No Bake Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake

overhead view of a no bake peppermint chocolate cheesecake

No Bake Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake

This soft and creamy no bake chocolate peppermint cheesecake has a smooth and creamy filling. It's a great make ahead dessert in just 25 minutes prep.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cheesecake, no bake cake

Prep Time 25

Chill time 4

Total Time 4 25

Servings

Calories 575kcal

Author Julie Clark

Ingredients

For the crust:

2 cups Oreo crumbs* 24 cookies
5 tablespoons salted butter melted

For the chocolate ganache:

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon salted butter

For the cheesecake filling:

24 ounces cream cheese 3 packages at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
8 ounces whipped topping thawed and divided
Crushed candy canes or other peppermint candy

Instructions

Make the crust:

Grease a 9-inch springform pan with shortening.
In a medium bowl, stir the cookie crumbs and melted butter together until they are well-mixed.
Press the crumbs firmly into the springform pan, then set the crust in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.

Make the chocolate ganache:

While the crust is freezing, make the chocolate ganache. Place the chocolate chips into a small or medium heat-proof bowl.
Heat the heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until the cream starts to simmer around the edges of the saucepan. Do not let the cream boil.
Pour the cream over the chocolate chips and add the tablespoon of butter. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes, then add the peppermint extract and stir until the chocolate is smooth and the butter has melted. Let the ganache cool to room temperature.

Make the cheesecake filling:

As the ganache is cooling, make the cheesecake filling. In a large bowl, add the cream cheese, sugar, cocoa powder, heavy whipping cream, and peppermint extract, and mix with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer on low speed until smooth.
**Add the whipped topping to the cream cheese mixture, and continue mixing with the electric mixer on low speed until combined.
Spoon the cheesecake batter over the cookie crust, and spread it out evenly with a spatula.
Pour the cooled chocolate ganache over the cheesecake. Sprinkle some of the crushed candy canes on top, and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or better yet, overnight, until the ganache has set.
Remove the ring of the springform pan, and sprinkle additional crushed candy canes on top.
Serve chilled. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

*I crushed 24 Oreo cookies in my food processor.

**Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture with a rubber spatula or on the lowest speed of the hand mixer. If you mix too much too quickly, the whipped topping may deflate.

Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.

The calories shown are based on the cheesecake being cut into 12 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cheesecake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**

Nutrition