Swirled with peppermint bits and with a rich chocolate mint crust, this creamy white chocolate cheesecake has all of the elements of peppermint bark. It's perfect for the holidays!
(Originally posted on November 28, 2018; Updated tips and FAQs on September 7, 2020.)
Peppermint bark is one of my all time favorite Christmas treats, so when we set out to create Christmas recipes for the Instant Pot, like our Instant Pot Eggnog and Instant Pot Gingerbread Cheesecake, I knew right away that a peppermint bark cheesecake had to be next. The finished result was even better than I could have hoped. We served this to our family during Thanksgiving last year and received rave reviews from everyone who tried it!
Why This Recipe Works
- This cheesecake has all of the elements of peppermint bark: A minty dark chocolate crust, creamy white chocolate batter, and the subtle crunch of fresh peppermint bits.
- When baking a cheesecake in the oven, creating a water bath is essential to achieving a flawless cheesecake. However, water baths can be a pain to make. Because the Instant Pot cooks with steam, no water bath is needed. It's the easiest way to cook a flawless cheesecake, devoid of surface cracks.
How To Make Peppermint Bark Cheesecake
And this is the AMAZING Result…
Expert Tips
- For a smoother surface, after mixing cheesecake batter in step 6, tap the bowl against a counter top several times until air bubbles rise to the surface. Burst bubbles with fork or toothpick. This step can be repeated after pouring the batter into the cheesecake pan.
- To reduce the mint flavor, simply swap the mint Oreos in the crust for regular Oreos.
FAQs
I cannot find mint Oreos thins, can I use regular Oreos instead? Yes! Oreo thins can be replaced by 25 regular mint Oreos with filling removed from half. If you cannot find mint Oreos, regular Oreos will work.
Can I make this gluten-free? Yes! Just substitute gluten free sandwich cookies, such as Glutino Chocolate Vanilla Cream Cookies
, for the Oreos and remove the filling from half of the cookies before using.
What kind of pan can I use? You may use a 7x3 inch push pan
or a 7 inch springform pan
.
What size Instant Pot do I need? This recipe will work with both a 6 quart
or 8 Quart Instant Pot
.
More Instant Pot Desserts
- Gingerbread Cheesecake
- Red Velvet Cake w/ Kahlua & Bailey's Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Cheesecake with Maple Glaze
- Instant Pot Eggnog; Perfectly Pasteurized
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Peppermint Bark Cheesecake in the Instant Pot
Creamy white chocolate cheesecake swirled with peppermint bits and with a rich chocolate mint crust. Perfect for the holidays!
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Servings: 12
Calories: 372kcal
Ingredients
Cheesecake Crust
- 25 Mint Oreo Thins see notes for substitutions
- 3 Tbsp. butter melted
Cheesecake Batter
- 16 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup white chocolate baking chips
- ½ cup heavy cream room temperature
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 Tbsp. crushed candy cane 1 to 1 ½ candy canes
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Cheesecake Crust:
- Place 25 Mint Oreo Thins in a food processor. (If using regular Oreos, instead of thins, scrape filling out of half of the Oreos and discard.) Run food processor until cookies break into fine crumbs.
- Add cookie crumbs and melted butter to a bowl. Stir to combine.
- Pour crumb mixture into 7″x 3″ push pan or springform pan. Using fingertips, press down crumbs, smoothing into an even layer. Then place pan in freezer while preparing batter.
Cheesecake Batter:
- Add cream cheese, sugar, and cornstarch to a medium bowl. Beat until smooth.
- In a microwave safe bowl, combine white chocolate chips and heavy cream. Microwave chips and heavy cream for 25 seconds, then whisk until completely smooth. If chips are not melted after one minute of whisking, microwave for 10 second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth.
- Let white chocolate mixture cool until warm, not hot, then fold into cream cheese mixture until completely combined.
- Add eggs and vanilla and beat until just combined.
- Place 1 or 2 candy canes in clean food processor and process until crushed. You can also buy candy cane bits to use instead.
- Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. candy cane bits and ⅛ tsp. salt over cheesecake batter. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold peppermint bits until just combined. (Optional step: Tap bowl against counter top several times until air bubbles rise to surface. Burst bubbles with fork or toothpick.)
- Remove cheesecake crust from freezer and pour batter into pan.
- Add 1 ½ cups water and 3-inch trivet to Instant Pot. Cover cheesecake with foil, and place on trivet. Cook for 40 minutes at high pressure, then allow a natural pressure release.
- Once pressure is released, turn off Instant Pot and carefully remove cheesecake. Remove foil and allow cheesecake to cool for one hour or until room temperature. Once cool, carefully run a paring knife around the edge of the cheesecake to separate from pan. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
- Carefully push cheesecake up from push pan by placing center of push pan on a can or glass and pushing edges down. If using springform pan, gently remove outer edge of pan. Then serve and enjoy.
Notes
Expert Tips
- For a smoother surface, after mixing cheesecake batter in step 6, tap the bowl against a counter top several times until air bubbles rise to the surface. Burst bubbles with fork or toothpick. This step can be repeated after pouring the batter into the cheesecake pan.
- To reduce the mint flavor, simply swap the mint Oreos in the crust for regular Oreos.
FAQs
I cannot find mint Oreos thins, can I use regular Oreos instead? Yes! Oreo thins can be replaced by 25 regular mint Oreos with filling removed from half. If you cannot find mint Oreos, regular Oreos will work. Can I make this gluten-free? Yes! Just substitute gluten free sandwich cookies, such as Glutino Chocolate Vanilla Cream Cookies, for the Oreos, and remove the filling from half of the cookies before using.
What kind of pan can I use? You may use a 7x3 inch push pan or a 7 inch springform pan.
What size Instant Pot do I need? This recipe will work with both a 6 quart or 8 Quart Instant Pot.Nutrition
Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 254mg | Potassium: 138mg | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 790IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 1.4mg
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Katie
This was so good! We had it at Christmas and there were no leftovers. Everyone loved it! Thanks for the great recipe.
Becky
We had this recently at a family get together and it was the most popular desert there! Next time, I think we need
at least two of these!
Marv
Going to make this before holidays and if a success, will make during holidays...never made cheesecake in IP...yet
Tami
Making now for Christmas Eve, I can’t wait to try this!