These mini peppermint bark cheesecakes have rich chocolate ganache, fluffy stabilized whipped cream, beautiful white chocolate curls, and sit atop an Oreo crust. They are an irresistibly sweet and creamy dessert!

Recipe used for the mini cheesecakes and chocolate ganache:

Beyond Frosting – Mini Peppermint Bark Cheesecakes

After recovering from the news that Cheesecake Factory wasn’t offering their seasonal peppermint bark cheesecake, I set out to find a recipe that could fill its shoes. While this isn’t an exact copycat, it did the trick of satisfying my peppermint cheesecake craving! 

Recipe used for the stabilized whipped cream:

Sugar Geek Show – Stabilized Whipped Cream

I chose the method of stabilizing the whipped cream with gelatin, however the recipe post also lists other options such as using instant pudding mix, powdered milk, cream of tartar, and corn starch.

These cheesecakes weren’t all going to be eaten the same day I photographed them, so the whipped cream had to hold up until they reached their recipient.

Guess what – the leftover whipped cream stayed fresh and delicious days after making it! The process isn’t much more involved than making standard whipped cream, so taking the time to make a stabilized version is completely worth it if you aren’t serving the dessert immediately. 

Tips for making the Mini Peppermint Cheesecakes:

• Easily halve the recipe
  • The full recipe makes 16 mini cheesecakes. To serve a smaller crowd, I halved the recipe and made 8 cheesecakes. The measurements make it very easy to cut each ingredient in half!
• Substitutes for the Andes Peppermint Crunch
  • I couldn’t track down these exact peppermint crunch pieces, but you can improvise. I grabbed the last box of Andes Peppermint Crunch Thins at my grocery store and roughly chopped them up. It worked perfectly! 
• Use Peppermint Extract 
  • Be sure to use peppermint extract and not its neighbor on the shelf, mint extract. You’ll get quite a different flavor from the plain mint. Peppermint is the way to go!
• Room Temperature Ingredients
  • When making cheesecakes, it is important to make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperate when you start the mixing process. This will ensure all components properly combine and bake evenly. 

Tips for Making the Stabilized Whipped Cream:

• Use chilled heavy cream and a cold (preferably metal) mixing bowl
  • The whipped cream will whip up more successfully and to a lighter texture if you start with cold cream.
  • Chilling your mixing bowl (and beaters to go the extra mile) also speeds up the process.
• Don’t over whip the whipped cream
  • If this happens, there is no going back. Don’t walk away from your mixer!
  • You can stop and check your whipped cream at any point to see if you have reached medium peaks.
    • How to look for medium peaks – Lift your beater. The whipped cream should have a subtle droop, but still keep its shape. 

How to assemble the mini peppermint bark cheesecakes:

1. Spread the chocolate ganache onto the cooled cheesecakes. Using the back of a spoon or a knife, spread it close to the edge.
2. Scoop your whipped cream into a piping bag. Pipe a swirl of whipped cream onto the top of the ganache using an open star piping tip (Wilton 1M).
3. Sprinkle crushed peppermint candy or candy cane pieces on top of the whipped cream, followed by chocolate curls.
   • The white chocolate curls – These can be made quickly and easily with a vegetable peeler and chocolate bar. Check out my Chocolate Cupcakes with Baileys Buttercream post for more details on how to make chocolate curls. 
4. Add a piece of chocolate peppermint bark to the top of the whipped cream peak.
   • You can make your own, but I picked up pre-made chocolate peppermint bark at the grocery store to save some time!

These mini peppermint bark cheesecakes with chocolate ganache and homemade whipped cream are an indulgent yet fresh and light dessert for the holiday season.

The cheesecake base is creamy with just enough peppermint flavor to be enjoyed by everyone. The Oreo crust adds a delicious crunch, while the fluffy whipped cream pairs perfectly with the thick and rich chocolate ganache. If you also love the Cheesecake Factory version or are looking for an easy to make, mini dessert, these are calling your name! 

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If you make this dessert or have any questions, please leave a comment below! I absolutely love hearing when others are inspired to step into their kitchen and try out something new.

Happy Baking!

XOXO,