Peppermint Cheesecake With Chocolate Drizzle

Creamy peppermint cheesecake is a delicious treat that’s perfect for any day but also festive enough for your holiday dessert table! It has the perfect graham cracker crust and is topped with crushed candy canes and a rich chocolate drizzle.

I love indulging in special desserts during the holiday season! When I want something sweet most of the year, I turn to making something like Healthy Apple Crisp or my addictive Strawberry Cobbler.

But at the holidays, I love to make (share, and enjoy) some special treats. Some of our favorites include Easy Sweet Potato Pie, and my Cranberry Orange Pound Cake, and even my double crust Easy Pumpkin Crisp.

I’m a huge fan of chocolate…and peppermint…and cheesecake. So it only makes sense that at some point I would find a way to combine all these amazing flavors.

The day has come, my friends! This peppermint cheesecake is a must-have this Thanksgiving and Christmas season.

This creamy cheesecake has a decadent graham cracker crust, the filling is filled with loads of peppermint flavor, and it’s all topped with a rich chocolate drizzle that pulls all the flavors together.

Once you make and share this peppermint cheesecake, people will be asking you to share your recipe with them!

Cheesecake has a reputation for being difficult to make. However, if you follow the recipe directions closely, anyone can make it successfully (and impress everyone they know)!

Ingredients Needed

Here are some of the key ingredients you’ll need for this amazing cheesecake! Please refer to the handy printable recipe card below for full recipe details, including exact ingredient measurements.

• Graham cracker crumbs – I used a basic graham cracker crust for this recipe to give it that classic cheesecake vibe.
• Cream cheese – I highly recommend putting your cream cheese on the counter for an hour or two before you plan to make cheesecake so it can warm to room temperature.
• Sour cream – This is a “secret ingredient” for cheesecake that helps soften the texture and adds moisture, helping prevent cracking.
• Granulated sugar – Adds just the right amount of sweetness to balance out the tangy cream cheese flavor.
• Eggs – I always use large eggs. Put them on the counter with your cream cheese and let them warm up to room temperature.
• Vanilla extract – Another “secret ingredient,” this time to add more depth of flavor to the cheesecake.
• Peppermint extract – This delivers that delicious peppermint flavor IN the cheesecake!
• Crushed peppermint candy – It doesn’t matter what kind of peppermint candy you use – I usually use candy canes because I like the way they crush!
• Semi-sweet or dark chocolate – This will add not only a gorgeous look to the top but the taste is sweet and delicious as well.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

• 8″ Springform pan

How To Make Peppermint Cheesecake

This peppermint cheesecake takes patience but anyone can do it! Give it a try, I think you will be so happy that you did!

• Preheat the Oven – Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C).
• Make the Crust – In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Mix until well combined. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan to form an even layer. Bake for about 8 minutes, then remove from the oven and let it cool while you prepare the filling.
• Prepare the Cheesecake Filling – In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the granulated sugar (or alternative sweetener) and mix until well combined. Stir in the vanilla and peppermint extracts until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until combined. Be careful not to overmix. Fold in the sour cream until evenly mixed.
• Bake the Cheesecake – Pour the cheesecake filling onto the cooled crust, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for about 55 minutes, or until the center is set but slightly jiggly. (It will continue to set as it cools.) Turn off the oven, and let the cheesecake cool in the oven for at least 1 hour to prevent cracking.
• Chill the Cheesecake – After cooling, cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
• Prepare the Chocolate Drizzle – In a saucepan over low heat, combine the chopped chocolate and butter. Gently heat, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth.
• Garnish and Serve – Carefully remove the sides of the springform pan before slicing and serving. Then drizzle the melted chocolate over the chilled cheesecake. If you want to, sprinkle crushed peppermint candies on top and decorate with fresh mint leaves.

Peppermint Cheesecake Recipe Expert Notes and Tips

Since cheesecake takes time and patience, you want to get it right on your first try! Here are a few important tips to make sure this peppermint cheesecake comes out perfectly!

• Room temperature ingredients – Especially the cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs. Yes, it does take a little thinking ahead and planning, but it really makes a big difference in giving you that smooth creamy cheesecake texture! Make sure to take all of your refrigerated ingredients out and put them on the counter a couple of hours before you plan on baking.  
• Keep the oven door closed – This is one of the hardest tips for me to follow because I want to see how my cheesecake is coming along! Unfortunately, when you open the door during baking, a lot of the heat escapes and the oven temperature drops significantly, preventing your cheesecake from baking evenly.
• Avoid overmixing – Overmixing (or mixing too vigorously) adds more air to your batter and can cause the cheesecake to crack when those bubbles rise to the surface while cooking. Using room-temperature ingredients helps avoid lots of lumps and using an electric mixer at medium-low speed or medium speed helps blend everything together without being too vigorous.
• Bake low and slow – Baking at a lower oven temp is key because slow baking keeps your cheesecake creamy and helps prevent cracks!
• Add a water bath – Some people swear by it when baking cheesecake. I haven’t found it super helpful, but if you do want to try it, here’s how. Put your springform pan in another pan with 2-inch tall sides. Add very hot water to the outer baking pan until there is about 1 ½ inches of water around (not inside) the springform pan. Bake as directed on a rack in the lower 3rd of the oven.
• Chill overnight – This might be the hardest part! Letting your peppermint cheesecake set in the fridge overnight enhances the peppermint flavor and gives you the perfect texture.

How to Tell When Your Cheesecake is Done

Don’t open your oven door for about the first hour you bake your cheesecake. At the 55-minute or hour mark, check it by giving the pan (while it’s still on the oven rack) a slight jiggle. You want the cheesecake to be slightly jiggly, but not still liquidy.

If you think it’s still liquidy, close the oven door and bake it for another 10-15 minutes then check it again.

How to Prevent Cheesecake from Cracking

The ultimate goal for cheesecake is to have it smooth with no cracks! If yours does crack, just cover it with chocolate or something to hide it, and it will still taste amazing.

But the goal is to avoid that, and letting your cheesecake cool in the oven will go a long way toward hitting that goal.

One of the biggest reasons cheesecakes crack is the drastic temperature change between the hot oven and the much cooler kitchen. When your cheesecake is done cooking, turn off the oven and leave it in the oven for another hour until the oven has cooled down!

Do not open the door. I repeat – DO NOT open the door while it’s cooling.

Once the oven and the cheesecake are cooled, remove from the oven. I like to set the cheesecake out on the counter for another hour or two (if I have time) before wrapping it up and putting it in the fridge overnight.

Peppermint Cheesecake Variations To Try

I made a very basic version of this delicious peppermint cheesecake idea. There are lots of ways to adjust it to fit your needs or preferences! Here are a few:

• Oreo crust – If you want a chocolate crust instead of the classic graham cracker crust, crush up normal Oreo cookies and follow the rest of the recipe directions.

• More peppermint flavor and texture – If you want a little texture in your cheesecake, add crushed peppermint candies (such as candy canes) to the cheesecake filling before baking.

• Add more chocolate – White chocolate pieces in the cheesecake filling would add yummy flavor!

• Toppings – Before serving your cheesecake, top it with your favorite toppings. Some of ours are: crushed peppermint candy pieces, homemade whipped cream, and peppermint bark pieces.

Make It Gluten-Free

Replace the normal graham crackers with a gluten-free version of graham crackers or graham cracker crumbs and you should be good to go.

Double-check your chocolate just to make sure there’s no cross-contamination (some brands have it, and some don’t).

Make It Sugar-Free

Replace the granulated sugar with your favorite 1:1 sugar substitute (such as Monk Fruit or Stevia). There isn’t a ton of sugar in this recipe, so the taste difference won’t be super noticeable – especially with the peppermint extract!

For the candies, you can find a sugar-free substitute or leave them off. Most of the peppermint flavor will come from the extract, anyway.

Peppermint Cheesecake Storage Tips

Leftover peppermint cheesecake tastes just as good as it does fresh! Here are some helpful tips to help you keep it fresh as long as possible.

• Refrigerate – It may be baked, but since it’s made with cream cheese, your peppermint cheesecake needs to be stored in an airtight container in your fridge. It will taste fresh and amazing for up to 7 days.
• Freezer – This is a very freezer-friendly recipe! Simply wrap your cheesecake in plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. Write the date on the foil with a Sharpie. You can freeze it for up to 1 month. To serve, thaw it in your fridge for 1-2 days and serve chilled as you normally would!

More Delicious Holiday Dessert Ideas

• Cranberry Cheesecake Recipe
• Cute Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups
• Cinnamon Coffee Cake Bundt Cake
• Sweet Potato Pie
• Spice Eggnog Cake

Pin For Later!