Peppermint Bark White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake
Ultra festive, this creamy, decadent white chocolate peppermint bark cheesecake dotted with peppermint and chocolate bits and topped with a simple white chocolate mousse is out of this world delicious!
I’m sitting here a little stumped on how to even start describing the deliciousness of this peppermint bark white chocolate mousse cheesecake.
I mean, peppermint bark cheesecake is nothing new (thank you, Cheesecake Factory). However, the fact that I made it at home and ate it in my PJ’s? Well, it felt revolutionary (as in, I’m sorry, Cheesecake Factory, but I may not need you anymore).
Cheesecake is a funny thing.
It’s actually quite a polarizing topic. People either love it or hate it.
I’ve rarely met someone who is just “meh” about cheesecake, but I have a lot (a lot, a lot, a lot) of passionate cheesecake lovers in my circle of life. And yes, some who are on the opposite end of the spectrum.
Throw in peppermint bark flavors to beloved cheesecake, and you’re asking for a whole lot of opinions.
When I started asking around if peppermint bark cheesecake should happen in my kitchen, I was surprised at the responses. Even my faithful cheesecake peeps weren’t sure.
I’m ashamed to admit, their doubt caused me to pause, but only for about half a second.
All I had to do was cast my mind back a couple years to the moment I enjoyed (ok, devoured) a legit piece of peppermint bark cheesecake at The Cheesecake Factory, and I knew this needed to happen.
I’m telling you, peppermint bark, with it’s creamy white chocolate, decadent dark chocolate, and spicy peppermint, was meant to live in cheesecake.
When figuring out and testing the best ever recipe, it was a no-brainer I would use my favorite vanilla bean cheesecake as a starting point.
If you haven’t made that cheesecake yet, why the hay-hay aren’t you getting your buns into the kitchen to make it ASAP?
I can only assume you must be a cheesecake hater. Prove me wrong, if that isn’t true. Prove me wrong.
It’s a life-changing (and egg-free!) cheesecake. All you have to do is read the comments, and you’ll see I’m not the only one who feels that way.
It even transitions beautifully into a wonderful pumpkin cheesecake.
It’s just a solid, reliable, versatile, wonderful, heart-warming, ridiculously delicious cheesecake.
And my hunch was right, you know. The vanilla bean cheesecake was even more magical with ribbons of peppermint and little bits of chocolate, not to mention the swirl of white chocolate cream in the batter that upped the luxurious factor tenfold.
Even for me, a fairly vocal white chocolate hater, that white chocolate mousse topping the luxurious peppermint bark cheesecake is one of the most irresistible concoctions on the planet.
Cheesecake is almost always on our Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday menus, and this peppermint bark version couldn’t be more festive for the upcoming Christmas holiday.
Although it has a few steps, what with the white chocolate mousse and all, it’s actually surprisingly simple and is such a show stopper of a dessert.
We ended up with about three pieces leftover from Thanksgiving, and what happened next might be the reason I’m so in love with this cheesecake…
…Peppermint Bark White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake Milkshakes.
When everyone else was throwing their leftover pumpkin pie into milkshakes last month (or still feasting on apple pie leftovers…or swearing off pie and desserts and baking all together), we were in a peppermint bark coma thanks to someone’s brilliant idea to make a milkshake out of this amazing cheesecake.
It seems a shame to go to all the work of making a homemade cheesecake just to toss it in the blender with ice cream, vanilla and a little evaporated milk (the secret to great milkshakes), but honestly, the next time I make this? I’m not sure any of it will appear on a plate.
Cheesecake milkshakes for life.
I’ve included several notes in the recipe in regards to white chocolate. For instance, don’t even think about melting white chocolate chips unless you want to introduce stress, frustration, and bad words into your life, and a few other things, like how far you can make this ahead of time, so please read through the recipe before making, and let me know if you have any questions!
And just in case these questions might come up:
-This is the 9-inch springform pan I’ve had for years; love it.
-My trick for getting the cleanest, neatest slices out of a cheesecake? I use my 8-inch chef’s knife, run it under really hot water, wipe it clean with a cloth or paper towel and immediately (while the blade is still warm) make a slice; wipe the blade clean of all the cheesecake guts and make another slice. Repeat the hot water trick and all succeeding steps. It’s not rocket science…just wipe the knife clean after every slice and do the hot water step now and again.
-I never bake my cheesecakes in a water bath, so I didn’t forget to include that step in the recipe, promise. I just don’t do it (especially for cheesecakes like this one that have a topping that will disguise any cracks). The good news? I’ve never had this cheesecake crack on me. Make sure not to overmix or overbake, and you’ll be golden.
