For the crust:
- 2½ cups vanilla wafer crumbs (from about 11 oz wafers)
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
For the cheesecake filling:
- 8 oz white chocolate chips, melted and cooled slightly
- 24 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1½ tsp peppermint extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream, whipped
- ¼ cup crushed peppermint candies
Optional garnish:
- Extra crushed peppermint candies
- Whipped cream for piping
Make the Crust
Pulse vanilla wafers in a food processor until fine. Mix with melted butter until it looks like wet sand.
Press firmly into a 9-inch springform pan, covering the bottom and going halfway up the sides.
Freeze for ~30 minutes to set.
Melt the White Chocolate
Microwave chocolate chips for 30 seconds, stir, then continue in 10-second bursts until melted – usually ~1-2 minutes total.
Let cool on the counter. You want it slightly warm, not hot, when you add it to the filling.
Make the Filling
Beat cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar for ~2 minutes until smooth.
Add peppermint extract, vanilla, and the cooled white chocolate. Beat another minute.
Gently fold in the whipped cream and crushed candies with a spatula. Don’t overmix – you want to keep it fluffy.
Assemble and Chill
Pour filling into the frozen crust. Spread evenly with an offset spatula.
Refrigerate at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. It needs time to set firm.
Finish It
Once set, pipe whipped cream around the edges and sprinkle more crushed candies on top if you want.
Release the springform sides and slice. The filling should be firm enough to hold clean edges.
This keeps for 3-4 days covered in the fridge. The crust stays crisp the first day, then softens a bit but still tastes great.
Peppermint No Bake Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2½ cups vanilla wafer crumbs from about 11 oz wafers
- 1 stick unsalted butter melted
For the cheesecake filling:
- 8 oz white chocolate chips melted and cooled slightly
- 24 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1½ tsp peppermint extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream whipped
- ¼ cup crushed peppermint candies
Optional garnish:
- Extra crushed peppermint candies
- Whipped cream for piping
Instructions
- Pulse vanilla wafers into fine crumbs and mix with melted butter.
- Press mixture into 9-inch springform pan, covering bottom and halfway up sides.
- Freeze crust 30 minutes.
- Microwave white chocolate in 30-second burst, then 10-second intervals until melted. Cool slightly.
- Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth, 2 minutes.
- Mix in extracts and cooled white chocolate until combined.
- Fold in whipped cream and crushed peppermint candies.
- Pour filling into frozen crust and spread evenly.
- Refrigerate 6 hours or overnight until firm.
- Optional: Pipe whipped cream border and sprinkle with extra crushed peppermints.
- Remove springform ring and slice.
- Store covered in fridge up to 4 days.
