Creamy cheesecake, swirled chocolate on a tender chocolate crust and garnished with candy canes. You can't go wrong with these chocolate peppermint cheesecake bars.
I just received word from the North Pole that I am on the "naughty" list. It seems that the man in red got wind of the fact that I was posting these cheesecake bars. And yes, they are naughty. Creamy cheesecake, swirled chocolate, set over a tender chocolate crust and garnished with peppermint candy canes. Yeah, I think that takes me out of the "healthy food blogger" category for today. But you know what? I'm okay with that. Because these are so darn good, and deserve to be in every holiday dessert line-up.
For the crust, I used Anna's Chocolate Mint Thin Cookies that I found at the grocery store, but regular chocolate wafers will work perfectly.
Be sure to plan ahead when making these cheesecake bars, because they need to cool for 2 hours and then rest in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, but preferably overnight. In other words, they are not a "spur of the moment" kind of dessert. But I promise that they are worth the wait.
The chocolate peppermint cheesecake bars recipe
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare a 8-inch square baking pan by lining the pan with aluminum foil, leaving 3-4 inches of foil draping over the sides of the pan.
How to make the Crust
Place the chocolate wafers into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the wafers form fine crumbs, about 30 seconds. To the crumbs, add butter, brown sugar, flour, and salt. Pulse until the ingredients are fully combined.
Using the bottom of a measuring cup or your fingers, press the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Bake until the crust is beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the crust cool on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes.
How to make the filling
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until it is very smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape the beaters and sides of bowl frequently. Gradually beat in granulated sugar until the mixture is combined, about 1 minute.
Beat in eggs, one a time, making sure that each is fully incorporated. Beat in sour cream and vanilla extract until fully combined, about 30 seconds.
Scrape the cream cheese mixture into the baking pan, over top of the cooled crust. Spread evenly.
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and heavy cream. Melt in the microwave on 50% power, stirring every 20 seconds, until smooth.
Using a teaspoon, spoon the melted chocolate gently onto random places over the surface of the cheesecake. Using a small knife, gently swirl the chocolate into the cream cheese mixture.
Baking the chocolate cheesecake bars
Bake until the edges are set but the middle still jiggles slightly when the pan is shaken slightly, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
Place the pan on a cooling rack, sprinkle with half of the crushed candy canes (these will melt on top) and allow the bars to cool for 2 hours. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, and up to 24 hours.
Using the overhanging foil, lift the bars from the pan. Sprinkle the remaining crushed candy canes over the top. Gently remove the foil and cut into 16 bars.
Other treats with chocolate and peppermint
Meringue Cookies (Peppermint & Chocolate)
Chocolate Marshmallow Pops Three Ways: Candy Cane, Heath Bar & Coconut
Chocolate & Peppermint Candy Cane Wedding Cookies
Printable Recipe
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Holiday Chocolate & Candy Cane Cheesecake Bar Recipe
Ingredients
Crust:
- 4 ounces chocolate wafers broken into 1-inch pieces
- 6 tablespoons ¾ stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Filling:
- 2 8 ounce each packages cream cheese, softened
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 8 mini candy canes crushed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Prepare a 8-inch square baking pan by lining the pan with aluminum foil, leaving 3-4 inches of foil draping over the sides of the pan.
The Crust:
- Place the chocolate wafers into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the wafers form fine crumbs, about 30 seconds. To the crumbs, add butter, brown sugar, flour, and salt. Pulse until the ingredients are fully combined. Using the bottom of a measuring cup or your fingers, press the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Bake until the crust is beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the crust cool on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes.
The Filling
- In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until it is very smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape the beaters and sides of bowl frequently. Gradually beat in granulated sugar until the mixture is combined, about 1 minute. Beat in eggs, one a time, making sure that each is fully incorporated. Beat in sour cream and vanilla extract until fully combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape the cream cheese mixture into the baking pan, over top of the cooled crust. Spread evenly.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and heavy cream. Melt in the microwave on 50% power, stirring every 20 seconds, until smooth.
- Using a teaspoon, spoon the melted chocolate gently onto random places over the surface of the cheesecake. Using a small knife, gently swirl the chocolate into the cream cheese mixture.
- Bake until the edges are set but the middle still jiggles slightly when the pan is shaken slightly, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
- Place the pan on a cooling rack, sprinkle with half of the crushed candy canes (these will melt on top) and allow the bars to cool for 2 hours. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, and up to 24 hours.
- Using the overhanging foil, lift the bars from the pan. Sprinkle the remaining crushed candy canes over the top. Gently remove the foil and cut into 16 bars.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by OXO. All opinions are my own. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Chamanicecream
Wowwwww, this is stunning!! And I am loving the combination of cake and cheesecake!
Bar
This Cheesecake bars looks fantastic. I'll try to make this specialty tonight. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!!!