Two of my favorite flavors – chocolate and peppermint – get together in one of my all-time favorite desserts today, with this mint chocolate cheesecake.
Think insanely creamy, perfectly set cheesecake on an Oreo crumb base, with a mint filling and mint chocolate ganache on top. It’s over the top, indulgent and rich, and the stuff dessert dreams are made of.
Choc mint cheesecake is steamed at a low temperature, so the filling sets without overcooking. It’s the most reliable way to make a cheesecake that cooks perfectly edge to edge, every time.
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What goes in a peppermint chocolate cheesecake
Safe to say you’ll need mint flavoring in your mint chocolate cheesecake! I use peppermint extract, which has a more intense minty taste and cooling sensation than spearmint. If you want a softer mint flavor, go for mint extract, which is generally a mixture of spearmint and peppermint, or spearmint extract.
There are some mint chocolate cheesecake recipes which use creme de menthe, a mint flavored liqueur. You can use this instead of extract, in which case you’ll need 3 tablespoons of the liqueur instead of the 1½ teaspoons of peppermint extract called for.
You’ll also need Oreos or another chocolate cream cookie for the crumb crust of this cheesecake. I almost called it mint Oreo cheesecake, but I do want to give you the option of other cookies if you aren’t an Oreo fan. I prefer regular Oreos for the crust but have also tried it with mint Oreos for an extra minty hit.
The mint cheesecake filling isn’t unusual apart from the mint flavor, but I do use a small amount of green food coloring to heighten the mint ‘vibe’. Feel free to leave this out if you prefer a white cheesecake.
Finally, choc mint cheesecake gets a beautiful, rich dark chocolate ganache topping to finish it off. If you want to go all mint all the way, you can also add a little peppermint extract to the ganache.
Love cheesecakes? Try these other beautiful steam oven cheesecakes:
How to make mint chocolate cheesecake
Mint cheesecake is easy to make and can be mixed up with electric beaters or a food processor. I prefer the processor because it doesn’t beat as much air into the filling, making for a creamier, silkier cheesecake.
The full recipe, method and notes are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post, or you can read on for the step by step with pictures.
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First, turn on the oven and make your crust
Prepare a 9 inch (22cm) springform pan. Pop a piece of parchment paper onto the base, then close the collar around the base and paper together. The parchment needs to be large enough to give a bit of overhang at the edges. This gives you an easy way to gently lift and transfer the entire cake onto a serving plate.
Grind or crush the Oreos into crumbs with the melted butter. Press this mixture firmly into the base and about halfway up the sides of the pan. Put the pan into the freezer while you make the filling, and rinse and dry your food processor bowl.
For the choc mint cheesecake filling and baking
Put the cream cheese and sugar into the processor bowl (or into a large bowl if you’re using electric mixers). Run the processor until the cheese and sugar mixture is smooth, then add the melted white chocolate, eggs, peppermint extract and food coloring. Pulse the mixture again until it’s completely smooth and the coloring is mixed evenly.
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Time to get baking. Pour the cheesecake filling into the chilled crust, cover the whole thing gently with aluminum foil and bake for 2 hours. Let it hang out in the switched-off oven for another hour, then remove, cool completely and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Overnight is even better. Delayed gratification is the only down side of a cheesecake!
Time to serve
Loosen the sides of the mint cheesecake with a knife, then remove the pan collar and transfer the whole thing to a serving plate.
Make your ganache, if you haven’t already, and spread it all over the top of the cake before scattering with chopped peppermint candy.
And there you have it: rich and very, very indulgent, and suitable for any party you care to present it at!
Happy steam oven cooking, see you here again soon.
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Mint Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the crust
- 30 Oreo cookies
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
For the filling
- 32 oz cream cheese full fat brick style (4 x 8oz packages), softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 8 oz white chocolate melted and cooled (a cup and a half of chips)
- 1 ½ teaspoons peppermint extract
- 4 eggs large, at room temperature
- 2-3 drops green food coloring optional
For the topping
- 6 oz bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (a cup of chips)
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 Peppermint Crisp candy bars (2 x 35 g) roughly chopped, or other peppermint chocolate candies, chopped
Instructions
Make the crust
- Preheat oven to 175°F (80°C), steam setting, 100% humidity. Line the base of a 9” (22cm) springform pan with parchment paper, sealing the collar of the pan around the paper and leaving an overhang sticking out at the sides.
- Put the Oreos in a food processor and pulse until they form crumbs. Pour in melted butter and mix using the food processor. Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan, compacting as much as possible. Put the pan in the freezer for 20 minutes.30 Oreo cookies, 1/4 cup unsalted butter
Make the filling and cook
- Make the filling. Rinse and dry your food processor bowl. Put the cream cheese and sugar into the processor and run until well mixed and smooth. Add the remaining filling ingredients. Run the processor again, just until the mixture is smooth. Don’t overmix because your cheesecake will end up with air bubbles.32 oz cream cheese, 1 cup granulated sugar, 8 oz white chocolate, 1 ½ teaspoons peppermint extract, 4 eggs, 2-3 drops green food coloring
- Pour the filling over the chilled crust and tap the pan lightly on the counter to remove excess air. Cover the top of the pan with aluminum foil, then place in the oven and cook for 2 hours.
- At the end of the cooking time, the cheesecake should be set but with a wobble in the center. Let it cool in the switched-off oven for an hour, then carefully remove the foil so you don’t get condensation on top of your cake. Refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days.
- When you’re ready to serve, carefully run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the cake to loosen, then remove the collar from the pan and transfer the cheesecake to a serving plate. Spread or drizzle the ganache over the cake and top with chopped peppermint candy.2 Peppermint Crisp candy bars
- To make ganache topping: Put the chocolate into a bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour hot cream over the chocolate. Let it sit for a couple of minutes, then stir with a whisk until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature before spreading it onto the cake.6 oz bittersweet chocolate chips, 3/4 cup heavy cream
Notes
- You can use other cream-filled chocolate cookies for the crust, but Oreos are easy to find in most places so that’s what I’ve specified.
- The green color of this cake comes from food coloring. It’s optional but does add to the minty visual.
- I decorate this cheesecake with crushed/chopped Peppermint Crisp bars, which are an easily found candy bar in Australia. If you can’t find them, or want something different, any peppermint candy is fine. After Eight mints in the UK or Andes mints in the USA are good options.
Nutrition
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4 Responses
The foil is just to prevent excess moisture pooling on top of the cake while it cooks. In some steam ovens this isn’t really an issue, but in others a fair amount of water can drip from the top of the oven during cooking. If you know yours doesn’t drip much from the top, you could do it without the foil.
Why put tin foil on top if I’m using 100% humidity in my steam oven?
Turned out great! There were no leftovers….
Great!