Easy Frozen Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Recipe

Here’s what sets this Frozen Peppermint Chocolate Cheesecake apart and makes it the perfect dessert for any special occasion, especially for Christmas or Valentine’s Day:

• Perfect fusion of flavors. Indulge in the classic pairing of indulgent chocolate and the invigorating coolness of peppermint.
• Textural delight. Experience a delightful interplay of textures as the creamy cheesecake meets the satisfying crunch of crushed candy canes and chocolate bits.
• Feast for the eyes. Elevate your dessert table with this visually enticing dessert. The dark chocolate crust, pink filling, and vibrant red and white candy cane pieces on top make it a showstopper that’s as delightful to look at as it is to eat.
• Easy to prepare. With straightforward steps, you can create a stunning dessert that will leave your guests thinking you spent hours in the kitchen.
• Make ahead. Prepare this Frozen Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake when it’s convenient and freeze it for up to one month.

To create this great make-ahead dessert, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Oreo cookie crumbs. Sometimes you can find these in a box at the grocery store. If not, finely grind around 20 cookies in a food processor. See other substitutions below.
• Butter. Can use salted or unsalted. The butter is used to bind together the cookie crumbs to form the crust.
• Cream cheese. I recommend using the Philadelphia brand.
• Sweetened condensed milk. I recommend using Eagle Brand. It provides extra creaminess without the added moisture in traditional milk, and also adds sweetness, eliminating the need for sugar.
• Crushed hard peppermint candy. I like to use candy canes because they are the easiest to crush. If not available, round peppermint candies can also be used. See directions below on how to crush.
• Mini chocolate chips. These smaller-size chips are more subtle in both taste and texture, adding more chocolate flavor without overpowering the filling.
• Whipping cream. Heavy or regular whipping cream can be used.

Here’s how easy it is to make this impressive no bake dessert:

1. Prepare crust.
   In a medium mixing bowl, stir together cookie crumbs and melted butter. Firmly press into the bottom of either a 9” springform pan or a 9 by 13-inch pan. Wrap with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate.
2. Combine cream cheese, milk, candy, and chocolate chips.
   Beat softened cream cheese at high speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add condensed milk and beat well, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice during the process. Stir in peppermint candy and chocolate chips.
3. Whip cream; add to filling.
   Using an electric mixer, whip the cream in a large bowl until peaks form and fold into the cream cheese mixture until no white streaks remain.
4. Spoon cheesecake batter into crust; freeze.
   Spoon filling into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Wrap with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and freeze until firm (at least 4 hours, preferably overnight).

Remove cheesecake from the freezer shortly before serving – it melts fairly quickly. Garnish the top with whipped cream piped into stars and/or crushed peppermint candies.

Here are a few garnish and other presentation ideas:

• Pipe whipped cream stars around the rim of the cheesecake and in the middle, then add crushed peppermint on top of the stars.
• Before piping on the whipped cream and adding the crushed peppermint, sprinkle the top with cocoa powder or chocolate cookie crumbs. (photo)
• Add a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of dark chocolate sauce to each slice.
• Sprinkle the serving plate (or individual dessert plates) with powdered sugar or cocoa powder.
• Sprinkle the top with chopped toasted pecans.

While our Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake recipe is delicious and full of flavor as is, you can customize it to suit your tastes. Here are a few ideas:

• Spread a layer of fudge sauce over the top of the frozen cheesecake, then garnish with whipped cream and/or crushed peppermint.
• Substitute ginger snap or graham cracker crumbs for the Oreo cookie crumbs, and sprinkle some over the top of the cheesecake before serving.
• Instead of one large cheesecake, make individual ones in muffin tins. This recipe will make around 16 mini cheesecakes.

Feel free to experiment and get creative with variations to make the Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake truly your own.