No Bake Candy Cane Cheesecake

No bake candy cane cheesecake jars are a perfect single serve dessert for Christmas. Don’t worry, you can also make it in a springform pan if you don’t have jars. This easy recipe takes just 6 ingredients and a few minutes to put together and tastes like the holidays!

Your Christmas dessert repertoire doesn’t have to begin and end at cookies. This candy cane laden no bake peppermint cheesecake is a perfect holiday dessert.

Make it in a pie dish, springform pan or individual little jars, whichever you prefer. The best part is you can make it ahead of time and it doesn’t require any oven space!

I love the combination of peppermint and chocolate this time of year. It is just so festive and fun.

The combination of things like peppermint ice cream and homemade hot fudge or candy canes in hot chocolate is amazing and so seasonal.

I always get a little nervous adding peppermint extract though. Mostly because a little goes such a long way and if you overdo it even a bit, my brothers will complain that you’re trying to feed them toothpaste.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved the frostbite cookies and peppermint white hot chocolate I shared recently. But you’ll notice I added just a tiny bit as I tend to err on the side of caution with these things.

So I like to add that minty flavor in other ways when possible. Like using mint meltaways to make a delicious Frango mint pie.

My other favorite way is using candy canes. It is hard to go too far to the peppermint side when you’re using candy as the flavoring!

Using cookie crumbs makes for an easy crust. Crushed Oreos are great, the red velvet version is extra festive if you can find them.

Graham crackers would also work if you prefer them.

Once your crust is made, whip up the filling. Nothing about this takes too long, in fact waiting for the cream cheese to soften may be the hardest part.

Give yourself plenty of time to let the cheesecake set in the refrigerator and you’ll be in business. It is a perfect make ahead dessert for your next holiday party.

Be sure to check out the other sweet treats my friends are sharing today. There are some fabulous ideas.

Making a Smooth and Creamy No Bake Cheesecake Filling

The key to having the perfect cheesecake filling is having your ingredients at the right temperature. Scraping the sides of the bowl and having a little patience helps too!

For the best results, your cream cheese should be at room temperature. This will help make it easier to beat smooth.

If your cream cheese is to cold, you are running an increased risk of lumps of cream cheese.

Beat the cream cheese and sugar until it is completely smooth. You want to scrape the sides of your bowl and the whisk several times to make sure the mixture is lump free. 

Now here is your next step where temperature plays a key roll. Whipping cream whips up much better when it is cold, so you want the cream to be super cold. 

Drizzle it in slowly while the mixer is running to get it incorporated. Then turn the mixer to high and beat until it is light and fluffy. 

The mixture should hold a stiff peak and resemble the texture of mousse. Now just stir in some crushed candy canes to add that peppermint flavor.

It’s going to be hard to keep from eating it with a spoon, but it’s worth the wait. Spoon the filling into the prepared crust and spread out to the edges.

Or spoon or pipe the mixture into small jars for the mini cheesecake jar option. Refrigerate for several hours to firm up before serving. 

If you like the idea of using candy canes in desserts, check out my easy layered peppermint bark fudge recipe. It only takes 4 ingredients and is the perfect mix of candy canes and creamy chocolate.