Description
A festive and creamy peppermint cheesecake with a crunchy Oreo crust, smooth peppermint-flavored filling, and a rich chocolate ganache topping sprinkled with crushed candy canes. Perfect for holiday celebrations and dessert lovers.
Ingredients
Scale
Oreo Crust
- 30 Oreo cookies, wafers and filling
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 24 oz cream cheese (680 grams), full-fat, brick-style
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar (250 grams)
- 1 cup sour cream (240 ml)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1-2 teaspoons peppermint extract
- 2-4 drops red food coloring (optional)
- 3 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks (from 4th and 5th eggs)
Chocolate Ganache
- 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate (170 grams), finely chopped
- 2/3 cup heavy cream (120 ml), 33-35% MF
- 2 crushed candy canes
- Whipping cream, for decorating
For the Waterbath
- Hot water
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 325F (170C). Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with an oven bag first, then wrap it at least 4 times with aluminum foil to cover bottom and sides completely.
- Make Oreo Crust: Process Oreo cookies into fine crumbs using a food processor or crush in a bag with a rolling pin. Mix crumbs with melted butter until combined. Press mixture firmly into bottom of the springform pan, creating a slight lip around edges. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven keeping oven on and pan wrapped.
- Prepare Cheesecake Filling: Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until soft and creamy, scraping down sides and bottom. Add sour cream, sifted cornstarch, 1 teaspoon peppermint extract, and food coloring; beat until smooth. Whisk eggs and yolks together in a small bowl. Gradually beat eggs into cream cheese mixture on low speed until no visible egg pieces remain. Pour batter over crust in springform pan.
- Bake in Waterbath: Place springform pan in a large roasting pan. Pour hot water into roasting pan to about 1/2 to 1 inch depth. Bake cheesecake for 60 minutes or until top looks set with a slight wobble like pudding. Remove from oven and cool in waterbath until room temperature. Then refrigerate, covered, at least 6 hours.
- Prepare Chocolate Ganache: Place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat heavy cream in 30-second intervals in microwave until near boiling. Pour hot cream over chocolate; let sit 2 minutes then whisk until smooth. Microwave briefly if needed to melt completely but avoid high power.
- Assemble and Chill: Remove cheesecake from fridge. Run a thin knife around edge and unclamp springform ring. Blot moisture from top. Pour ganache over the cheesecake allowing some to drip down sides. Return to fridge to set ganache.
- Garnish and Serve: Just before serving, sprinkle crushed candy canes over ganache. Slice with a thin sharp knife all the way through crust. Optionally, decorate with whipped cream.
Notes
- Use room temperature cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs for smoothest batter; remove from fridge 30 minutes prior.
- Use full-fat brick-style cream cheese only; avoid low-fat or tub varieties.
- Sour cream can be substituted with plain Greek yogurt for similar texture.
- Peppermint extract is available in baking sections near vanilla extract.
- Five eggs total are needed: 3 whole eggs and 2 additional egg yolks only.
- Use semi-sweet or 50% dark chopped chocolate for ganache; chocolate chips can substitute if chopped chocolate unavailable.
- Make cheesecake a day ahead; add ganache anytime during chilling and candy canes just before serving.
- Store leftover cheesecake refrigerated, covered, for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12th of cheesecake)
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg
