Made with cream cheese, a chocolate wafer crust and topped with whipped cream and crushed candy canes, these peppermint cheesecake cupcakes are super easy to make and so tasty. The perfect Christmas dessert!
Are you ready for Christmas?
I know I am! It’s one of my favorite times of the year.
And what better way to get into the holiday spirit than with these easy candy cane cheesecake cupcakes.
The cream cheese in the batter makes them taste amazing with just the right amount of peppermint flavor.
While the chocolate wafer crust adds some crunch.
And the candy cane topping looks so festive.
These mini cheesecakes are perfect for Christmas parties. Especially since each one is an individual serving. Which makes them so easy to serve for a crowd.
Ingredients
Makes: 12 cupcakes
Here is your shopping list:
- Dairy – 8-ounce package cream cheese, 5.3-ounce container vanilla yogurt, 1 can of whipping cream
- Egg – 1 large
- Baking supplies – 1/3 cup sugar
- Flavoring – ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract, 5 or 6 mini candy canes (or 20 to 24 peppermint candies)
- Color – red liquid food coloring
- Crust – 12 chocolate wafers
Substitutions
- Use Neufchatel cheese instead of the cream cheese if you want to decrease the fat content a little.
- Plain yogurt will work instead of vanilla yogurt.
- Replace the peppermint extract with vanilla extract for a more traditional cheesecake flavor.
- You can whip heavy cream in the mixer instead of using canned whipping cream if you prefer.
How to make Peppermint cheesecake cupcakes
Prep work
Heat the oven to 375℉.
Line a cupcake pan with liners.
Use a rolling pin to lightly crush the wafer cookies. Putting them in a ziploc bag helps to keep them contained.
Divide equally among the cupcake liners.
Crush the mini candy canes with the rolling pin. These will be used for the topping so you may want to store them in a plastic container or ziploc bag to keep them fresh until you need them.
Mix the batter
In a large bowl, combine an 8-ounce package of cream cheese, 5.3 ounce container of vanilla yogurt, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 egg, ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract and 4 or 5 drops of red food coloring.
With an electric mixer, beat the batter until smooth.
Bake
Divide the cheesecake filling equally among the cups.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Then allow the cupcakes to cool to room temperature in the muffin tin on a wire cooling rack.
Once cooled, place in the freezer for at least one hour.
Or up to a month if you want to make them ahead of time.
Serve
When you’re ready to serve them, allow the cupcakes to thaw for 15 minutes.
Then top with whipping cream and a sprinkling of crushed candy canes.
You’ll be surprised at how quickly these mini peppermint cheesecakes disappear!
Other Christmas desserts you might like
- Grinch cupcakes with a heart inside
- Canadian butter tarts
- Mincemeat cheesecake tarts
- Cherry cheesecake tarts
- Christmas fruit cake
Candy Cane Peppermint Cheesecake Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 12 chocolate wafer cookies crushed
- 1 8-oz package cream cheese
- 1 5.3-oz container vanilla yogurt
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 4 to 5 drops red food coloring
- 1 can whipping cream
- 5 mini candy canes crushed
Equipment
- cupcake liners
- Cupcake (or muffin) tin
- Rolling Pin
- measuring cups and spoons
- electric mixer and mixing bowl
- wire cooling rack
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F.
- Line a cupcake pan with liners.
- Divide the crushed chocolate wafers equally among the cups.12 chocolate wafer cookies
- In an electric mixer, mix the cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, egg, peppermint extract and food coloring until smooth.1 8-oz package cream cheese, 1 5.3-oz container vanilla yogurt, ⅓ cup sugar, 1 large egg, ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract, 4 to 5 drops red food coloring
- Fill each of the cups about 3/4 full.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Then allow to cool to room temperature on a wire cooling rack.
- Once cooled, place in the freezer for at least one hour.
- Before serving, allow the cupcakes to thaw for 15 minutes.
- Then top with whipping cream and a sprinkling of crushed candy canes.1 can whipping cream, 5 mini candy canes
Notes
- To decrease the fat content (and the calories) a little, use neufchatel cheese instead of cream cheese.
- Plain yogurt will work instead of vanilla yogurt.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Have comments or questions about our easy candy cane peppermint cheesecake cupcakes recipe? Tell us in the section below.
This post was originally published on November 29, 2021 but was updated with new content on August 28, 2024.