White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake
When it comes to holiday desserts, nothing quite captures the spirit of the season like a creamy, decadent white chocolate peppermint cheesecake. This delightful treat combines the rich flavors of white chocolate and peppermint with a smooth, creamy cheesecake base, all nestled on a buttery graham cracker crust. Topped with melted white chocolate, fresh whipped cream, and crushed peppermints, this dessert is sure to be the star of your holiday gatherings.
Serve it with Homemade Hot Chocolate for a decadent treat!
Just like things like Strawberry Apple Rhubarb Sorbet just screams summer. Chocolate and peppermint screams holiday season. They just go hand in hand for holiday baking, and are a festive, and delicious combo of flavors:
- Peppermint Bark Fudge
- Peppermint Glazed Butter Cookies
- Peppermint Brownie Drumsticks
- Peppermint Chocolate Cookies
- Peppermint Hot Chocolate Stuffed Pancakes
- Brownie Cookie Sandwiches with Peppermint Icing
- Chocolate Peppermint Bark Molten Mug Cake
Which is why I knew I had to use this combination in cheesecake! I love Instant Pot Cheesecake, Japanese Cheesecake, and even Lemon Cheesecake Bars! So making a festive holiday cheesecake was a must. Yummers! You can’t go wrong with a cheesecake, and when you add in white chocolate and peppermint, you have the perfect holiday dessert. I won’t lie, I might be gaining a few extra pounds this season because of this super easy, and super yummy dessert. Or maybe this one and this Easy Peppermint Brownie Bottom Cheesecake.
How to Make White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake
For the Cheesecake:
- 2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 candy cane or peppermint, crushed
- 1/2 cup white chocolate morsels
- 1/3 cup crushed peppermints or candy canes
For the Crust:
- 1 prepared graham cracker crust -or-
- 1.5 cups ground up graham crackers
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/3 cup sugar
For the Toppings:
- Melted white chocolate
- Freshly made whipped cream
- Crushed peppermints
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare:
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C).
- If making your own crust, mix the ground graham crackers, melted butter, and sugar together until well combined. Press this mixture into the bottom of a 9×9 inch pan. Bake for 5-10 minutes. If using a premade crust, skip this step.
- Infuse the Cream:
- Place a single crushed candy cane or peppermint in a cup and pour the 1/4 cup heavy cream over it. Let it sit to infuse the cream with peppermint flavor.
- Prepare the Cheesecake Filling:
- While the crust is baking, cream together the room temperature cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Pour in the infused cream and beat until just combined. Be careful not to overbeat, as this can cause the cheesecake to crack.
- Fold in the peppermint pieces and white chocolate morsels.
- Bake the Cheesecake:
- Pour the cheesecake filling over the prepared crust.
- Bake at 325°F (163°C) for 40 minutes.
- Turn off the oven, crack the door open slightly, and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour to cool slowly.
- Chill and Serve:
- After the cheesecake has cooled in the oven, refrigerate it for at least one hour to set.
- Before serving, drizzle melted white chocolate over the top of the cheesecake.
- Garnish with freshly made whipped cream and crushed peppermints.
Tips and Tricks
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure the cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature before mixing. This helps create a smooth, lump-free batter.
- Avoid Overbeating: Overbeating the batter can incorporate too much air, leading to cracks in the cheesecake. Mix just until ingredients are combined.
- Slow Cooling: Cooling the cheesecake slowly in the oven with the door slightly open helps prevent cracks by reducing the temperature gradually.
- Chill Thoroughly: For the best texture and flavor, allow the cheesecake to chill thoroughly in the refrigerator before serving.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve this cheesecake as a stunning centerpiece at holiday parties or family gatherings. It is the perfect dessert after a Smoked Prime Rib dinner.
- Pair it with a cup of hot cocoa or peppermint tea for a truly festive experience.
- For an extra touch of elegance, add a few sprigs of fresh mint or edible gold leaf to the garnish.
Serve with:
Substitutions
- Graham Cracker Crust: You can use a chocolate cookie crust for a different flavor profile.
- Peppermint: If you’re not a fan of peppermint, try substituting it with another flavor, such as orange zest for a citrus twist.
- White Chocolate: Swap white chocolate morsels with dark or milk chocolate if you prefer a different chocolate flavor.
This white chocolate peppermint cheesecake is a delightful dessert that embodies the festive spirit of the holidays. With its creamy texture, rich flavors, and beautiful presentation, it’s sure to become a seasonal favorite. Enjoy!
Note: Every oven is a little different, so be sure that when your 40 minute baking time is up that the center does not jiggle too much. If it does, try baking an extra five minutes. Otherwise you won’t get the right texture. In my attempts to get the timing right, I HAD to bake this one over and over, and boy am I glad I did, to get the consistency right. Had to!
Other Cheesecake Recipes
- Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars
- No Bake Oreo Cheesecake Ice Box Cake
- Cherry Cheesecake Butter Tarts
- Brownie Lovers Cheesecake with Ultimate Hot Fudge Sauce
- No Bake Cherry Cheesecake
- White Chocolate Cheesecake Naan
- Dutch Oven Cheesecake
White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 2-8 oz packages of cream cheese room temperature
- 3/4 c sugar
- 3 eggs room temp
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 candy cane or peppermint crushed up
- 1/2 cup white chocolate morsels
- 1/3 cup crushed peppermints or candy canes
Crust
- 1 prepared graham cracker crust -or-
- 1.5 cups ground up graham cracker
- 6 Tbs butter melted
- 1/3 cup sugar
Toppings
- Melted white chocolate
- Fresh made whipping cream
- Crushed peppermints
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325
- Mix your crust ingredients together, press into 9x9 pan, and put in oven to bake for about 5-10 minutes (or use a premade crust)
- Take single crushed candy cane or peppermints, and put in a cup, pour the 1/4 cup heavy cream over, and let sit. This will infuse the cream with peppermint flavor
- While baking crust, cream together room temp cream cheese and sugar.
- Add eggs to cream cheese and sugar one at a time, and beat together
- Add in cream and peppermint mixture, beat until just barely mixed (over beating will cause cheesecake to crack)
- Fold in peppermint pieces and white chocolate morsels
- Pour over crust
- Bake at 325 for 40 minutes
- Turn oven off, crack door open slightly, and leave in oven for 1 hour
- Refrigerate for one hour
- Serve by drizzling melted white chocolate over top, and garnish with whipped cream and peppermint pieces
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
Want to use this recipe in a meal plan?Try PrePear, my FREE Meal Planning App that allows you to save your recipes, plan meals, shop for groceries, and cook simply in one place. Join Here!
Leave a Reply