This White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cheesecake is made with a buttery Oreo crust, creamy white chocolate cheesecake filling loaded with chocolate chunks and crushed candy canes. Sitting on top is a rich white chocolate peppermint mousse and red & white whipped cream swirls for a fun and festive holiday dessert!
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Photos Updated: 12/20/19
I’ve been dying to share this recipe with you guys, but I had to get all of my Thanksgiving recipes out of the way first. Now that Thanksgiving is officially over, we can finally move on to our holiday baking plans, and this cheesecake should be first on your list!
White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cheesecake
Last year, the holiday flavour theme was Eggnog and Cranberry. This year I’ve decided to go with the classic peppermint bark!
So I came up with a few different peppermint bark flavoured desserts I plan to bake. Since I have an unhealthy obsession with cheesecake, I decided to start with this White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cheesecake!
Oreo Crust
The cheesecake starts with a simple Oreo crust. Crushed Oreos and melted butter are all you need. If Peppermint Oreos are available in your area, then I highly recommend using those instead of regular Oreos, for obvious reasons.
White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cheesecake Filling
The cheesecake filling is super creamy and melt-in-your-mouth silky and smooth. It’s just all around dreamy!It gets its white chocolate flavour from the melted white chocolate I added to the batter, along with some peppermint extract for a nice cool peppermint flavour.Mix in some chocolate chunks and crushed candy canes or peppermint candies, and the cheesecake is ready to bake.
HOW TO PREVENT WATERBATH FROM LEAKING
I know, I know — we all hate this part, but it’s necessary to prevent the cheesecake from cracking (although the cornstarch and low baking temperature also help with that).
Aside from crack prevention, water baths also keep the cheesecake from drying and browning on the top. It also plays a part in making cheesecakes super creamy!
Now I used to have a huge problem with water baths, because the water always, ALWAYS leaked into my crust and made it soggy.
Until I discovered a few helpful solutions to make sure my waterbaths NEVER leak again!
- Leakproof pan: the best way to prevent waterbaths from leaking into your pan? Use a leak-proof springform pan! This is the obvious solution.
- Large Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil: One of the things I used to do when preparing my pan is using 2 long pieces of aluminum foil and crossing them. This never works. It always leaks. I recommend getting one of those LONG and LARGE pieces of aluminum foil so you only need one piece to wrap around your entire pan, along with a few extra layers to be safe. This ensures that there’s absolutely no crevice for any water to sneak in.
- Slightly larger Pot or Cake Pan: In my opinion this is hands down the BEST way to prevent leaking because that water won’t be able to get to your beautiful crust no matter how hard it tried. It’s best to use a pan that’s only a bit larger than your springform pan because you still want the waterbath to be close to your cheesecake so it can do its thing. I put the pot my springform pan was sitting in, into a larger rectangle cake pan and poured in that boiling water with all the confidence in the world because I knew that water would stay where it should be.
White Chocolate Peppermint Mousse
You can skip this part if you want. The cheesecake will still be incredible, trust me. However, the light and airy white chocolate peppermint mousse adds such an amazing texture and flavour and really complements the denser cheesecake below.
And it’s insanely easy to make! Simply make a white chocolate ganache, then whip up a peppermint whipped cream and fold them together. Spread it onto the cheesecake and let it chill in the refrigerator overnight.
To decorate the cheesecake, I made some sweetened peppermint whipped cream. I wanted the swirls to have a candy cane appearance, so I striped my piping bag with red gel food colouring.To do this, just dip a clean butter knife or food safe paintbrush into your food colouring, then paint stripes inside of your piping bag.
Once you add the whipped cream and pipe it onto the cheesecake, it’ll create these beautiful two-toned swirls! Top these swirls off with some peppermint candies. To make the triple circle design, I scooped up some chopped candy canes with a spoon and poured them around the edges. Repeat the same with some white chocolate curls, then pour some dark chocolate curls in the centre. I created the curls with a potato peeler and a bar of chocolate!
This crowd-pleasing, ultra-creamy cheesecake is the ultimate dessert for your holiday celebrations! I wish I could give you a slice through the screen just so you could taste how amazing it is. But since that’s pretty much impossible, I suggest you make your own so you could see for yourself!
Happy Holiday Baking!
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Let’s get baking!
Yield: 12-14 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Additional Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours 55 minutes
This White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cheesecake is made with a buttery Oreo crust, creamy white chocolate cheesecake filling loaded with chocolate chunks and crushed candy canes. Sitting on top is a rich white chocolate peppermint mousse and red & white whipped cream swirls for a fun and festive holiday dessert!
