Peppermint mini Oreo cheesecakes make a special dessert that is easy to make, transport, and serve - and looks and tastes amazing. Let this become your new family tradition! Plus, you can make this any time of the year with the variations listed.
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I have been dying to share this luscious peppermint mini Oreo cheesecakes (or Candy Cane Joe-Joe's in my case) recipe since I created it for the holidays. I brought them to a couple different parties and they were such a hit - everyone loved them!
With their chocolate drizzle and candy cane topping, they are so pretty, they get oohs and ahhs right away. But it's when people eat them that they are convinced this is a great recipe.
I mean, it's cheesecake which is pretty good all on it's own (or simply mixed with chocolate chips). But this is amped up with a peppermint flavored cookie "crust" (the easiest crust ever!), and peppermint candy flavor inside and out.
The decoration is simply easy drizzles of chocolate with crushed peppermint candies, but looks bakery worthy AND adds more chocolate flavor.
But here are even more reasons to love this peppermint mini Oreo cheesecake recipe:
- They are quick to make - 15 minutes hands-on is all.
- They are easy to serve - no cutting needed.
- They can be made ahead a couple days (really nice during the holidays).
- You can make these any time of the year using one of the variations listed below - think peanut butter, pumpkin spice, or classic plain.
So, if you're thinking I usually publish healthier recipes and wonder if this is one of them - no, I wouldn't say that. While it uses mostly real foods (minus the cookies and candy canes, which are holiday treats), this is one of those recipes for the occasional treat to celebrate something.
However, this does use one of my favorite healthy eating techniques - portion control - because it's made in individual servings. And each portion is less than 250 calories, so it's not a crazy splurge, just a nice celebration splurge (if that's a thing, which I think it is!).
Peppermint Mini Oreo Cheesecakes Recipe
Ingredients
- Cream-filled chocolate cookies like Oreos or Trader Joe's Joe-Joe's - preferably mint flavored like the seasonal Candy Cane Joe-Joe's or Oreos mint-filled cookie.
- Cream cheese
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Vanilla
- Peppermint extract (optional)
- Crushed candy canes/peppermint candies
- Chocolate chips and optional white chocolate chips
- Butter or coconut oil
Supplies
- Mixer with whisk attachment or bowl and hand-held mixer
- Muffin pans - one 12 cup and one 6 cup
- Muffin/ice cream scoop or measuring cup and spatula
- Measuring cups, etc.
- Paper muffin liners
- Plastic baggies
Directions
Line the muffin tins with paper liners and place one cookie in each liner. You will never make an easier "crust" than this!
Mix all the cheesecake ingredients in a bowl and then gently stir in the crushed mint candies.
TIP: Mix the cream cheese first before adding the remaining ingredients to minimize lumps.
Scoop the batter over each of the cookies using a muffin scoop or a 1/4 cup measure and a spatula. The cups should be 2/3 to 3/4 full.
Bake the cheesecakes for 20-25 minutes until the tops are cracking and the edges are just starting to turn light brown.
Refrigerate the cakes for at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove the liners before decorating.
Gather the supplies for the chocolate drizzles:
- Microwave-safe glass measuring cups to melt the chocolates.
- Plastic baggies for applying the drizzle.
- Scissors for clipping the corners of the baggies.
Melt the chocolates with the butter or oil until smooth either in the microwave for a minute (stir and heat again 10 seconds at a time if needed) or over a double boiler (bowl over the top of a pan with hot water).
Transfer each melted chocolate to a separate small baggie, snip one corner of one baggie, and push the chocolate to that corner, twisting the rest of the baggie.
Use this DIY piping bag to drizzle the chocolate over the tops of the cheesecakes. Repeat with the other chocolate.
Quickly sprinkle with more crushed peppermint candies while the chocolate is still wet.
You need to work fairly quickly, since the cakes have been refrigerated.
Place decorated mini cheesecakes back in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving.
This is a great make-ahead dessert, since the decorated cakes can also be kept in the fridge for a few days before serving.
I sure hope you enjoy this fun dessert as much as my family does!
5 mini cheesecake variations to make throughout the year
This is a great base recipe you can riff off of for lots of different flavors. Here are just a few I came up with:
- Plain: Use regular Oreos for the crust and 2 teaspoons vanilla in the cheesecakes. Top only with chocolate drizzle or a mixture of dark and milk chocolate.
- Chocolate Chip: make like the plain variation above, but add 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips in the batter and decorate the drizzle with more mini chips.
- Peanut Butter: Use peanut butter filled Oreos for the crust and stir in 1/4 cup of peanut butter into the batter before baking. Top with chocolate drizzle and chopped peanuts.
- Vanilla: Use vanilla Joe Joe's or Oreos for crust, 2 teaspoons vanilla in cakes, and top with only white chocolate - maybe sprinkled with multicolor sprinkles for a birthday cake look.
- Pumpkin: Use pumpkin spice Joe-Joe's or Oreos for crust, add 1-2 teaspoons pumpkin spice to cakes, and top with chocolate of your choice - and maybe chopped up candy corns or spiced cookie crumbs?
Peppermint Mini Oreo Cheesecakes
Equipment
- Muffin Tins
- Paper muffin liners
- Stand mixer or hand held mixer
- Muffin/ice cream scoop
Ingredients
Mini Cheesecakes
- 18 chocolate cookies with cream filling, preferably peppermint flavored*
- 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened**
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract, optional
- 2/3 cup crushed peppermint candies, + more for decorating
Chocolate Drizzle
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips*** (or semi-sweet)
- 1/4 cup white chocolate chips***
- 1½ teaspoons butter or coconut oil
Instructions
Baking Cheesecakes:
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place paper liners in 12 and 6 cup muffin tins (to equal 18). Add one cookie to the bottom of each liner.
- Beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment (or a large bowl and a hand mixer) until smooth. Add sugar, eggs, vanilla, and peppermint extract (if using) and whisk until incorporated. Gently stir in the crushed peppermint pieces.
- Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the top of each cookie - the tins should be 2/3 to 3/4 full.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in tin one half hour. Place the cheesecakes in the refrigerator 4-6 hours or overnight (can be baked 2 days ahead of serving).
Decorating Cheesecakes:
- Melt dark chocolate with 1 teaspoon butter or oil until smooth. Melt white chocolate (if using) with 1/2 teaspoon butter or oil, whisking to smooth. (Melt them in the microwave for 1 minute, stirring well and additional 10 seconds as need to smooth OR over simmering water in a double boiler until smooth.) Transfer both chocolates to separate plastic baggies, pushing the melted chocolate to one of the bottom corners in each.
- Remove liners from cheesecakes and place on a wax paper lined surface.
- Snip the corner of one of the chocolate baggies and hold over cheesecakes, moving back and forth while pushing the chocolate out to create a drizzle over the tops. Repeat with the white chocolate. (Alternately, you can use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate, but it's much more uneven). Sprinkle the cheesecakes with more crushed peppermint candies while still wet (you'll need to work fast since the cakes are cold).
- Refrigerate cheesecakes at least 4 hours before serving. Store 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Plain: Use regular Oreos for the crust and 2 teaspoons vanilla in the cheesecakes. Top only with chocolate drizzle or a mixture of dark and milk chocolate.
- Chocolate Chip: make like the plain variation above, but add 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips in the batter and decorate the drizzle with more mini chips.
- Peanut Butter: Use peanut butter filled Oreos for the crust and stir in 1/4 cup of peanut butter into the batter before baking. Top with chocolate drizzle and chopped peanuts.
- Vanilla: Use vanilla Joe Joe's or Oreos for crust, 2 teaspoons vanilla in cakes, and top with only white chocolate - maybe sprinkled with multicolor sprinkles for a birthday cake look.
- Pumpkin: Use pumpkin spice Joe-Joe's or Oreos for crust, add 1-2 teaspoons pumpkin spice to cakes, and top with chocolate of your choice - and maybe chopped up candy corns or spiced cookie crumbs?
Nutrition
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