Ultimate Peppermint Cheesecake on a Fudgy Brownie Crust

This festive peppermint cheesecake, topped with crushed red and green peppermints, is creamy, colorful and oh so delicious!

Peppermint Cheesecake

This cheesecake is such a great dessert for the holidays. You're going to love the colorful layers, and the cool peppermint flavor with the candy crunch and brownie crust.

You just can't go wrong with this one. It's so much fun to make and to serve, and even more fun to share with your family or friends.

This peppermint cheesecake makes a beautiful way to end a meal, or to bring out with coffee, or after dinner cordials.

No matter what you choose to serve this with, your guests will be glad you did!

For more cheesecake recipes, be sure to check out these mini turtle cheesecakes or this easy banana pudding cheesecake recipe.

INGREDIENTS FOR CREAMY PEPPERMINT CHEESECAKE

FOR THE CRUST: (We went super simple on this one)

• 1 box of Betty Crocker Brownies

FOR THE FILLING:

• Cream Cheese
• Heavy Cream
• Granulated Sugar
• Corn Starch
• Powdered Sugar
• Vanilla
• Lemon Juice
• Gel Food Coloring

FOR THE TOPPING:

• Red Starlight Mints
• Green Starlight Mints

KITCHEN TOOLS NEEDED:

• 9 inch Spring-form pan
• Parchment Paper
• Stand Mixer
• Rolling Pin
• Double Zip Plastic Food Storage Bags
• Medium Mixing Bowl

HOW TO MAKE PEPPERMINT CHEESECAKE

FOR THE CRUST:

• Mix the brownie mix according to package directions.
• Line the bottom of the Spring-form pan with parchment paper, and pour half, or a little more of the brownie batter into the Spring-form pan, on the parchment paper.
• Bake at 350 for 15 - 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove from oven to a wire rack to cool. Place the remaining brownie batter into a small dish, and bake to eat while you're making the cheesecake filling!

FOR THE FILLING:

• In the mixing bowl of the stand mixer, with the whisk attachment, blend the 6 packages of cream cheese until smooth.
• Add about a ¼ cup of the 1 cup of heavy cream to the cream cheese, and mix until smooth.

• Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, and blend again.
• Add the granulated sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice, and blend until smooth.
• Add the cornstarch to the powdered sugar, and add to the cream cheese mixture a little at a time, alternating with the cream, until all the cream and powdered sugar have been added.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl again, and blend. Turn the mixer on high, and mix for about 2 minutes, until the cheesecake filling is smooth and creamy.
• Pour just a little less than half of the cheesecake filling into a small bowl, and place in the refrigerator (this is the white layer on top of the pink layer - see photo).
• Add the Neon pink food coloring gel to the mixing bowl, a little at a time until the desired color of bright pink is achieved (I used about half of a small tube of gel coloring) (see color in photo).
• Blend until all the food coloring is incorporated into the cheesecake filling. Pour the pink cheesecake filling on top of the brownie crust in the Spring-form pan, and place the pan in the freezer.

• Allow to freeze for at least 4 hours to set the cheesecake. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, and remove the white layer from the refrigerator.
• Pour the white layer on top of the pink layer, and smooth the top with a spatula or spoon.
• Place the cheesecake back in the freezer.

FOR THE TOPPING:

• Remove the wrappers from about half of the bags of both colors of mints.
• Place about half of the bag of red starlight mints into a double zip food bag.
• Place about half of the bag of the green starlight mints in a double zip bag.
• Place the bag in another double zip bag, and with a wooden rolling pin, crush the mints into small pieces. (If you want to use all the mints, that's fine, we used half bags, to decorate, but any amount will do, according to your personal taste). You'll have to hit the mints with the rolling pin to crush them.
• Once the mints are crushed, place the red mints around the outside of the top of the white cheesecake filling.
• Place the green mints around the red mints, in a circle on top of the cheesecake filling.
• Place the red mints in the center of the cheesecake, finishing the top of the cheesecake with the mints.

• Place the cheesecake back in the freezer for at least 4 hours, or overnight for best results.
• Serve within 24 hours for best results.

Look at how pretty the colors of the crushed mints look on top of this peppermint cheesecake. This is so festive for the holidays!

This peppermint cheesecake can be kept in the freezer, covered, for up to 7 days. Enjoy!

SAVE FOR LATER BY PINNING THE BELOW IMAGE