White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake

As the chocolate cookie crumbs meet melted butter, they turn from dusty and loose into a mixture that holds together when you press it. That’s the start of my White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake: a firm, dark crust under a smooth filling that tastes of white chocolate first, with peppermint coming through behind it.

I like how the sour cream keeps the filling from feeling too sweet, while crushed peppermint candies bring a crisp finish against the creamy topping. The cheesecake takes some time, mostly because it needs a slow cool and a long chill, but the hands-on work is straightforward. When it’s ready, each slice has a clean cookie base and a cool peppermint finish.

Why This Cheesecake Needs Both a Water Bath and a Slow Cool

Cheesecake filling is rich with cream cheese and eggs, so its edges can firm up well before the middle is done. A water bath cushions the heat around the pan and helps the filling bake more evenly from edge to center. The foil wrapped around the springform pan keeps water from seeping through its seam and into the cookie crust.

The other half of the job happens after baking. A sudden change from a hot oven to a cool kitchen can make the top contract quickly, which is one reason cheesecakes crack. Leaving the oven door open for an hour gives the filling time to settle gradually before you move the pan to a rack. It’s a little patience for a top that stays smooth and an interior that sets without turning dense at the edges.

What the White Chocolate and Sour Cream Are Doing in the Filling

• Chocolate sandwich cookies — Crushing them finely helps the crust press into a compact, even layer. The filling stays in the crumbs, so there’s no need to scrape it out. A food processor makes quick work of the crumbs, but a sealed bag and rolling pin work too.
• Cream cheese — This gives the cheesecake its body and familiar tang. Let it soften before mixing; cold cream cheese is more likely to leave small lumps that are hard to smooth out later.
• White chocolate — It adds sweetness and a creamy texture that peppermint alone can’t provide. Finely chopping it helps it melt evenly. Choose white chocolate you enjoy eating on its own, since its flavor comes through clearly in the finished filling.
• Sour cream — Its tang balances the sweetness of the white chocolate and gives the filling a softer, less heavy feel. Bringing it to room temperature helps it blend smoothly with the cream cheese.
• Peppermint extract and peppermint candies — The extract carries peppermint through the filling, while the crushed candies give the topping a crisp, minty bite. Peppermint extract is potent, so measure carefully rather than pouring it straight from the bottle.
• Eggs — They help the filling set as it bakes. Room-temperature eggs blend into the batter more readily, and adding them one at a time makes it easier to stop mixing as soon as each is incorporated.

The Order That Keeps the Filling Smooth and the Crust Dry

Press and Prebake the Cookie Crust

Heat the oven to 325°F and lightly butter the inside of a 9-inch springform pan with the softened teaspoon of butter. Stir the finely crushed cookies with the melted butter, then press the mixture firmly over the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes; it should look set rather than loose and sandy. Set it aside to cool while you prepare the filling.

Mix the Filling Without Beating in Extra Air

Melt the chopped white chocolate at 50% power in 20-second intervals, stirring after each one, then let it cool until barely warm. Beat the softened cream cheese with the sugar and salt on medium speed until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix in the sour cream, melted chocolate, peppermint extract, and vanilla until the filling looks even. Add the eggs one at a time on low speed, stopping as soon as each disappears into the batter; beating them longer adds air that can make the cheesecake puff and then sink.

Wrap the Pan and Bake in the Water Bath

Pour the filling over the cooled crust and smooth the top. Wrap the outside of the springform pan with two overlapping sheets of heavy-duty foil, folding the foil up the sides so the seam is protected. Set it in a 12-by-16-inch roasting pan and pour the boiling water around it. Bake at 325°F for 75 to 90 minutes, until the edges are set, the center barely jiggles, and an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F in the center.

Cool Gradually, Then Add the Topping

Turn off the oven, crack the door open, and leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour. Carefully lift the springform pan out of the water bath, remove the foil, and cool it on a rack until it reaches room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight, before taking off the springform ring. Beat the cold heavy cream with the powdered sugar in a chilled bowl until medium-stiff peaks form, then spread or pipe it over the cheesecake and add the crushed peppermint candies just before serving.

Three Simple Ways to Adjust the Peppermint and Crust

Questions That Come Up Before the First Slice

White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake

White chocolate peppermint cheesecake has a chocolate sandwich cookie crust, a smooth white chocolate filling, and a whipped cream topping with crushed peppermint candies. A water bath and slow oven cool help the cheesecake bake gently before it chills until firm.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Oven rest and chilling 7 hours hrs

Total Time 9 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Servings: 12 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 720

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the crust

• 1 tsp unsalted butter softened, for the pan
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted, for the crust
• 2 cups chocolate sandwich cookies finely crushed, filling included (about 24 cookies)

For the filling

• 4 packages (8 oz) cream cheese softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 0.25 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup sour cream at room temperature
• 8 oz white chocolate finely chopped
• 0.5 tsp peppermint extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 eggs large, at room temperature

For the water bath

• 8 cups water boiling

For the topping

• 1 cup heavy cream cold
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 0.33 cup peppermint candies crushed

Equipment

• 1 9-inch springform pan
• 1 12-by-16-inch roasting pan
• 1 microwave
• 1 electric mixer
• 1 instant-read thermometer

Method

 

Make the crust

1. Heat the oven to 325°F.
2. Lightly butter the inside of a 9-inch springform pan with 1 teaspoon softened butter.
3. Stir the cookie crumbs with the remaining 4 tablespoons melted butter.
4. Press the mixture firmly over the bottom of the pan.
5. Bake the crust for 10 minutes.
6. Set it aside to cool while you make the filling.

Make the filling

1. Microwave the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl at 50% power in 20-second intervals, stirring each time, until melted.
2. Let it cool until barely warm.
3. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and salt in a large bowl on medium speed until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed.
4. Mix in the sour cream, melted white chocolate, peppermint extract, and vanilla extract until smooth.
5. Add the eggs one at a time on low speed, mixing just until each is incorporated.

Bake the cheesecake

1. Pour the filling over the cooled crust and smooth the top.
2. Wrap the outside of the pan with two overlapping sheets of heavy-duty foil, folding the foil up the sides.
3. Set the springform pan in a 12-by-16-inch roasting pan.
4. Pour the boiling water around it.
5. Bake at 325°F for 75 to 90 minutes, until the edges are set, the center barely jiggles, and the center reaches 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.
6. Turn off the oven and crack the door open.
7. Leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour.
8. Carefully lift the springform pan out of the water bath.
9. Remove the foil.
10. Cool the cheesecake on a rack until it reaches room temperature.
11. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight, before removing the springform ring.

Finish the cheesecake

1. Beat the cold heavy cream and powdered sugar in a chilled bowl until medium-stiff peaks form.
2. Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the chilled cheesecake.
3. Sprinkle with the crushed peppermint candies just before serving.

Notes

For a smooth filling and fewer cracks, mix the eggs on low speed just until incorporated and let the cheesecake cool gradually in the oven. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; it freezes well. For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies.