Peppermint cheesecake makes a wonderful holiday dessert. This holiday cheesecake is made with an Oreo cookie crust, filled with smooth peppermint cheesecake, and topped with light and airy peppermint frosting.
Peppermint Cheesecake
Holidays are always full of amazing desserts made with gingerbread, eggnog, cranberries, and of course, peppermint! Peppermint is a classic flavor for the holiday desserts.
Every December, I have to make a signature cheesecake for our celebration and this year, I’ve reinvented my peppermint cheesecake. It’s been too long since I’ve made a peppermint flavored cheesecake so it was time to improve.
My peppermint cheesecake recipe was in a desperate need for updating because it’s been years since I’ve made it. I realized that when a friend asked me for this recipe and I immediately started thinking of what I would add to make it better.
Through the years, my cheesecakes have come a long way. I make so many of them that I’ve found little things that work better or don’t work at all. That’s why my cheesecake recipes is usually detailed and full of tips. It might look long and scary, it’s not at all.
How to take cheesecake out of springform pan:
Have you ever tried taking the whole cheesecake out of the springform pan?
The first time I tried that, I broke my cheesecake in half. Lots of tears were shed over that cheesecake but luckily, it was for the family to they gobbled it up anyway.
When I make a cheesecake for someone else or if I have to take it somewhere, there is an extra step that helps me take the cheesecake out of the pan.
All you have to do is to line the bottom of the springform with some parchment paper.
Separate springform side and bottom part. Take bottom part and lay it down on a square of parchment paper. Use a pencil to trace around the bottom of the pan, about a millimeter or two bigger than a pan. (The circle will need to be just a little bigger than the bottom of the pan.)
Cut out the circle you traced. Put the springform back together.
Grease the springform with some oil spray and fit the parchment paper circle on the bottom.
When you are ready to take the cheesecake out, make sure to use large, hard spatula. Have the serving dish or the cardboard cake circle ready.
Gently slide the spatula in between the parchment paper and the bottom of the springform. Gently pull the cheesecake off of the springform right onto the serving dish. (Keep them side by side and don’t tilt the cheesecake pan.)
Parchment paper will help you pull the whole cheesecake crust instead of breaking it.
Can I substitute COOL Whip?
Actually, yes!
In many other occasions, I don’t recommend substituting it because it’s thicker than whipped cream but in this cheesecake frosting, you can substitute whipped cream.
To make whipped cream, make sure the heavy whipping cream, the bowl and the whisk attachment is cold. Add the cold heavy whipping cream into the cold mixing bowl.
At low speed, start whisking, gradually raise to speed to high. Slowly pour in the sugar. Beat until stiff peaks appear (don’t walk away far). Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Fold in whipped cream into the beaten cream cheese instead of COOL Whip until fully incorporated.
Some more dessert recipes to try:
Christmas Cheesecake (White Chocolate Cranberry)
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Peppermint Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust:
- 22 Oreo cookies pulsed into crumbles
- 2 tbsp butter melted
Cheesecake filling:
- 24 oz cream cheese (3 packs) softened
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp peppermint extract
- 1 cup Andes peppermint crunch chips
Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- 8 oz whipped topping like COOL Whip
- 1/2 cup Andes peppermint crunch chips finely diced
Decorating options:
- crushed candy canes
- Ghirardelli Peppermint chocolates
- Lindt Peppermint Chocolate truffles
- Andes peppermint crunch thins or chips
- Peppermint bark
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and grease a 9 inch springform pan. You will need a large roasting pan that’s bigger and longer than the springform pan. (I use the aluminum foil disposable ones). If you are not sure about your springform holding up in water, you can wrap the outside of the springform pan in heavy duty aluminum foil from bottom up to the sides. (I recommend wrapping the outside of the springform in foil before adding the crust and cheesecake batter.)
Crust:
- Pulse cookies in the blender until it becomes just crumbs.
- In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and melted butter until evenly incorporated.
- Press cookie crust mixture into the pan, evenly, all over the bottom and a little bit up the side.
Cheesecake:
- Start beating cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add both extracts and sour cream. Mix until combined.
- Add eggs, one at the time, beating after each addition. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and beat until all incorporated.
- Lower speed and add corn starch.
- While on medium low speed, pour in heavy cream. Mix until all combined, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again until smooth.
- Fold in peppermint crunch chips until spread evenly throughout.
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the spring form with prepared crust and make sure it's spread evenly.
- Place roasting pan into the oven and place the cheesecake springform pan inside the roasting pan. Carefully add water to the roasting pan, about half way up the side of the springform.
- Bake for 70-75 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the oven door half way. Let cheesecake rest for about 10 minutes and take it out of the oven (out of the roasting pan and carefully take off the foil).
- Let it rest for 20 minutes on the counter and then gently run a greased butter knife between sides of the cheesecakes and the springform to carefully separate it. (You don't actually have to take the cheesecake out of the pan until ready to add frosting.)
- Cool cheesecake for about an hour and then place it in the refrigerator. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight) before adding the frosting.
Frosting:
- Beat cream cheese, peppermint extract, and sugar with an electric mixer for a couple of minutes.
- Fold in whipped topping gently until all combined.
- Fold in peppermint crunch chips.
- Spread a thin layer of frosting in one even layer over the cold cheesecake.
- Fill a large piping bag with remaining frosting fitted with an attachment and decorate the cheesecake. I used 2A frosting tips. (Peppermint chips may get stuck in many other attachments so choose carefully.)
- Choose any peppermint toppings to decorate your cheesecake.
Notes
Nutrition
Linda says
Cover the cheesecake in oven? Didn’t find that in recipe.
LyubaB says
Hi Linda,
No, you don’t need to cover the cheesecake.
Michaela Stroud says
Great recipe! I couldn’t find the peppermint Andes chips, but I used Ghirardelli peppermint bars, and it turned out really good, and that’s the only thing I changed. Got rave reviews from my family, will definitely make again. Don’t listen to the naysayers, this recipe is awesome.
LyubaB says
Awe, thanks Michaela! I am so glad you and your family liked it! 🙂
Janis says
Why do you need cornstarch? Most baked cheesecakes don’t have it, just curious
Thanks
Mike says
Can you use Splenda in place of the sugar?
lyuba says
Hey Mike!
So sorry for the late response. I looked it up because I’ve never baked with Splenda before and it says that you can use Granulated Splenda as a substitute, measuring the same amount.
I hope it works out well for you!