One Year Ago: Chocolate Fudge Sour Cream Bundt Cake
Two Years Ago: Video Tip: How to Easily Temper Chocolate at Home
Three Years Ago: Homemade Thin Mint Cookies
Peppermint Bark White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust:
- 20 Oreo or other chocolate sandwich cookies, (about 283 g), finely crushed (no need to remove cream from the middle)
- 3 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 1 egg yolk, optional, but makes the crust smooth and rich
Cheesecake:
- 6 ounces (170 g) white chocolate, not white chocolate chips or almond bark – see note for details
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 packages (8-ounces each) (681 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (227 g) sour cream
- 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 cup (170 g) mini chocolate chips
- ½ cup (about 100 g) crushed starlight/peppermint mints
White Chocolate Mousse:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese, softened
- 4 ounces (113 g) white chocolate, melted (not white chocolate chips or almond bark – see note for details)
Garnish:
- Crushed mints and chocolate shavings
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- For the crust, in a medium bowl, mix the chocolate cookie crumbs, butter and egg yolk (if using), until well-combined. Press the mixture into the bottom and just barely up the sides of a 9–inch springform pan (make sure the sides are at least 3-inches tall as this makes a very full pan). See note for 10-inch springform pans. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.
- For the cheesecake layer, add the white chocolate and cream to a microwave-safe bowl (alternately, you can do this in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water) and melt on 50% power for 1-minute increments, stirring in-between, until melted and smooth. Let cool until room temperature (can be very, very slightly warm…but definitely not hot!).
- In a medium bowl with a handheld electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until soft and creamy, 1-2 minutes. Add the sour cream, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and peppermint extract. Mix until smooth and just combined.
- Fold in the cooled white chocolate/cream mixture until combined.
- Add the chocolate chips and mints, and stir with a spoon or spatula until evenly distributed – the mints will start to bleed color into the cheesecake batter, so stir as quickly and efficiently as possible.
- Spread the cheesecake over the cooled crust and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, until the edges are set about 2- to 3-inches from the side, but the center still jiggles slightly. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
- For the white chocolate mousse, in a medium bowl, beat the cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar with an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer) until peaks form. In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the melted white chocolate and mix until smooth and creamy. Fold in the whipped cream, taking care not to deflate the whipped cream, and mix gently with a rubber spatula, lifting and turning the cream, until the mousse is combined and creamy. (Alternate instructions: I’ve made this topping several times by throwing everything but the melted white chocolate in a blender and processing until very thick and creamy – then I add the melted, cooled white chocolate and mix until combined).
- Spread the white chocolate mousse over the cooled cheesecake.
- Refrigerate for 1-2 hours (or up to two days). Garnish with crushed peppermints and chocolate shavings right before serving.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (adapted from my favorite Vanilla Bean White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake)
142 Comments on “Peppermint Bark White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake”
This sounds heavenly! But… I don’t have a springform pan and there are only 3 in my house. Do you think I could cut this in half it would fill a 9in pie?? Thanks!!!
Yes, I think you could do that!
Are the crushed peppermint pieces in the cheesecake itself crunchy or do they soften after baking?
They soften a bit but still have some texture.
I just made this recipe for Christmas and it was a big hit! I made it without the topping though and everyone still seemed to love it.
Absolutely delicious and easy instructions. Made it for the first time and it was perfect. Will make this an annual tradition.
Has anyone ever made it without the white chocolate mousse topping? If so, would you mind telling me how I could alter the measurements to instead have a thicker cheesecake layer?
The cheesecake still turns out nice and thick if you follow all of the instructions correctly. I made it for Christmas without the mousse topping and it was very good and still thick enough that one piece is plenty.
Amazing!
Is there no eggs in the cheesecake batter, but it gets baked anyways?
Correct…it’s an egg free batter but it still needs to be baked for texture.
Hey Mel, I’m thinking about trying to use this recipe as cheesecake bites for some holiday treats. Any suggestions on how to adjust the baking time?
Are you baking them in a specific pan for cheesecake bites or are you making the batter in a 9X13-inch pan?
A cheesecake bites specific pan is the plan right now. 🙂
Could you substitute peppermint bark for chocolate chips and peppermint?
I haven’t tried that – I’m not sure the peppermint flavor would be as strong, but it’s worth experimenting.
Peppermint is not my flavor of choice, but most of us really liked this. We subbed both the chocolate chips and the crushed candy in the filling with Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark squares, about 1 1/2 cups chopped. It worked great and the flavor was good—however, you lost the pink color. If that is important to you, you would need to add food color or the peppermint candies.
Made this yesterday for my husband for Father’s Day and honestly thought I would be back here commenting that it wasn’t worth all the effort. Well, I’m back here but to tell you that it is absolutely worth the effort. It’s rich, it’s delicious, it’s a perfect combination of mint and cheesecake and chocolate so if you like those three things you will love the dessert. I followed the recipe to a T and had no issues with leakage, or undercooked or any of the other issues mentioned here.
Two things
1. Have you ever adapted this to high altitude
2. Can I get the recipe for the malt you mix this into
Cant wait to try this.
I haven’t adapted this for high altitude but I don’t think it should need many adjustments. I’m not sure what you mean about malt?
