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+ servings
one slice of chocolate peppermint cheesecake with an oreo crust topped with whipped cream and chopped chocolates on a white plate with a fork

Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake

This creamy York Peppermint Patty cheesecake has an Oreo cookie crust and chocolate ganache topping. The texture is smooth and velvety without being too dense, and it has a delicious creamy peppermint flavor that's perfect for the holidays.
5 from 7 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Cooling time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 8 slices
Calories 660 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the cheesecake

  • 2 cups Oreo cookies crushed
  • 4 tablespoons butter melted
  • 3 blocks cream cheese 8 oz each (total of 24 oz), at room temperature. Don't go low fat here, you will regret it.
  • 1 cups sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cups mint-flavored non-dairy creamer divided
  • 1 teaspoon Peppermint extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • 1 bag Andes bits

For the optional chocolate ganache

Instructions
 

For the cheesecake

  • Preheat the oven to 350º F. Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.
  • Combine the crushed Oreo cookies and melted butter until it forms a thick paste. Press into the bottom and slightly up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Set crust aside.
  • Soften the cream cheese by placing one block at a time in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Do another 15 seconds if it’s not soft enough after the first go ’round. 
  • Combine the softened cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer (or in a stand mixer) and cream together until smooth.
  • Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg.
  • Add 1 cup creamer, peppermint, vanilla, and candy bits. Mix until smooth and creamy. Do not over mix.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface.
  • If your cheesecake pan is not airtight (or if you’re not sure), cover the bottom securely with foil before adding to the water bath. Place your springform pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until it is halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. This is a very important and necessary step; don’t skip it!
  • Bake at 350º for 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost set. This can be hard to judge, but you’re looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don’t want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won’t crack on the top. After one additional hour, remove the cheesecake from the oven and lift it carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter.

For the optional chocolate ganache

  • While the cake is cooling on the counter, prepare the chocolate ganache. In order to do this, heat chocolate chips, butter (cut into small cubes), and ½ cup creamer in a pan in the microwave in 30 second increments. Continue to heat for 30 seconds at a time, then stir well, then heat for 30 seconds and stir well. Do that two or three times, until the chocolate is very smooth and creamy. The chocolate may become too runny to spread on your cheesecake, so you may have to let it sit on the counter for a while, until it cools and thickens enough to spread.
  • Once the cheesecake and the chocolate ganache are sufficiently cool, pour the ganache over the top of the cheesecake. Put the whole thing in the fridge to chill over night. Once fully chilled, the cheesecake is ready to serve.

Notes

This recipe can be made with any mint flavored non-dairy creamer or even with heavy cream. We have used York Peppermint Patty flavor, and that is our favorite, but Peppermint Mocha also works well.
I learned (after the first time making this) that over-beating the cheese mixture will lead to an excess of air in the batter, which leads to excessive puffiness during baking and the dreaded chasm across the top when the puffiness falls during cooling. Mix it just enough to incorporate all of the ingredients, and then stop.
While the actual making of this cheesecake is a minimal time commitment, it does need to bake for almost an hour, cool in the oven for an hour, and chill overnight before it is served. Plan accordingly.

Nutrition

Calories: 660kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 339mg | Potassium: 389mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 59g | Vitamin A: 431IU | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 6mg
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