Peppermint Bark Cheesecake

Peppermint Bark Cheesecake

Peppermint Bark Cheesecake has been a tradition in my household for many years now, and it is easily one of my favorites. If you love peppermint bark, you will absolutely love this decadent dessert just as much. 

Winter and Christmas time always say peppermint to me, and it is definitely one of my favorite times of the year to make desserts. I also just really love cheesecake, and this is an amazing combination of the two, which is why it is one of my favorite holiday dessert traditions to make. 

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Have you tried making this delicious Peppermint Bark Cheesecake? Come on in and let me tell you about it! 

Peppermint Bark Cheesecake Ingredients 

Crust 

Oreo Cookies, 22 not double stuffed. Note that there are 36 Oreo cookies in a 14.3 ounce package, and that gives you some to snack on as well as have enough for this recipe. 

Butter, 3 tablespoons, melted 

Filling 

Cream Cheese, 24 ounces, at room temperature 

Sugar, 1 cup 

White Chocolate Chips, ½ cup, melted. The chocolate chips can be melted over a double-boiler or in the microwave. If you use the microwave, turn the power down to 50% and microwave in short increments of no more than 20 seconds, and stir each time until completely melted. Otherwise the chocolate will burn.  

Flour, 1 ½ tablespoons 

Heavy Cream, 1 ½ tablespoons 

Salt, ¼ teaspoon 

Peppermint Extract, 2 teaspoons 

Eggs, 3 

Peppermint Bark, 1 bar, 3.5 ounces, pulsed in a food processor 

Mousse 

Cool Whip, 1 cup, thawed, you can use heavy cream and make your own, but the texture will not be the same. 

Cream Cheese, 4 ounces, softened to room temperature 

White Chocolate Chips, 2 ounces, melted 

Sugar, 1 ½ tablespoons 

Vanilla Extract, 1 teaspoon 

Peppermint Bark, ½ of a 3.5 ounce bar 

Chocolate Shavings, for decoration, totally optional 

Peppermint Bark Cheesecake Directions 

Crust 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Using a food processor, grind up the Oreo cookies until they are a fine crumb. Transfer them to a mixing bowl and add in the butter. Using a spatula, mix until well combined and the crumbs bind together easily. 

Line the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper. Note that if you line the bottom, then fold it under, and close the springform pan, it won’t come loose, and makes it really easy to remove later.

Add in the crumb mixture and press it down until it is solid and not falling apart. I often use the bottom of a pint glass for this, and go around the edges in a circle, then make my way toward the middle. You should not have any loose crumbs. 

Bake the crust, without the filling, for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. This is called blind baking or pre-baking, when you bake a crust without the filling. This prevents the crust from becoming too soggy.  

Once the crust is done baking, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool. After it has cooled, wrap the pan in several layers of foil. 

Filling 

While the crust is cooling, pull out the stand mixer and make the filling. 

Start with melting the white chocolate chips, following the instructions mentioned above in the ingredient list. 

Beat the cream cheese and sugar until it has a smooth texture. I go at medium-high speed for about 2-3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. 

Add in all of the remaining filling ingredients and continue mixing. This is the white chocolate chips that have been melted, flour, heavy cream, salt, peppermint extract, and eggs. Add in the peppermint bark at the very end, so it doesn’t get beaten up by the stand mixer. 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, or reduce the heat if it is still on from baking the crust. 

Add the filling to the springform pan with the crust, and smooth it out until it is one even layer of cheesecake filling. 

Using a larger pan, I used a roasting pan, but any kind of baking dish that the springform pan will fit in is perfect, add enough water that it will reach halfway up the side of the springform pan. This is called a water bath, and it will prevent the cheesecake from splitting in the middle. 

Once you have the cheesecake pan wrapped in foil and in the water bath, make at 325 degrees, uncovered, for 60 minutes. 

Once the 60 minutes is done, turn the oven off. Leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door closed for an additional 60 minutes. 

Once that is done, remove the cheesecake from the oven and from the water bath. Remove the foil from the pan, and place on a cooling rack for 60 minutes. 

Place the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, but overnight is better. Just make sure the cheesecake is cold, otherwise the mousse will just melt off the cheesecake. Don’t add the mousse too early. 

After it has chilled, follow the mousse directions and serve. 

Mousse 

Melt the white chocolate chips first. The chocolate chips can be melted over a double-boiler or in the microwave. If you use the microwave, turn the power down to 50% and microwave in short increments of no more than 20 seconds, and stir each time until completely melted. Otherwise the chocolate will burn.  

Mix everything together in the stand mixer. This would be the Cool Whip, cream cheese, melted white chocolate chips, sugar, vanilla, and peppermint bark. 

Spread over the cheesecake. 

Garnish the Peppermint Bark Cheesecake with chocolate shavings, extra peppermint bark, whipped cream, or even broken up candy cane pieces, and serve. 

Recipe Notes 

If you are traveling for the holidays and taking this Peppermint Bark Cheesecake with you, I highly recommend making the mousse, but putting it in a separate container to travel. Once you reach your destination, you can garnish the cheesecake with the mousse and decorations. This will save making a mess and ensure the presentation is still beautiful. 

Cheesecake is a labor of love, no matter what kind you are making. It takes time and patience. But the end result is completely worth it! If you are new to making something like cheesecake, just remember to be patient. It isn’t a quick process, but it really is worth it. 

Why I Love This Recipe 

The holidays are about not only keeping traditions of the past alive, but creating new ones as well. This amazing dessert has become a holiday tradition for me and my husband, Nathan, since we got married. 

Whenever Nathan and I discuss holiday meals, there are certain things that are always part of it. Una’s Apple Cake, my cranberry sauce, and this cheesecake, are always automatically on the list. 

This Peppermint Bark Cheesecake always says holiday to me, because winter and Christmas mean peppermint for me. The same way that fall says pumpkin, or summer says lemon. This cheesecake is a great and delicious way to celebrate winter and Christmas for me.

I also love that Nathan enjoys this cheesecake recipe, and often is the one to make it. He really enjoys baking, and that creates really special memories of making it together every year. 

Discussion 

Have you tried making this Peppermint Bark Cheesecake? Are you a fan of cheesecake? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 

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