This No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake is smooth, creamy, and filled with the flavors of the holidays. From the Oreo cookie crust, to the peppermint candies and white chocolate ganache on top, this easy sweet treat is a must-make for dessert!
- Christmas Vacation
- Prancer
- Home Alone (1 and 2)
- A Christmas Story
- The Santa Clause
I’d say those would round out my top five favorite Christmas movies. Of course, then there’s Elf, The Family Man, The Family Stone, and a whole slew of other movies that I absolutely love, especially during the holidays.
And that doesn’t count the made-for-TV movies (I’m looking at you Hallmark Channel and Lifetime) that always draw me in. I’m a Christmas movie fanatic, and I’m proud of it!
Speaking of TV movies, have you noticed how early some channels started airing their holiday shows? Now, I’m all for Christmas, but the Hallmark channel started their “countdown to Christmas” in October, and then starting on November 1st, aired their holiday movies in the afternoons and evening. Just a teeny bit early, considering they play it 24/7.
But I’ll step off my soapbox now (and probably off to watch a Christmas movie, too)!
Let’s get serious and talk about some dessert. A rich and decadent Peppermint Cheesecake, to be exact.
What Makes This Peppermint Cheesecake So Great
- It’s no bake, which means you don’t even have to turn on your oven!
- This cheesecake is full of brisk, pepperminty goodness, perfect for the holiday season!
- The creamy cheesecake filling topped with rich white chocolate ganache make this a dessert to remember!
If you’ve been hanging around here long enough, you know I’m ALL about cheesecakes. From this Peanut Butter Cup version, to this Pumpkin Trifle and this Greek Yogurt Strawberry Cheesecake Dip, and that French Toast, I love it all. And you do, too, because cheesecakes are one of my most popular recipes on Pumpkin ‘N Spice!
And since we could all use a little less time in the kitchen and a little more time with our loved ones, especially during the craziness of the holidays, I figured a no-bake cheesecake was the way to go.
In less than 15 minutes, you can have this cheesecake prepped and ready to pop into the refrigerator. Sounds pretty good, right?
Cooking Tips
- Be sure to stir in the red food coloring really well, otherwise you’ll have streaks in your cheesecake!
- When heating the heavy cream, make sure to stir often so the cream doesn’t burn.
- Let the ganache fully cool before pouring it over the cheesecake, otherwise it will melt into the cake!
Variations
- You could easily turn this into a spearmint cheesecake using spearmint extract, green food coloring, and spearmint candies!
- Switch out the white chocolate for another type of chocolate like milk or dark!
- Try a different type of cookie crust! Graham crackers or shortbread cookies would work.
Filled with a hint of peppermint, studded with peppermint candies, and topped with a rich, white chocolate ganache, this No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake is decadently rich and delicious. I mean, white chocolate ganache…could that get any better? And I won’t tell if you take a spoonful (or three) when glazing this cake.
And let’s not forget about the Oreo cookie crust. I used the “winter red” Oreos, just to give it a more festive touch, but any chocolate sandwich cookie will do.
How To Make No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake
- In a medium bowl, combine the Oreo crumbs and melted butter.
- Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch spring form pan.
- Place the pan in the refrigerator to firm up while you prepare the filling.
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, peppermint extract, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add red food coloring and stir to combine.
- Fold in the whipped topping and crushed peppermint candy until completely combined, the spread the filling evenly into the prepared cookie crust. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- To make the white chocolate ganache, in a small saucepan heat heavy cream until boiling.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the white chocolate until completely melted. Set aside to cool.
- Pour the ganache over the chilled cheesecake and lightly spread with a spatula. Top with more crushed peppermint candy, if desired.
- Refrigerate until firm, then slice and enjoy!
So, if you’re a cheesecake and peppermint lover like I am, then what are you waiting for? This easy, no bake dessert will be the hit of the holiday season, I guarantee it!
Looking for more cheesecake recipes? I’ve got you covered!
- Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
- Blueberry Cheesecake Pops
- {No-Churn} Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip
Did you make and love this recipe? Give it your review below and make sure to follow along with me on Facebook and Instagram to get other great recipe ideas!
No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 (15.25 ounce) package Oreo cookies, ground into crumbs (I used the "Winter Red" variety, but any kind will do)
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Filling
- 24 ounces (3 blocks) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 drops red food coloring
- 1 (8 ounce) tub whipped topping, such as Cool Whip
- ½ cup crushed peppermint candies or candy canes plus more for topping
White Chocolate Ganance
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 6 ounces white chocolate wafers or bar if using a bar, finely chop
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the Oreo crumbs and melted butter.
- Press crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch spring form pan. Place in refrigerator to firm up while preparing filling.
- In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, peppermint extract, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add red food coloring and stir to combine.
- Fold in whipped topping and crushed peppermint candy until completely combined.
- Spread filling evenly into prepared cookie crust. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- To make the white chocolate ganache, in a small saucepan, heat heavy cream until boiling.
- Remove from heat and stir in white chocolate until completely melted. Set aside to cool.
- Pour over chilled cheesecake and lightly spread with a spatula. Top with more crushed peppermint candy, if desired.
- Refrigerate until firm.
Notes
Manali@CookWithManali says 
Gayle says 