Instant Pot Peppermint Cheesecake Recipe

Katie Clark — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 13:00:00 +0000

This Instant Pot Peppermint Cheesecake recipe is filled with peppermint Andes mints and has a delightful peppermint bark OREO chocolate. There is nothing quite like an Instant Pot cheesecake – and this one is AMAZING!

Peppermint Bark Cheesecake

Ever since I first got my Instant Pot, I have heard people giving rave reviews for making cheesecake.

I decided a while ago that cheesecake is probably my favorite type of dessert, so it only made sense that I wanted to try out one in the Instant Pot.

Now, most people go with a traditional cheesecake made with a graham cracker crust – filled with a creamy, white filling. Which is delicious, of course.

However, I wanted to come up with something different for our readers.

With Christmas quickly approaching, peppermint is definitely on the mind. I had visions of a traditional base with peppermint Andes mints mixed in, laid on top of a chocolate peppermint crust, with whipped cream and crushed candy canes on top.

I wasn’t sure how this was going to turn out, but in the end, it was perfect.

It was delicious. My kids loved it. My parents loved it. Forrest loved it. And I loved it.

It was creamy with a distinct (but not overwhelming) peppermint taste. The chocolate crust was made with peppermint bark OREO cookies, which was the perfect touch.

I loved the addition of the whipped cream on top with the crushed peppermint candy canes on top.

If you want to make a winning dessert this holiday season, I assure you – this one will be a huge hit.

I used this Instant Pot Cheesecake recipe from My Baking Addiction as the start of my recipe, and I adapted it as needed.

The Crust

Any good cheesecake must have a good crust in my opinion! I really wanted this crust to be different.

Most cheesecake crusts are made with graham crackers or wafers, but when I saw the peppermint bark OREO cookies, I knew it was the perfect cookie.

I did not remove the filling of the OREO cookies – it worked perfectly just to pulse them all together into a crust.

I started with just three tablespoons of butter, but it was clear that I needed two more.

The crust was delicious. You could definitely just use regular OREO cookies, but I would suggest finding the peppermint bark ones if you can!

The Batter

The filling is a pretty classic cheesecake, just with a twist of the Andes Peppermint candies!

I was worried that the Andes mints would sink to the bottom of the batter, but they were evenly distributed throughout the entire cheesecake. It was perfect!

Notes and Tips

When making this recipe, here are a few things to consider:

A lot of recipes suggest using a tin foil sling to lower the springform pan in and out of the pot. However, I found this to be kind of annoying, and I ended up just getting it out with the trivet handles.
Be careful with the steam! I tried to take it out too soon after I took the lid off, and I burned my hand. I would let it sit with the lid open for about 10-15 minutes.
Make sure you make this the day before. While it technically just needs eight hours in the fridge, I think it’s better if it can sit overnight.
It is easy for it to cook and set unevenly. Do your best to put the crust in as evenly as possible. Drop the pan gently to get the filling to settle. And make sure it’s placed evenly on the trivet!
We tried to use Reddi-wip for decoration around the edges, but it melted super fast. So either put that on right before serving or use a recipe like this one that is ideal for use at room temperature.

FAQ

Can I use another brand pressure cooker? I have only personally tested this with my Instant Pot, so I can’t guarantee the results of other pressure cookers. I’m sure the recipe can be used – it may just need to be adapted. I would recommend looking for cheesecake recipes for your specific pressure cooker to see what is suggested.

What Instant Pot did you use? I have a 6-quart DUO and an 8-quart DUO Ultra. This recipe was created and tested with the DUO Ultra. It should be successful in any 6 or 8-quart model.

How come there’s water on top of my cheesecake? You may notice this after it comes out of the Instant Pot – which is normal. It may have come from the condensation of the water within the pot during cooking. Just gently pour it off!

Can I use something other than Andes Mints? If you have some other kind of peppermint chocolate mix-in that you’d like to use, that’s fine! I was initially planning to use the peppermint baking chips from Andes, but all I could find were the candies. They worked great!

Where did you find the peppermint Andes Mints? This is a seasonal product. I’ve been able to find it at Target and Walmart.

How can I make this in my oven? I honestly am not sure This is a great recipe for a classic cheesecake, so I would follow some of those instructions (while using the same preparation instructions in this post).

Can I use something other than Cool Whip? You can if you’d like! Homemade whipped cream is always a good option.

Do I have to use tin foil? Unless you know of an Instant Pot safe way to cover it, yes, I would use tin foil.

How can I make this healthier? I mean, it’s cheesecake – it’s typically a pretty decadent dessert I used full-fat cream cheese, so you could consider using one that has less fat or even Greek yogurt-based cream cheese. I guarantee no results if you

What mixer do you use? I have both a Kitchen Aid Artisan and Bosch Universal Plus Mixer. I used the Kitchen Aid Artisan for this particular recipe.

Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake

EQUIPMENT

Instant Pot
Trivet
7″ Springform Pan
Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
Food Processor or Blender

INGREDIENTS

Crust

20 Peppermint Bark OREO cookies
5 Tablespoons salted butter

Filling

16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 quarter cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
20 peppermint Andes Mints

Topping

Cool Whip (or homemade whipped cream)
Crushed candy canes
Chocolate candy for the middle (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Crust:

Spray the inside of your springform pan with cooking spray

Put the OREO cookies in a blender or food processor and process until crumbled.

Mix with melted butter.

Press into the bottom of your springform pan evenly. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Filling

Beat cream cheese until smooth and no chunks remain.

Add in sugar and mix until creamy.

Add in eggs and beat until combined.

Add in vanilla, flour, and heavy cream and mix until smooth.

Add broken up pieces of Andes mints into the batter.

Take the crust from the freezer and pour filling inside.

Cover the top and bottom of your pan tightly with tin foil.

Place your trivet in the bottom of your Instant Pot and place your pan on top.

Pour one cup of water over the top of your pan.

Put the lid on your Instant Pot and set it to sealing.

Set timer for manual high pressure for 35 minutes.

When the timer goes off, press cancel and let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then release the rest of the pressure.

Let it cool for 10 minutes once you open the lid.

Remove from Instant Pot and place in the fridge overnight or at least eight hours.

Shortly before serving, spread whipped cream on top and sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy canes.