This is the best cheesecake I’ve ever made at home. I made it for Christmas dinner and it was a huge hit!
So delicious! It was a hit at our family party!
Mel, this cheesecake is outrageous!! It is better than the original white chocolate peppermint cheesecake at Cheesecake Factory. They changed their recipe several years ago and I didn’t purchase it due to not being as good.
You should be very proud to have created this recipe. I am an avid baker and cook and I am very picky about what recipe I would make again, this one has already been printed and in my “favorites” notebook. Thank you for this recipe.
Thank you so much!
Mel, making this again for T-day. Didn’t mention last time I commented in 2019, I use Andes peppermint crunch baking chips. They are so good and they ares soft, but hold their shape. They were easier to use before the lock down. Now I order from Amazon. In a pinch I have use the peppermint dinner mint squares and cut them myself. You should give them a try.
I have made these cheesecake 2xs now and I wont use another recipe at all. I made it in 2018 and 2019 but this year 2019 I used ghirardelli peppermint bark and 1 candy candy in it instead of the mini chocolate chips and mints. This is the Best cheesecake recipe I have made at Christmas. Everyone loves it except my husband because he doesnt like cheesecake which I think he is crazy.
Can you use ghirardelli peppermint bark in place of the mints and chocolate chips? Also if I add another brick of cream cheese would I need to add more whipping cream and corn startch and sugar or do you think it would be fine without adding any more sugar, cornstarch and whipping cream?
I’m not sure how adding another 8 ounces of cream cheese would work. I’d probably increase the other ingredients to make sure it stays nice and creamy.
Several years ago I saw a recipe for candy cane kiss cheesecake and I imagined this great minty creamy blend. However, when I made it that one was pretty terrible- my family said it was because I tried to combine mint and cheesecake. I made this yesterday, and it was exactly what I had been imagining before. Thank you for making my minty cheesecake dreams come true!
I’m so happy to hear this, Rachel – thank you!
How many dues this cheesecake serve.can it bake it to 12?
Yes, it can serve 12 (it really depends on how thick you slice it).
Anyone have to cook this longer than stated? Mine has been in for 50 mins but it’s still wet and jiggly.
I’ve had to cook mine 20-45 extra minutes. The top will be lightly brown, but it doesn’t affect the flavor.
I cooked mine an additional 10 minutes and it was still jiggly in the middle but the sides about 1” in we’re getting firm. It set up after taking it out of the oven. It tested 175 degrees in the center when I removed it. Very delicious.
This was my very first cheesecake. I was so nervous because it was for Christmas eve. Following the recipe closely and using the highest quality of ingredients, this was, by far, the best cheesecake I had ever tasted. This was also a favorite amongst the desserts and will be making be making next year as well!!
Happy to hear this!
This is a perfect holiday dessert. I took a tip from a comment below and baked it in a parchment lined 9×13 pan. I froze it, pulled it out of the pan and cut it (still on the parchment) into 20 square pieces. I popped it back in the pan, served it up to my book club, put it back in the freezer and served it again for Christmas dinner dessert last night and STILL had 3.5 pieces left! People who are going easy on the calories or young children will happily take half a piece of this dessert and still feel satisfied.
Also, I’ve never made a cheesecake with a crust made from a complete oreo cookie and I loved it, I don’t think I’ll ever just use the plain cookie crumbs again. Thanks so much Mel!
Thanks, Janice! So happy it worked out – freezing and making in a 9X13-inch pan!
Aren’t there any eggs in this recipe???? Want to make it for NYE, but have never made a cheesecake without eggs.
I had the same thought but yes, there are no eggs, and it still bakes up great like the other cheesecakes you’ve made before.
No, there are no eggs in this recipe.
Aren’t there any eggs in this recipe???? Want to make it for NYE, but have never made a cheesecake without eggs.
No, the recipe is correct, there aren’t any eggs in this recipe.
This is delicious but expensive to make with the 3 packages of baking chocolate at almost $3 a pkg. I baked it in a springform pan right on oven rack and the butter from the chocolate crust leaked out and really messed up my oven so be sure to set pan on another pan or put foil on the outside of your pan.- the ladies I served this to, loved it!
I have a flourless chocolate cake recipe that I adore and usually make in a springform pan. I love the idea of this cheesecake and I’m wondering if it would work to use that cake as the crust. Should I attempt it? I imagine I would need to partially bake the cake and cool before topping with the cheesecake. Maybe I’ll adapt this to a no bake cheesecake. I’m so tempted to mash up the two desserts!
Sounds amazing, Amy! The only question I have is making sure that cake crust, if you use it, doesn’t overbake in the process and dry out.
This may seem like a lame question. Do you have to grease the pan? I doesn’t say in the directions and so I’m wondering if it’s not necessary.
I don’t grease the pan but you can if you want or if your springform pan tends to stick (or have the ingredients stick to it).