No-Bake Peppermint Cheesecake
Candy cane meets cream cheese, no oven required
The candy cane is one of those peculiar confections whose origins are entirely lost to mythology. Some say a German choirmaster invented it to keep children quiet during long church services. Others claim it was designed to represent the shepherd's crook, or the letter J for Jesus, or that its red and white stripes symbolize Christ's blood and purity. None of these explanations holds up to historical scrutiny, but Americans consume 1.76 billion of them annually regardless of origin story.
What happens when you take the humble candy cane and fold it into a no-bake cheesecake is rather more straightforward: you get a dessert that is simultaneously festive, nostalgic, and dangerously easy to consume. The biscuit base provides crunch, the cream cheese filling delivers that characteristic tang, and the crushed peppermint adds both flavor and a fetching pink-and-white speckle that makes the whole thing look like a holiday miracle.
The Thermomix makes this particularly effortless—crushing candy canes, pulverizing biscuits, whipping cream all in the same bowl with minimal cleanup. It's the kind of recipe that makes you look far more competent than the effort actually required, which is perhaps the highest compliment any recipe can receive.
Method
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1
Crush the candy canes
Place 300g candy canes in the TM bowl. Pulse using Turbo 5-10 times until crushed to your preferred size. Set aside in a bowl.
💡 Finer crushing integrates better; chunkier gives more visual impact.
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2
Make the base
Melt butter in TM bowl: 2 minutes at 100°C on Speed 2. Add biscuits and crush on Turbo for 10 seconds, scraping down and repeating until fine crumbs form. Divide among 6 glasses and refrigerate.
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3
Whip the cream
Clean the TM bowl. Add cream and whip on Speed 3.5 until soft peaks begin to form (10 seconds to 2 minutes depending on cream freshness). Set aside in a separate bowl.
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4
Prepare the filling base
Add cream cheese, sugar, and peppermint extract to TM bowl. Mix on Speed 5 for 20 seconds.
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5
Bloom gelatin
In a small cup, pour 30ml boiling water. Sprinkle gelatin over surface and stir until dissolved. Let cool slightly, then add to cream cheese mixture. Mix on Speed 5 for 20 seconds.
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6
Melt chocolate
Melt white chocolate in microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between, until just melted and smooth.
💡 Overheating will cause the chocolate to seize and become grainy.
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7
Combine everything
Add 200g crushed candy canes, melted chocolate, and whipped cream to the TM bowl. Mix on Speed 5 for 45 seconds or until smooth and uniform.
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8
Assemble and set
Divide filling among the glasses. Top with reserved crushed candy canes. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Notes & Tips
Cream temperature
- • Cold cream whips best. If your cream isn't whipping, it may have warmed during processing. Chill the TM bowl briefly and try again.
Peppermint intensity
- • Start with 5ml extract and taste before adding more. Peppermint extract varies wildly in strength between brands.
Year-round adaptation
- • Skip the candy canes and peppermint for a classic white chocolate cheesecake. Add lemon zest and crushed shortbread for a summery version.
Make-ahead
- • Assembled cheesecakes keep refrigerated for 3 days. The candy cane topping may become slightly sticky in humid conditions; add it just before serving if this concerns you.