No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake

No-Bake Peppermint Cheesecake is a darlingly delectable treat fit for any occasion, but it just might be better suited for Christmas when candy canes are readily available and easy to source! If you’re hosting a dinner party this holiday season, this dessert can be prepared a day in advance, freeing up your valuable time!

When I was growing up, Sunday dinner dessert was almost always my mom’s no-bake cheesecake.  It was a simple dessert with no fuss and all of us kids loved it.  Her favourite fruit topping was canned cherry though, which I absolutely hate, but whenever she made it, I would scrape the cherries off and eat the rest.  No complaints! Today, I’m sharing a holiday version without those nasty canned cherries. My No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake is so easy to prepare and it makes a delicious make-ahead holiday dessert!

There are a few little tricks to making these no-bake cheesecakes look like you’ve put a lot of work into them.  The first little secret is in the Oreo crumb bottom.  The next secret can be found in the cream cheese filling.  And, lastly, like all things homemade and good, you can take shortcuts!

As you can see, I decided to make these in individual serving vessels.  I did this basically because I think it’s prettier (and it’s all about the pretty for me!), and it’s individually portioned.  You can grab one and go, and you won’t need a plate, or a knife to cut it with… all you need is the dessert and a spoon!  If you prefer, you can certainly make this up in a 9″ x 9″ Pyrex dish and scoop out large spoonfuls to serve.

LAYERED DESSERTS ARE THE EASIEST AND THE BEST!

Layered desserts have been popular for many, many years. For those of us who were not blessed with the ability to decorate elaborate cakes or whip up a choux pastry or even master the art of a good meringue, there are layered desserts. Think about it! The popularity of desserts like no-bake cheesecakes, trifles, tiramisus, and No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake is proof.

I like to think that a layered dessert can certainly be just as elegant if prepared the right way. Make it simple. Overcomplicated desserts are no fun to prepare or eat. Choose two or three flavour combinations, because too many will just become muddled and the flavours will compete with each other. That’s what I think of trifles. I do like them, but I don’t care for them if they have cake, fruit, jello, pudding, whipped cream, etc. Too many ingredients and too many layers are certainly not the way to go.

If you are looking for more layered desserts, look no further! I’ve got you covered right here. Try these Stacked Vanilla Strawberry Shortcakes, for example. Or a breakfast version using waffles! Speaking of strawberry shortcakes, you have got to try these puff pastry flakies – they are probably my favourite dessert of all time.

WELCOME TO A LORD BYRON CHRISTMAS!

I’m going to tell you all about this recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season, but first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. I know we’re getting closer to the big day, so it’s time to get to the holiday-themed recipes! Over the past decade, I have built a reputation for sharing series-type recipes. The most popular would be my annual 24 Cookies of Christmas, which was fashioned after an advent calendar. But, I have others that are only 12 days, which were fashioned after the 12 Days of Christmas.

This particular recipe is a part of my third holiday series for this year. So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Christmas Candy Cane Recipes Series. Just like every other series that I’ve shared over the years, this one will also see a new recipe shared each day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW AND NEVER MISS ANOTHER RECIPE!

Traditionally, every year I share a series of recipes that you might already be familiar with. For example, I’ve previously shared 12 Holiday Trifles, 12 Holiday Bars & Squares, and even these 12 Edible Holiday Wreath recipes! Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! And, just in case you’re curious, you can see previous annual posts for my 24 Cookies of Christmas Series here!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Cream Cheese – I prefer to use the brick-style cream cheese for this dessert. It’s much heavier than whipped or spreadable cream cheese and will hold up better if you plan to make this dip ahead of time.
• Confectioner’s Sugar 
• Peppermint Extract – If you have trouble finding peppermint extract, you could use mint extract instead. Peppermint extract uses pure peppermint oil while mint extract uses a combination of peppermint oil and spearmint.
• Cool Whip – Please ensure the cool whip is refrigerated and thawed according to the instructions on the packaging.
• Crushed Candy Canes
• Chocolate Oreo Cookies
• Whipped Cream

HOW TO MAKE NO BAKE PEPPERMINT CHEESECAKE

Transfer the softened cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the confectioner’s sugar and peppermint extract. Beat on medium-low speed to incorporate. Next, add the thawed cool whip and beat on medium speed to incorporate.

Add 5 tablespoons of crushed candy canes and all of the mini white chocolate chips. Use a rubber spatula to fold those into the cream cheese mixture. Transfer to a large piping bag prepared with a large circular tip. Transfer the filling to the fridge while you prepare the cookie crumbs.

The amount of filling will make 8 individual servings. You will need 36 Oreos. Separate the cookies and remove and discard the cream filling. Transfer all of the cookie part of the Oreos to a food processor and pulse until a fine crumb is achieved. Distribute the crumbs evenly into 8 serving vessels or spread it evenly in the bottom of an 9″ x 9″ Pyrex dish.

Next, pipe the filling evenly into the 8 serving vessels or alternatively, pipe into long rows onto the crumb base in the Pyrex dish. If you are using a Pyrex dish, you can use an offset spatula to lightly even out the filling layer. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, top with whipped cream, crushed candy canes, a peppermint stick or candy cane, and a whole Oreo cookie.

MAKING YOUR OWN CRUSHED CANDY CANES

If you don’t want to use the red and white crushed candy canes that you can find just about anywhere this time of year, you can crush your own candy canes by placing unwrapped, broken candy canes into a sturdy bag and firmly rolling over them with a wooden rolling pin.

Either way you look at it, the candy canes should not be crushed too finely. Many times, you’ll find they have too much powder, meaning that they have been crushed too much. You want chunky pieces in order to get the red and white speckled pattern.

I’ve tried crushing them myself and have crushed them a little too much. Even the type you buy in the store can sometimes have too much candy cane dust. You can easily fix it by filtering out the dust. Working in small amounts, place a heaping spoonful of the crushed candy canes into a colander. Sift out the dust so that you are left with nice little pieces.

NO-BAKE RECIPES

I used to think that the term no-bake meant that a recipe was more of an assembly-type recipe. Something like a salad, for example. It sounds simple enough, right? Toss the lettuce and any other veggies you want into a bowl. Top it with cheese, croutons, avocado, hard-boiled egg, etc. Add some dressing and you’re all done! But, no-bake actually just means no baking. There still might be some stove-top cooking needed – or even a microwave, for that matter.

Some other no-bake-type holiday recipes you might enjoy are these Rudolph’s Red Nose Cookies. Hairy Moose Droppings are delicious and always quite the conversation starter! Just like these Caramel Peanut Slices were a favourite of my mom’s so were these Marshmallow Coconut Balls and so were these Christmas Crunch Cookies. You can find many more no-bake cookie recipes here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen by using the search field at the top of this page.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!