Loaded with pure peppermint and plenty of decadent Scharffen Berger chocolate, these peppermint chocolate cheesecake bars are destined to be the perfect dessert for your holiday table this season.
There’s just something about chocolate and peppermint. It’s a season staple, and this year I’ve partnered with a very special brand to bring you these peppermint chocolate cheesecake bars. Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker was started in 1996 in San Francisco California. The story is a sweet one, but we’ll save those details for a future date and fast forward to today where Sharffen Berger chocolate is one of America’s premier artisan brands of chocolate. The factory is about twenty minutes from my house, and I had the best time touring the facility last week. I got to see everything from the prototypes of new products (can’t wait to share those with you), the nibs used to make the chocolate, the mixing and heating of the different flavors, and the final packaging. The factory is a well oiled machine that is a soon to be roasting house as well, and the beans? They are not only chocolate makers who support bean growers through fair prices and labor, sustainability, and rainforest regeneration, but the Scharffen Berger employees regularly travel to the forests where the beans are harvested to connect with the farmers face to face. I am truly honored to be partnering with them, and am positive that you will love these bars as much as my family did. Without further ado, lets make them.
What you’ll need to make these peppermint chocolate cheesecake bars:
Chocolate Sandwich Cookies (with the fillings removed)
Granulated Sugar
Salted Butter
Cream Cheese
Heavy Cream
Sharffen Berger Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Pure Vanilla Extract
Pure Peppermint Extract
A Large Egg
Scharffen Berger Semisweet Dark Chocolate Baking Portions
The Crust
This easy chocolate cookie crust is a perfect base to hold both the decadent peppermint chocolate cheesecake filling and the rich chocolate ganache topping.
You’ll begin by crushing the chocolate sandwich cookies into crumbs, and the best way to do this is in your food processor. If you do not have a food processor, simply place them in a large Ziploc baggie, seal it with as much air removed as possible, and use a rolling pin to finely crush the cookies into crumbs. Combine the cookie crumbs with the granulated sugar and the butter, mix well, and press the crust into your 8x8 baking pan. Set this aside while you make the filling.
The Filling
Begin by blending the cream cheese until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the heavy cream, granulated sugar, peppermint vanilla, and egg. Whisk well, about 30 more seconds. Add the Scharffen Berger Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, and combine until no powder remains. Pour the cheesecake over the crust, smoothing it with a spatula. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes. The bars are done when the edges are set and the middle is slightly soft (note that it will set up completely when it is fully cooled). Remove the cheesecake bars from the oven and allow them to cool for five minutes on the counter. Transfer them to the refrigerator to cool for 30 minutes.
The Ganache
While the cheesecake bars are cooling in the refrigerator, make the ganache. Place the heavy cream in a microwaveable safe bowl and microwave on high for one minute. The cream should be quite hot and slightly bubbly, so be cautious when removing it from the microwave. Place your Scharffen Berger Semi Sweet Dark Chocolate Baking Portions into the heavy cream, fully immersing them. Let this mixture sit for five minutes, and then whisk it until it is smooth and lump-free.
Pour the ganache over your cheesecake bars, smoothing it with a spatula to cover the bars almost to the edges. Place the bars back into the refrigerator and allow them to cool completely, 2 to 3 hours or overnight. Top the bars with crushed candy canes, peppermint balls, and chocolate curls if desired. (I have a tutorial for perfect Easy Chocolate Curls if you’d like to make them!). Slice and serve the bars. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to four days.
The Dietary Substitutions
I love providing gluten and dairy free substitutions so that those with alternate dietary needs can enjoy my recipes to their fullest! These are subs that I have either used and continue to stock in my own home, or that have come highly recommended from others. I want your baking experience to be the best it can be, and avoiding gluten or dairy shouldn’t hinder that process in the slightest.
As always, here is a list of tried and true dietary substitutes, so that you can enjoy this recipe without the additions of gluten or dairy.
Miyokos butter is a plant based brick that closely resembles dairy butter not only in its look, but it’s taste as well. It melts, browns, and spreads just like real butter, and truly is a fantastic substitute in this recipe. Use it as a 1:1 ratio sub, same as the flour, so the recipe measurements will not change.
Miyokos also makes a wonderful cream cheese that would be an excellent dairy free base in this recipe.
Silk Dairy Free Heavy Cream is a great option for both the cheesecake and the whipped topping.
Look for dairy free chocolate if you need to avoid dairy in this recipe.
I hope you loved these peppermint chocolate cheesecake bars! A sincere thank you to Sharffen Berger Chocolate Maker for sponsoring this recipe. I love working with local businesses, and this wonderful company not only prides themselves on making delicious and high quality chocolates, but they are completely ethically sourced as well. It doesn’t get much better than that.
If you did love this recipe, I’d be so grateful for you to leave a 5 star rating + review.
Tag @heathershomebakery on Instagram if you upload a pic too, because I want to see your creations. 😊
Lastly, post this recipe to any of your boards by tapping the Pinterest icon and clicking on your favorite photo. Save and enjoy.
Check out my Frosted Chocolate Fudge Cookies for an extra dose of chocolate-y goodness.
Happy Baking!
XO,
Heather
Peppermint Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
FOR THE CRUST:
- 1 ¾ Cup Crushed Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, fillings removed
- 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
- ½ Cup Salted Butter, melted
FOR THE CHEESECAKE FILLING:
- 8 Ounces Cream Cheese, softened
- ½ Cup Granulated Sugar
- ¼ Cup Heavy Cream
- 2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
- ½ Teaspoon Pure Peppermint Extract
- 1 Large Egg
- ⅓ Cup Sharffen Berger Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
FOR THE GANACHE LAYER:
- 8 Ounces Sharffen Berger Semisweet Dark Chocolate Baking Portions
- ½ Cup Heavy Cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° . Spray an 8x8 inch baking dish with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper.
- To begin, scrape the filling out of 28 chocolate sandwich cookies. This will be just about 1 ¾ cups when processed. If you have a medium to large food processor, it is easy to combine all of the ingredients into the professor. If not, you can use a large ziplock bag and a rolling pin to crush the cookies into fine crumbs. Melt the butter either in a microwave safe container on high for 30-45 seconds, or on the stovetop in a small pan on high heat for 5-10 minutes (or until fully melted but not bubbling). Into your bowl of chocolate crumbs (or into your food processor), add the melted butter, and granulated sugar. Gently mix with a fork to combine, or set your food processor on until the mixture if fully combined (about 20 seconds or so). Press the rust into the prepared pan and set aside.
- For the Cheesecake Filling: Beat cream cheese with a hand mixer or in a standing mixer, or whisk well until smooth and creamy. Add sugar and mix to incorporate. Add heavy cream, vanilla, peppermint, and ergo and mix until incorporated. Add cocoa powder and mix until no powder remains.Pour the cheesecake filling into the prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until set on the outside and slightly soft in the middle. Allow to cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- For the Ganache: Heat the heavy cream on high in the microwave for one minute, or warm on the stovetop in a saucepan on medium to high heat until bubbles just begin to form. Carefully remove cream. Add chocolate chunks and let it sit for 5 minutes. Whisk well until smooth. Pour the ganache over the cheesecake bars, and with a spatula, gently spread evenly over the top. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes if desired. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving to allow the ganache to set.
- Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to four days. Enjoy!
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