Ingredients
Oreo Crust:
- 36 Oreos (3 cups cookie crumbs)
- 6 tablespoon Unsalted Butter, melted + extra to grease the pan
White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cheesecake:
- 7 oz. white chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 3 (8 ounce) packages (24 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (or 3 Tbsp. all purpose flour)
- 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¾ cup chocolate chunks
- ¾ cup crushed peppermints
White Chocolate Peppermint Mousse:
- 3 oz. best-quality white chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 and ¼ cup Heavy whipping Cream, chilled and divided
- ½ cup powdered Sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure peppermint extract
Sweetened Peppermint Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract or vanilla extract
- Red gel food colouring (optional)
Topping:
- Crushed Candy Canes
- White Chocolate Curls
- Dark Chocolate Curls
- Peppermint candies
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Make sure the rack is positioned in the centre of the oven. Grease sides of one 9-inch springform pan with butter or non-stick spray and line the bottom with parchment rounds.
- In a food processor or using a rolling pin and a large Ziploc bag, crush Oreo cookies into fine crumbs.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs and ½ cup melted butter.
- Transfer mixture to the greased 9-inch springform pan and, using the flat bottom of a glass or measuring cup, press into the bottom of the pan.
- Bake the crust until its slightly darkened, 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
- Take 1 extra large piece of aluminum foil that’s bigger than your springform pan. Place springform pan in the centre and fold aluminum up to the sides to cover the outside of the pan. This ensures that no water seeps into the pan during the water bath. Alternatively, I placed my pan in a slightly larger pot to completely protect my crust from the water.
For the White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cheesecake:
- Add chopped white chocolate to a medium heat-proof bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each until fully melted and smooth. Set aside to cool.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar and cornstarch on medium-low speed until creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add sour cream, vanilla and peppermint extract and continue beating until smooth.
- Add eggs and yolk one at a time, beating slowly after each addition until just combined, do not overbeat.
- Pour in melted white chocolate and fold with a rubber spatula until completely combined.
- Add chocolate chunks and crushed peppermints. Fold until just combined, do not overfold.
- Pour the cheesecake onto the cooled crust and place into a larger pan. Bring a few cups of water to a boil and carefully pour into the larger pan. The water should only be a few inches up the sides of the pan. Do not go over the top.
- Bake at 300°F for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. The cheesecake is done when the edges are set and the center jiggles just slightly.
- Turn off oven and leave the cheesecake to cool for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, crack the door open and continue cooling the cheesecake for another 30 minutes.This helps prevent cracking.
- After an hour, remove cheesecake from waterbath and aluminum foil. Run a knife around the edge of the pan so it's not sticking to the sides and allow to cool completely on a rack.
- Refrigerate cheesecake until firm and chilled, about 8 hours or overnight.
For the White Chocolate Peppermint Mousse:
- Put the chopped white chocolate and ¼ cup of heavy cream into a small bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each until fully melted and smooth. Set aside to cool completely.
- In a medium stainless steal bowl, using a handheld mixer, whip the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream until it reaches soft peaks.
- Add the 4 tablespoons of powdered sugar and peppermint extract and beat until cream reaches stiff peaks.
- Pour in the cooled white chocolate ganache and gently fold until completely combined.
- Pour over the cooled cheesecake and spread into an even layer. Return to the refrigerator until completely chilled.
For the Sweetened Peppermint Whipped Cream:
- In a medium stainless steal bowl, using a handheld mixer, whip the chilled cream until it reaches soft peaks.
- Add the powdered sugar and peppermint and beat until cream reaches stiff peaks.
- Fit a large disposable piping bag with a large star tip, I used Wilton 1M.
- Using a butter knife or a food safe paint brush, paint stripes inside of the piping bag with red gel food colouring. Fill with the whipped cream.
- Remove cheesecake from refrigerator and transfer to a serving plate. Pipe a swirl of whipped cream around the top of the cheesecake and decorate with chopped candy canes, white chocolate curls and dark chocolate curls. Place a peppermint candy onto each swirl. Slice and serve!
Notes
- Store cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- The cheesecake is best served on day one, because after a day, the peppermints colour and red food colouring in the whipped cream will begin to “bleed”. Meaning it will have a smudged appearance.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Food Processor 12-Cup, Aico*k Food Processor Blender, Multi-Function Food Processor, 1.8L, 3 Speed Options, 2 Chopping Blades & 1 Disc, Safety Interlocking Design, 500W
Ateco Plastic Coated Decorating Bag, 18-Inch
Wilton 402-2110 1M Open Star Piping Tip
Wilton Icing Colors 1oz-Red Red
KitchenAid KHM512IC 5-Speed Ultra Power Hand Mixer, Ice Blue
KitchenAid KSM150PSER Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield, 5-Quart, Empire Red
KANA Parchment Paper Baking Circles - 100 Pre-cut 9 Inch Round Parchment Sheets for Baking Cakes, Cooking, Dutch Oven, Air Fryer, Cheesecakes, Tortilla Press
Wilton Springform Cake Pan, 9-Inch
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 14Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 623Total Fat: 36gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 123mgSodium: 194mgCarbohydrates: 71gFiber: 2gSugar: 59gProtein: 7g
BON APPÉTIT!
Love, Dedra
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