However, I’ll use them if I find a good sale on supermarket brands. I’ve had good luck with both. Make sure it is room temperature.
- Sugar: granulated white sugar.
- Eggs: Use Large eggs at room temperature. If you forgot to take them out of the fridge, put them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
- Flour: All-purpose white flour.
- Vanilla and Peppermint Extract: flavorings for the cheesecake. The peppermint flavor of the cheesecake comes from the extract and the peppermint baking chips.
- Sour Cream: Gives a tangy flavor and balances your cheesecake’s acidity for a more decadent, creamier cheesecake.
- Peppermint Baking Chips: I used Andes Peppermint Baking Chips. You can also use candy cane pieces. I like the baking chips best.
- Salt: Just a little bit of Sea Salt.
Step by Step Instructions for Peppermint Cheesecake.
Make the Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Crush enough Oreos to make 2 cups of crumbs. (about 20 Oreos)
- Add the melted butter to the crumbs and mix well.
- Press into the bottom and ½ inch up the sides of a 10-inch springform pan.
- Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool while you mix up the cheesecake. Reduce oven temp to 325° F.
Make the Peppermint Cheesecake:
- Make sure the eggs and cream cheese are at room temperature.
- Put the cream cheese, sugar, and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low until smooth and with no visible lumps. Scrap the sides and bottom of the bowl at least twice.
- Add the vanilla, peppermint extract, and salt Mix in on low. Scrape the bowl sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the eggs one at a time. Mix well on low. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl halfway through, adding the eggs and again after all the eggs are added.
- Mix in the sour cream at the lowest speed.
- Put the Springform Pan in a cheesecake silicone water bath pan. Add the cheesecake mixture to the springform pan with the prebaked crust.
- Bake the cheesecake in a pan with hot water about 1 inch deep.
- Put a cheesecake easy bath (see notes) in a pan of hot water. The water should be about an inch deep after adding the easy bath.
- Put the springform pan with the prebaked Oreo crust in the easy bath. Add the cheesecake batter to the pan.
- Sprinkle the peppermint baking chips on top of the cheesecake and use a knife to swirl in. If you don’t have peppermint baking chips, use crushed candy canes.
- Bake at 325 degrees for 60 – 70 minutes. Start checking the cake’s temperature with an instant-read thermometer at 50 minutes. When the cheesecake is 170 degrees, 1 inch from the edge of the cake, turn off the oven, crack the door, and let the cake cool in the oven for 1 hour. The center of the cake will still be a little wiggly.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for another 2-3 hours before removing it from the springform pan.
Chocolate Ganache
- Place chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Use a bar of good quality chocolate, Ghiradelli, or Lindt. Finely chop the chocolate. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to simmer gently (Do not let it come to a rapid boil– that’s too hot!). Pour over the chocolate, then let it sit for 2-3 minutes to soften it gently.
- Slowly stir with a metal spoon or small rubber spatula until thoroughly combined and the chocolate has melted. The finer you chop the chocolate, the quicker it will melt with the cream. If it’s not melting, do not microwave it. Heat it gently on the stove burner on the lowest setting. Stir gently to prevent scorching.
- Let the ganache cool to thick but still pourable consistency. Pour the ganache on the cooled cheesecake and sprinkle with peppermint dust or finely crushed candy canes.
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Peppermint Cheesecake
This is a classic NY-style Cheesecake with an oreo crust. The cheesecake is creamy, minty, and studded with crushed-up candy canes.
Equipment
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- To quickly convert this recipe to metric units click the blue metric button between the ingredients and instructions portion of the recipe.
- 10-inch springform pan
- Cheesecake silicone water-bath pan
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups oreo cookies crushed (198g) (about 20 Oreos)
- 4 tbsp melted butter(85g)
Cheesecake Filling
- 4 8oz Packages of cream cheese(908g)
- 1¾ cup granulated sugar(347g)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour(30g)
- 6 large eggs
- 1 tsp. peppermint extract
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ cup sour cream (115g)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup peppermint baking chips
Chocolate Ganache
- 8 ounces Dark Baking Chocolate finely chopped (see notes)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- Finely crushed peppermint candy
Instructions
Crust
- preheat the oven to 350-degrees F.
- Crush enough Oreos to make 2 cups of crumbs. (about 20 Oreos)
- Add the sugar and melted butter to the crumbs and mix well.
- Press into the bottom and ½ inch up the sides of a 10-inch springform pan.
- Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool while you mix up the cheesecake. Reduce oven temp to 325° F.
Cheesecake Filling
- Make sure the eggs and cream cheese are at room temperature.
- Put the cream cheese, sugar, and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low until smooth and no visible lumps. Scrap the sides and bottom of the bowl at least twice.
- Add the vanilla, peppermint extract, and salt Mix in on low. Scrape the bowl sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the eggs one at a time. Mix well on low between each addition of eggs. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl after adding three eggs and again after adding all six eggs.
- Mix in the sour cream on the lowest speed.
- Put the Springform Pan in a cheesecake silicone waterbath pan. Add the cheesecake mixture to the springform pan with the prebaked crust.
- Bake the cheesecake in a pan with hot water about 1 inch deep.
- Put a cheesecake easy bath (see notes) in a pan of hot water. The water should be about an inch deep after adding the easy bath.
- Put the springform pan with the prebaked Oreo crust in the easy bath. Add the cheesecake batter to the pan.
- Sprinkle the peppermint baking chips on top of the cheesecake and use a knife to swirl in. If you don't have peppermint baking chips, use crushed candy canes.
- Bake at 325 degrees for 60 - 70 minutes. Start checking the temperature of the cake with an instant-read thermometer at 50 minutes. When the cheesecake is 170 degrees, 1 inch from the edge of the cake, turn off the oven, crack the door, and let the cake cool in the oven for 1 hour. The center of the cake will still be a little wiggly.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool another 2-3 hours before removing it from the springform pan.
Chocolate Ganache
- Place chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer. (Do not let it come to a rapid boil– that’s too hot!) Pour over chocolate, then let it sit for 2-3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate.
- With a metal spoon or small rubber spatula, very slowly stir until completely combined and the chocolate has melted. The finer you chop the chocolate, the quicker it will melt with the cream. If it’s not melting, do not microwave it. Heat it gently on the stove burner on the lowest setting. Stir gently to prevent scorching.
- Let the ganache cool to thick but still pourable consistancy. Pour the ganache on top of the cooled cheesecake and sprinkle with peppermint dust or finely crushed candy canes.
Video
Notes
If you don't have a cheesecake easy bath, wrap the outside of the pan in a large piece of aluminum foil. Before you add it to the water bath. You don't want the water to seep into the pan and make your crust soggy.
For the Ganache, use dark baking chocolate (not the unsweetened bar). A bar of Ghiradelli or Lindt dark chocolate is good. Don't use chocolate chips.
Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Cheesecake can be frozen in an air-tight container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1piece | Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 162mg | Potassium: 127mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 742IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg
